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Draft Notes: Banchero, Wesley, Williams, Mock

June 18th, 2022 at 11:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

Duke’s Paolo Banchero is projected by most mock drafts to be selected by the Rockets with the No. 3 pick. Banchero believes that’s two slots too low, USA Today’s David Thompson writes.

“I feel like I am the best player in the draft and I feel like I showed that throughout the year,” he said. “I feel like I showed everything with my skill sets and my intangibles.”

However, he wouldn’t be disappointed if he ends up playing with Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr in Houston.

“Those are two extremely skilled, extremely talented players,” Banchero said. “Both guys I’ve known for a while. I feel like playing with them would be fun.”

We have more draft-related info:

  • Notre Dame’s Blake Wesley is the latest player to get a green room invite, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. He’s currently ranked No. 27 on ESPN’s Best Available list. There are now 22 players with green room invitations.
  • Jalen Williams has worked out for the Clippers, Warriors, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Bucks, Thunder and Spurs, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee tweets. ESPN ranks the Santa Clara guard at No. 21. Williams will soon visit the Cavaliers, Anderson adds.
  • In Basketball News’ Matt Babcock’s latest mock draft, Williams winds up with the Grizzlies at No. 22. Jabari Smith is the Magic‘s pick at No. 1.
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Draft Notes: Rockets, Nuggets, Green Room, Houstan, Sharpe, Roddy

June 17th, 2022 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

Now that they’re poised to add the No. 26 pick to their list of draft assets, the Rockets are looking into the possibility of trading up in the draft, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reports within his latest mock draft. According to O’Connor, Houston has inquired about moving up from No. 3 into one of the top two spots in the draft, and has also explored the possibility of moving up from No. 17 into the late lottery.

Like Houston, the Nuggets have agreed to acquire an extra first-round pick (No. 30) and are trying to package it with No. 21 in order to move into the middle of the first round, O’Connor writes. However, O’Connor expects Denver to have to add a young player or a future asset to its package in order to make any real headway.

O’Connor’s newest mock draft includes a few more interesting tidbits, including his suggestion that there’s still some “chatter” about teams trying to trade for the Magic‘s No. 1 overall pick.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

  • Five more players have been invited to the green room for next Thursday’s draft, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). Tari Eason, Jalen Williams, TyTy Washington, MarJon Beauchamp, and Jaden Hardy received invites, joining an initial list of 16 invitees. Of the 21 players invited to the green room, only Hardy (No. 22) and Beauchamp (No. 23) are outside of the top 21 prospects on ESPN’s big board.
  • Michigan’s Caleb Houstan, one of the only prospects to decline a combine invite this year, worked out this week for the Grizzlies and Nuggets, a source tells Givony (Twitter link). Those two teams control the last two picks of the first round.
  • Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe told reporters today that the Spurs, Thunder, and Magic are among the teams he has worked out for in the pre-draft process, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Sharpe will work out for the Pacers on Monday, a source tells James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).
  • Colorado State forward David Roddy still has workouts coming up with the Thunder and Celtics, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. By the time draft night arrives, Roddy will have visited “half the league,” Wolfson adds.
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Sixers Notes: Harris, Draft Plans, Warren, Riller, J. Williams

June 14th, 2022 at 4:24pm CST by Rory Maher

Tobias Harris‘ large contract makes his future with the Sixers uncertain, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice, who takes a deep dive into what the team should do with the veteran forward.

Neubeck notes that Harris, who will make $37.63MM in 2022/23 and $39.27MM in ’23/24, has roughly twice the salary of other productive NBA starters, limiting the team’s financial flexibility. Harris also saw his offensive role reduced following the trade for James Harden, becoming more of a complementary spot-up shooter.

In 73 regular season games, Harris averaged 17.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 3.5 APG on .482/.367/.842 shooting. He had a nice postseason run, playing improved defense while averaging 16.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.9 APG and 1.1 SPG on .500/.386/.864 shooting in 12 games.

As Neubeck writes, Harris is paid like a star, but produces more like a high-end starter. Ultimately, Neubeck believes the most likely outcome is that the Sixers will hold onto Harris through next season, at which point his expiring contract in ’23/24 could make him more valuable.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

  • In a separate article for PhillyVoice, Neubeck thinks the Sixers will stand pat on draft night and select a player who can step into an immediate rotation role with the No. 23 pick. However, he notes that things change quickly in the NBA, so that outcome isn’t set in stone by any means. Neubeck states that Danny Green, whose name has been floated in trade rumors, underwent surgery to repair his torn ACL roughly two weeks ago.
  • Within the same piece, Neubeck says that “talk has picked up some” that forward T.J. Warren, an unrestricted free agent this summer, could receive a relatively large, one-year, $10+MM “prove-it” deal from a rebuilding club. Warren has played just four games over the past two seasons, so the injury concerns are obvious. If he’s unable to land such a deal, Neubeck thinks the Sixers and other contending clubs will likely pursue Warren and try to sell him on rebuilding his value on a short-term deal, similar to what happened with Victor Oladipo in Miami.
  • Free agent point guard Grant Riller has a workout scheduled with the Sixers later this week, a source tells our JD Shaw (Twitter link). Riller spent time on two-way contracts with Philadelphia and Charlotte the past couple seasons. The 25-year-old was waived by the Sixers in December when he injured his shoulder, which required surgery, but he’s fully recovered now.
  • Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams could be an intriguing option if he’s still available at No. 23, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He’s ranked No. 21 on ESPN’s big board and averaged 18 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.2 APG and 1.2 SPG on .513/.396/.809 shooting for the Broncos in ’21/22.
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Southeast Notes: Wizards, Magic, Williams, Heat, Hawks

June 12th, 2022 at 6:01pm CST by JD Shaw

The Wizards are scheduled to work out six draft-eligible players on Monday, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Oklahoma’s Jordan Goldwire, Arkansas’ Chris Lykes, Kansas’ Remy Martin, Kansas State’s Mike McGuirl, Alabama’s Jaden Shackelford and Notre Dame’s Blake Wesley will attend the session.

As noted by Robbins, all six players are guards. The Wizards, who own the 10th and 54th overall picks in the draft, are coming off a season in which they finished with a 35-47 record, missing the playoffs.

Here are some other notes from the Southeast Division:

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Northwest Notes: Eason, Connelly, Wolves, Thunder, Terry

June 11th, 2022 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

LSU forward Tari Eason, who headlined the Trail Blazers‘ six-player workout on Friday, already has some connections to the franchise, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. A Seattle native, Eason’s high school coach was one-time Portland star Brandon Roy, and the Blazers’ roster already includes another recent LSU standout, Trendon Watford.

Although Portland likes Eason enough to see him in person, he probably won’t be in the mix for the seventh pick, which is the Blazers’ only current selection in the first round. Fentress notes that Eason has a wide variety of projections in mock drafts and has worked out for other teams ranging from Washington at No. 10 to Minnesota at No. 19. Eason says he’s tried to avoid such predictions as he prepares for draft night.

“I don’t really have a preference or really look into that sort of thing,” he said. “I don’t really get caught up in that. I just control the things that I can control.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

  • New Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly is approaching the draft with an open mind, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Minnesota needs more size, but may not find any attractive options with the 19th pick. The team also has three second-rounders at 40, 48 and 50 that may be used to facilitate a trade. “We feel good about adding another valuable piece, a good player at 19,” Connelly said. “There will potentially be some pretty cool opportunities to use that as a trade asset as well. Anytime you have four draft picks, it’s exciting. It’s the one day of the year where you really control what you can do, largely.”
  • Six players worked out Friday for the Timberwolves, tweets Andrew Slater of Pro Insight. They are Christian Braun of Kansas, Jordan Hall of St. Joseph’s, Dereon Seabron of North Carolina State, Jalen Williams of Santa Clara, Bryce McGowens of Nebraska and Donovan Williams of UNLV.
  • ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) tries to build an ideal draft for the Thunder using their four picks. Givony’s simulation gives Oklahoma City Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren at No. 2, Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe at No. 12, Wake Forest’s Jake LaRavia at No. 30 and Khalifa Diop of Gran Canaria at No. 34.
  • Jason Terry had his interview today as the Jazz search for their next head coach, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. Utah assistants Alex Jensen and Lamar Skeeter also interviewed this week.
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Draft Notes: J. Williams, Sasser, LaRavia, Houstan, Minott, More

May 27th, 2022 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Santa Clara wing Jalen Williams was perhaps the standout of last week’s draft combine in Chicago, while Houston guard Marcus Sasser looked like the best player at the G League Elite Camp, John Hollinger and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic write as part of their analysis of the combine.

Hollinger and Vecenie suggest that Williams’ stock has “exploded into the stratosphere” as a result of his performance in Chicago and that he looks like a safe bet to be a first-round pick. As for Sasser, he got “nearly unanimous praise” from scouts, who believe he has a chance to start his rookie season on a standard NBA contract, rather than a two-way deal.

The Athletic’s duo shares several more combine-related tidbits in their full story, including identifying Wake Forest forward Jake LaRavia as a prospect who is drawing legitimate interest from contending teams in the last 10 picks of the first round.

Hollinger and Vecenie also say that chatter about Michigan forward Caleb Houstan having received a promise continues to circulate among league insiders. Those insiders have speculated that Oklahoma City at No. 30 could be the team eyeing Houstan, given the Thunder‘s history of shutting down their targets well ahead of draft night.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Josh Minott, the No. 48 player on ESPN’s 2022 big board, will be keeping his name in the NBA draft, according to his uncle (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports). The freshman forward played fewer than 500 total minutes in his first and only college season at Memphis in 2021/22.
  • Wyoming guard Hunter Maldonado tells Rothstein (Twitter link) that he’ll withdraw from the draft and use his final year of NCAA eligibility. Maldonado had a big senior year in 2021/22, averaging 18.5 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 5.7 RPG and making the All-Mountain West Conference first team.
  • George Washington junior guard James Bishop will withdraw from the draft and return to school for at least one more year, tweets Rothstein. Bishop has been the Colonials’ go-to scorer since transferring for his sophomore season, averaging 17.6 PPG in 47 games over the last two years.
  • Senior guard Emmanuel Bandoumel will also withdraw from the draft as he transfers from SMU to Nebraska, tweets Rothstein.
  • Former Louisiana senior center Theo Akwuba has withdrawn from the draft and Oklahoma State junior guard Avery Anderson III and Tennessee junior guard Santiago Vescovi are expected to do the same, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium (all Twitter links). Goodman notes that Akwuba will be transferring to Ole Miss for his final college season.
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Southeast Notes: Hawks, Beal, Wizards, Magic

May 25th, 2022 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks, who are widely expected to be one of the more active NBA teams this summer, are believed to be open to discussing possible trades involving nearly all the players on their roster, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says rival executives view Trae Young as Atlanta’s only untouchable player.

The Hawks had trade conversations prior to this year’s trade deadline about John Collins, Kevin Huerter, and Danilo Gallinari, among others, Fischer notes.

Although Fischer says that restricted free agent center Deandre Ayton has been a “popular rumored target” for the Hawks, he cites multiple league sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking that believe the front office will prioritize adding a wing scorer over a big man.

K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago previously reported that “league gossip” had linked the Hawks to Zach LaVine, a point Fischer reiterates, writing that multiple sources have mentioned Atlanta as a possible destination for LaVine. Since they’ll be well over the cap, the Hawks would likely have to try to work out a sign-and-trade if they get serious about pursuing LaVine.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • After indicating in early March that he’s leaning toward re-signing with the Wizards, Bradley Beal recently suggested his position hasn’t changed. According to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post, Beal – who said his recovery from season-ending wrist surgery has gone well – confirmed that he’s still leaning toward remaining in Washington. “This injury also gave me a mental break, a time to evaluate life, and I haven’t changed my mind-set,” Beal said. “I enjoy being in D.C.; I enjoy being on this team.”
  • In a mailbag for The Athletic, Josh Robbins considers whether or not Wizards fans would embrace a full-fledged rebuild and explores whether the team could trade up from No. 10 in the draft. Of course, if Washington re-signs Beal, it’s a safe bet the team isn’t shifting into rebuilding mode this summer.
  • The Magic have a history of trading out of the second round of the draft, but they’re expected to use at least one of the No. 32 and No. 35 picks this year, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. Price notes that Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams, who has a 7’2″ wingspan despite being just 6’4″, is the type of player the Magic typically like, and he spoke to the team at last week’s combine.
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Draft Decisions: J. Williams, Braun, J. Walker, Scheierman

May 25th, 2022 at 7:49am CST by Luke Adams

Early entrants Jalen Williams (Santa Clara), Christian Braun (Kansas), and Jabari Walker (Colorado) are all keeping their names in the 2022 NBA draft, notes Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link). The three prospects have signed with BDA Sports and WME Sports for representation, rendering them ineligible to return to college.

Williams, a junior guard, is a potential first-round pick, currently ranking 24th overall on ESPN’s big board. When he first entered the draft, he was at No. 48 on ESPN’s list, so he has clearly improved his stock in the last couple months.

Braun, also a junior guard, isn’t far behind Williams at No. 30, while sophomore forward Walker is at No. 74 and isn’t a lock to be drafted.

Here are a few more updates on early entrants deciding to either remain in the draft pool or return to school:

  • After declaring for the draft following his junior season, forward Baylor Scheierman has decided to withdraw and return to school for at least one more year, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Scheierman, the No. 86 prospect on ESPN’s board, is transferring from South Dakota State to Creighton.
  • As expected, after securing a lucrative NIL deal to play for Miami, Nijel Pack has opted to withdraw from the NBA draft, according to Rothstein (Twitter link). The guard spent his first two college seasons at Kansas State.
  • Nevada junior guard Grant Sherfield will withdraw from the draft and is transferring to Oklahoma to play for the Sooners next season, tweets Goodman. Sherfield made the All-MWC team in each of the last two years after transferring from Wichita State in 2020.
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Draft Notes: Combine, Draft Traders, Withdrawals

May 20th, 2022 at 5:52pm CST by Rory Maher

In his article about the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated says that while some rival teams think the Thunder will pick Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren No. 2, he’s heard “quite a few educated theories” that they might favor Duke’s Paolo Banchero instead — assuming the Magic take Auburn’s Jabari Smith No. 1, which isn’t a given.

Banchero is more physically ready for the NBA than Holmgren and has displayed impressive perimeter skills and passing for a power forward, but Oklahoma City plays its cards close to the vest, so don’t expect to know which player the Thunder will wind up picking until draft night, Woo writes.

Within the same piece, Woo says Shaedon Sharpe, who’s considered a wild card in the lottery due to not playing at all for Kentucky, is a near-certainty to be picked in the top five or six, as his “unusual talent and athletic ability has successfully captured the attention of the entire NBA this week.”

Woo also lists a handful of scrimmage standouts from Thursday who may have boosted their draft stocks, including North Carolina State’s Terquavion Smith, Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams, and Purdue’s Trevion Williams, among others.

Here are some more draft-related notes:

  • Within his aggregate mock draft, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto says rival executives believe the Hornets and Timberwolves are among the teams who might be draft traders. Charlotte controls the 13th, 15th and 45th picks, while Minnesota holds the 19th, 40th, 48th and 50th picks.
  • Three juniors, Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, Dayton’s Toumani Camara and Saint Louis’ Yuri Collins, are withdrawing from the draft and returning to their respective schools, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (All Twitter links). Jackson-Davis had a strong season for the Hoosiers in 2021/22, averaging 18.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. However, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to attend the combine, which may have contributed to his decision. He’s ranked No. 66 on ESPN’s big board, while Camara and Collins are unranked.
  • Souley Boum has also withdrawn from the draft, as Rothstein relays (via Twitter). Boum played for UTEP last season, averaging 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals, but will transfer to Xavier for his final collegiate season.
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Draft Notes: Withdrawals, LaRavia, J. Williams, T. Smith, More

May 19th, 2022 at 1:46pm CST by Rory Maher

Former Murray State forward K.J. Williams has withdrawn from the 2022 NBA Draft and will transfer to LSU for 2022/23, he told Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Williams averaged 18 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals on .538/.327/.699 shooting last season for the Racers.

Boise State guard Marcus Shaver has also withdrawn from the draft, announcing on Instagram that he’ll return for a final season with the Broncos. Shaver put up 13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 34 games last season.

Here are more draft-related notes:

  • After a strong showing at the combine on Wednesday, where he led his group by making 18 of 25 shots during the three-point star drill, Wake Forest’s Jake LaRavia opted to sit out of scrimmages on Thursday, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Although it went unsaid, the implication is that LaRavia may have received a promise from a team that he’ll be selected in the draft. LaRavia has been rising up draft boards recently. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic had him going No. 28 in his latest mock draft, while John Hollinger of The Athletic ranks him as the No. 20 prospect.
  • Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams and North Carolina State’s Terquavion Smith are also draft risers, per Rafael Barlowe of NBABigBoard.com (All Twitter links). Williams might end up becoming a lottery pick, while Smith has been performing well in workouts and drills at the combine. One scout compared Smith to Warriors guard Jordan Poole. “Breathtaking athlete. Super confident. Jordan Poole in every way. Great shooter with blazing speed and an electric right leg. Impossible to stay in front of in one on one play,” the scout said. ESPN’s Mike Schmitz (Twitter link) also likes Smith’s game, saying he thinks Smith will project well to the NBA. Williams and Smith were both in the 20s in Vecenie’s mock draft.
  • G League ignite guard/forward Dyson Daniels has met with nine teams thus far at the combine, including the Knicks, Kings, Cavaliers and Hawks, tweets Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Daniels is a projected lottery pick, currently the No. 10 prospect on ESPN’s big board. He’s considered a strong passer, rebounder and versatile defender.
  • Syracuse’s Buddy Boeheim, who recently worked out for the Kings, Knicks and Warriors, has an additional 10 teams lined up for workouts, as Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com relays (via Twitter). Boeheim led the ACC in scoring in ’21/22.
  • In an interview with Spencer Davies of BasketballNews.com, Iowa State’s Izaiah Brockington said he thinks his competitive fire and work ethic will translate to the NBA-level. “I feel like my work ethic allows me to catch guys that a lot of people deem ‘better’ or would rank higher [than me],” Brockington said. “I feel like I have the intangibles that other people don’t. I have athleticism, and I have the dog mentality — somebody who just loves to compete and loves to win and isn’t gonna let somebody just walk all over them.” Brockington has workouts scheduled with 10 teams, according to Davies.
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