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Draft Notes: Top Picks, Barnes, Mitchell, Green Room

July 16th, 2021 at 11:04am CST by Arthur Hill

With the draft less than two weeks away, more clarity is emerging about the top of the lottery, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Pistons are reportedly listening to offers involving the No. 1 selection, but league sources tell O’Connor the most likely scenario is that they will keep the pick and take Cade Cunningham. Even if a trade does happen, teams around the league expect Cunningham to be taken first.

The Rockets are leaning toward Jalen Green with the second pick, sources tell O’Connor. Green’s elite athleticism and ability to create his own shot could eventually make him the best player in the draft, O’Connor adds, and rival teams are preparing for him to go to Houston.

Evan Mobley, who ranks higher than Green on many teams’ draft boards, appears to be a good fit for the Cavaliers at No. 3. They may consider a guard if Collin Sexton is traded by draft night, but Mobley makes sense with the current roster. Jalen Suggs appears headed to the Raptors with the fourth pick and would be a young replacement for Kyle Lowry if he leaves in free agency.

O’Connor cites league sources who believe the Magic like Scottie Barnes with the fifth pick, while the Thunder at No. 6 will decide between James Bouknight and Barnes if he’s still on the board. Jonathan Kuminga, who was considered a top five selection early on, isn’t getting much interest from either Orlando or Oklahoma City, O’Connor adds.

There’s more on the draft:

  • Many scouts and executives believe Barnes will be a top five pick, per Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Sources tell Wassmerman that the Magic are a good bet to take Barnes, but the Thunder will nab him if Orlando passes. Rival teams also believe the Raptors will consider him with the fourth pick if they’re determined to keep Lowry.
  • Baylor point guard Davion Mitchell held an individual workout for the Warriors on Thursday, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Moses Moody, Jalen Johnson and Kai Jones also worked out for the team, but they were in a group session that was held after Mitchell’s workout and interview. Slater examines the arguments for and against drafting Mitchell, who is a strong defender and improved greatly as a three-point shooter last season.
  • Kuminga is among the prospects who have received a Green Room invitation for draft night, Wasserman tweets. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that Jones (Twitter link) and Australian guard Josh Giddey (Twitter link) have also been invited to join the Green Room, which is reserved for prospects who are expected to be chosen early.
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Pelicans Notes: Coaching Search, Green, Bouknight

July 10th, 2021 at 8:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s a “belief around the NBA” that Suns assistant Willie Green is the frontrunner to become the Pelicans‘ next head coach, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Green and Bucks assistant Charles Lee are considered to be the top two candidates, and with both involved in the NBA Finals, New Orleans may have to wait until that series wraps up before announcing a decision.

Green, 39, had a 12-year playing career and spent the 2010/11 season with New Orleans. His variety of NBA experiences, which include playing alongside Allen Iverson in Philadelphia and winning two titles as a coach with the Warriors, appeal to the Pelicans’ front office.

Stan Van Gundy came to New Orleans with a solid reputation, but wasn’t able to connect with the players during his eight months as head coach. Clark states that the priority with the next hire will be to find someone who can be encouraging but still command respect from the young roster, particularly Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

There’s more on the Pelicans:

  • Green’s combination of youth, success and playing experience might make him the best candidate for the job, per William Guillory of The Athletic. Green has a chance to win his third ring in the past five years, and he’s able to mix old-school coaching techniques with modern analytic theories, Guillory states.
  • New Orleans is taking a risk by waiting so long to hire its next coach, writes Jacob Rude of Yahoo Sports. More than three weeks have passed since Van Gundy was dismissed, and for the second straight year a new head coach will have minimal impact on draft and free agency decisions. Rude also recounts the questionable roster decisions that have taken place since David Griffin was hired as president of basketball operations and notes that some positive news is needed soon to convince Williamson that the franchise can become a contender.
  • Connecticut guard James Bouknight could be the answer to the Pelicans’ need for backcourt scoring if he’s still on the board at No. 10, Clark adds in a separate story. Bouknight averaged 18.7 points per game as a sophomore and is reportedly moving up draft boards. Clark observes that the 20-year-old is comfortable shooting from just about anywhere on the court and has the ability to finish through contact at the rim.
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Draft Notes: Executive Roundup, Duarte, Monyyong, Lakers, Mini-Combine

July 10th, 2021 at 1:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

In a Draft Confidential column for The Athletic, Hall-of-Fame reporter David Aldridge interviews anonymous team executives and college coaches to get their inside scoop on the 2021 draft’s burning questions.

Some of the topics discussed: the Jalen Green versus Jalen Suggs debate, who will be the fourth guard taken after Suggs, Green, and Cade Cunningham are off the board (James Bouknight, Moses Moody, Davion Mitchell, and Keon Johnson are the top candidates), draft promises, some of the late risers (Joshua Primo, Nah’Shon Hyland, Miles McBride, and others), and a whole lot more.

We have more news from the draft:

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Southeast Notes: Hornets’ Workouts, Westbrook, Beal, Mosley, McMillan

July 2nd, 2021 at 9:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets worked out seven draft prospects on Friday, headlined by UConn guard James Bouknight, P.J. Morales of the Charlotte Observer writes. Bouknight is rated as the No. 8 overall prospect on ESPN’s Best Available list. Auburn guard Sharife Cooper (No. 18 on ESPN’s list), Tennessee guard Jaden Springer (No. 27), and Auburn forward JT Thor (No. 28) were some of the other potential first-rounders who visited. The group also included Iowa center Luka Garza, Howard center Makur Maker, and Croatian forward Roko Prkacin (No. 37).

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • Not surprisingly, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal are the players most likely to remain on the Wizards‘ roster heading into next season, Fred Katz of The Athletic anticipates. Katz takes a look at every player on the roster and projects the odds they’ll return with Washington for the 2021/22 campaign.
  • Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley was interviewed for the Magic’s head coaching job on Thursday, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Orlando’s desire to interview Mosley was previously reported. Mosley is likely to leave Dallas after being passed over for the head coaching job that went to Jason Kidd.
  • Nate McMillan has far exceeded all expectations as the Hawks’ interim coach and Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal Constitution notes how the veteran coach has connected with his players in ways that previous coach Lloyd Pierce failed to do.
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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).
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Knicks Considered Unlikely To Keep All Their Draft Picks

June 25th, 2021 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

A number of rival executives don’t expect the Knicks to hang onto and use all three of their picks in the top 32 of this year’s draft, says Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York currently controls the 19th, 21st, and 32nd overall selections, but there’s an expectation that the team will be active on or before draft night rather than standing pat.

“I can’t see them carrying three rookies on the roster (next season),” a member of an opposing team told Begley.

As Begley and Marc Berman of The New York Post observe, the Knicks have been meeting at this week’s combine with a number of prospects who are projected to be drafted in the late lottery, including Florida State’s Scottie Barnes, Duke’s Jalen Johnson, and UConn’s James Bouknight. That could be a hint that the club is mulling the possibility of packaging two or more of its picks in an effort to trade up in the draft.

Of course, as Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), it’s not uncommon for teams picking in the 20s to try to talk to lottery prospects at the combine, since they may not be able to get those players into their building for workouts later in the pre-draft process. As such, it’s probably presumptuous to read too much into a few interviews.

Still, Berman has previously reported that there have been talks within the organization about the possibility of moving up, potentially into the 12-13 range. If the Knicks start bringing in some of those upper-level prospects for workouts in the coming weeks, that would be a stronger sign that the team is seriously considering consolidating some of its draft assets in a trade.

New York could also include one or more of its 2021 draft picks in a deal for a veteran player if the right opportunity arises. The club projects to have plenty of cap room once free agency begins, so trading a pick for a player would be a viable option without having to worry about matching salaries.

The Knicks also hold the No. 58 pick in this year’s draft, but that selection is unlikely to move the needle much as a sweetener in any trade. If New York keeps it, it could be used on a player who would sign a two-way contract.

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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:

  1. Max Abmas, G, Oral Roberts (sophomore)
  2. Ochai Agbaji, G, Kansas (junior)
  3. Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State (freshman)
  4. Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State (freshman)
  5. Charles Bassey, C, Western Kentucky (junior)
  6. Brandon Boston Jr., G/F, Kentucky (freshman)
  7. James Bouknight, G, UConn (sophomore)
  8. Greg Brown, F, Texas (freshman)
  9. Jared Butler, G, Baylor (junior)
  10. Julian Champagnie, G/F, St. John’s (sophomore)
  11. Justin Champagnie, G/F, Pittsburgh (sophomore)
  12. Josh Christopher, G, Arizona State (freshman)
  13. Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn (freshman)
  14. Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois (junior)
  15. David Duke, G, Providence (junior)
  16. Kessler Edwards, F, Pepperdine (junior)
  17. Luka Garza, C, Iowa (senior)
  18. RaiQuan Gray, F, Florida State (junior)
  19. Jalen Green, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
  20. Quentin Grimes, G, Houston (junior)
  21. Sam Hauser, F, Virginia (senior)
  22. Aaron Henry, G/F, Michigan State (junior)
  23. Ariel Hukporti, C, Lithuania (born 2002)
  24. Matthew Hurt, F, Duke (sophomore)
  25. Nah’Shon Hyland, G, VCU (sophomore)
  26. Isaiah Jackson, F, Kentucky (freshman)
  27. David Johnson, G, Louisville (sophomore)
  28. Jalen Johnson, F, Duke (freshman)
  29. Keon Johnson, G, Tennessee (freshman)
  30. Herb Jones, F, Alabama (senior)
  31. Kai Jones, F, Texas (sophomore)
  32. Johnny Juzang, G/F, UCLA (sophomore)
  33. Corey Kispert, F, Gonzaga (senior)
  34. Jonathan Kuminga, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
  35. Scottie Lewis, G, Florida (sophomore)
  36. Isaiah Livers, F, Michigan (senior)
  37. Makur Maker, C, Howard (freshman)
  38. Sandro Mamukelashvili, F/C, Seton Hall (senior)
  39. Tre Mann, G, Florida (sophomore)
  40. Matthew Mayer, G/F, Baylor (junior)
  41. Miles McBride, G, West Virginia (sophomore)
  42. Davion Mitchell, G, Baylor (junior)
  43. Evan Mobley, F/C, USC (freshman)
  44. Isaiah Mobley, F, USC (sophomore)
  45. Moses Moody, G, Arkansas (freshman)
  46. Trey Murphy III, G, Virginia (junior)
  47. Daishen Nix, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
  48. John Petty Jr., G, Alabama (senior)
  49. Yves Pons, G/F, Tennessee (senior)
  50. Jason Preston, G, Ohio (junior)
  51. Joshua Primo, G, Alabama (freshman)
  52. Roko Prkacin, F, Croatia (born 2002)
  53. Neemias Queta, C, Utah State (junior)
  54. Austin Reaves, G, Oklahoma (senior)
  55. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, F, Villanova (sophomore)
  56. Terrence Shannon Jr., G/F, Texas Tech (sophomore)
  57. Day’Ron Sharpe, F/C, North Carolina (freshman)
  58. Jericho Sims, F/C, Texas (senior)
  59. Jaden Springer, G, Tennessee (freshman)
  60. DJ Steward, G, Duke (freshman)
  61. Cameron Thomas, G, LSU (freshman)
  62. JT Thor, F, Auburn (freshman)
  63. Isaiah Todd, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
  64. Trendon Watford, F, LSU (sophomore)
  65. Joe Wieskamp, G/F, Iowa (junior)
  66. Ziaire Williams, F, Stanford (freshman)
  67. McKinley Wright IV, G, Colorado (senior)
  68. Moses Wright, F, Georgia Tech (senior)
  69. Marcus Zegarowski, G, Creighton (junior)
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Draft Notes: Giddey, Pro Days, Combine, G League Elite Camp

June 12th, 2021 at 6:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Potential lottery pick Josh Giddey isn’t expected to attend the NBA draft combine in Chicago or any pre-draft workouts, tweets Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Instead, scouts will get a look at Giddey later this month when his Australian team travels to Las Vegas for exhibition games with Team USA, Spain, Nigeria and Argentina.

The 6’8″ shooting guard has been moving up draft boards and ranks No. 13 on ESPN’s latest list of prospects. Giddey, 18, played this season with the Adelaide 36ers and averaged 10.9 points, 7.1 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game.

There’s more draft news to pass along:

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Draft Notes: Bryant, Couisnard, Garuba, Combine

June 4th, 2021 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of South Carolina early entrants have opted to pull out of the 2021 NBA draft and will return to school. Junior forward Keyshawn Bryant and sophomore guard Jermaine Couisnard both announced their intentions on Twitter.

Bryant and Couisnard were the Gamecocks’ second- and third-leading scorers in 2020/21, with Bryant putting up 14.4 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 18 games (27.0 MPG), while Couisnard averaged 10.1 PPG and 3.2 APG, but struggled mightily with his shot (.302/.289/.580).

Their teammate A.J. Lawson, who was South Carolina’s top scorer this season, also entered the draft in April, announcing at the time that he’d be signing with an agent and going pro.

Here’s more on the 2021 draft:

  • Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer has published his first 2021 mock draft. While there are no major surprises at the very top of the draft, O’Connor’s mock has some interesting picks further down in the first round, starting with Baylor guard Davion Mitchell to Golden State at No. 6.
  • Sam Vecenie’s latest big board for The Athletic begins with the usual suspects, but also features Alperen Sengun, James Bouknight, and Josh Giddey in the top 10. Vecenie, who ranked Real Madrid’s Usman Garuba at No. 33 in his last update, moved the Spaniard up to No. 19 this time after talking to sources, referring to him as the draft’s “most impactful defensive player.”
  • Scrimmages will once again take place at this year’s draft combine in Chicago, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report hears (Twitter link). Wasserman says those scrimmages will likely occur on June 24-25 following the initial workouts and drills.
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James Bouknight, Ziaire Williams Entering 2021 Draft

March 31st, 2021 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

UConn sophomore guard James Bouknight is entering the 2021 NBA draft pool and intends to hire an agent, he told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

In his second season with the Huskies in 2020/21, Bouknight increased his averages to 18.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in 15 contests (31.7 MPG). He currently ranks 18th on ESPN’s big board of 2021 prospects and is viewed as a potential lottery pick.

Another one of ESPN’s top 25 prospects for 2021, Stanford freshman forward Ziaire Williams, also plans to enter the draft, announcing his intentions today on Instagram. While Williams didn’t explicitly say that he’ll forgo his remaining college eligibility, the wording in his post suggests that’s the plan.

Williams had an up-and-down freshman season, averaging 10.7 PPG on an underwhelming .374/.291/.796 shooting line in 20 games (27.9 MPG).

However, ESPN draft guru Mike Schmitz notes that the 6’8″ forward has good size and length for a wing, is a strong off-ball defender, and has shown “major shotmaking potential.” Williams ranks 23rd on ESPN’s board.

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