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Kings Don’t Want Clippers’ Lottery Picks

June 18th, 2018 at 7:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings are not interested in trading the No. 2 overall pick for the Clippers’ back-to-back selections at No. 12 and No. 13, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets.

The Kings reportedly are willing to move down to acquire additional assets but apparently they’re not keen to drop out of the Top 10 for two late lottery selections. The Clippers, who didn’t make the playoffs, acquired an additional first-round selection in the deal that sent Blake Griffin to the Pistons.

Sacramento is reportedly willing to do business with the Spurs and include the pick in a trade for Kawhi Leonard, though that seems to be a longshot since Leonard can exercise an early termination option on his contract after next season.

What Turner’s tweet confirms is that the Clippers are actively seeking to package the picks and move into the Top 5. That reinforces a Yahoo Sports report earlier this month that also claimed they have their eyes on Euroleague guard Luka Doncic.

If the Kings hold onto their pick, it’s a near lock they’ll pick Duke big man Marvin Bagley III, according to the Dallas Morning News’ Eddie Sefko (Twitter link).

What should the Kings do with their pick? Voice your opinion in our latest Community Shootaround topic.

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Draft Rumors: Doncic, Kings, Porter, Brunson

June 18th, 2018 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

While Luka Doncic is no longer considered a lock to be a top-three pick, the Suns, Kings, and Hawks have each traveled to Europe recently to meet him, league sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Doncic’s eventual landing spot remains a mystery, as Phoenix is widely expected to select Deandre Ayton with the No. 1 overall pick and Sacramento has focused on adding a perimeter big throughout the pre-draft process, Charania writes.

As Charania notes, the Kings view last year’s top-five pick, De’Aaron Fox, as their point guard of the future. While Doncic won’t necessarily slot in at the point once he arrives in the NBA, that’s the position he views as the best fit for himself.

“Honestly, I really prefer to play point guard, to have the ball in my hands and play for other people,” Doncic told Charania. “Playing from the one to the four, that’s the strength that I have over everyone. I want to play for my teammates and make them better. I really prefer to have the ball in my hands, and play for everybody else. I will do anything for my team. I’m happy when I can play point. It’s easier for me. I can fight more in the post and create for my teammates.

“From the beginning when I came to Real Madrid, I saw that I loved to create for others,” Doncic continued. “I like to play pick-and-roll with the ball and pass from everywhere. From the beginning, I wanted to be the point guard.”

Here are more draft notes and rumors, with the big night just three days away:

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Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Bolden, Knicks, Mozgov

June 17th, 2018 at 10:21am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers don’t have room on their roster to accommodate all six picks that they own, so expect a trade or two by draft night, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia heads into Thursday’s draft with the 10th and 26th selections in the first round, plus Nos. 38, 39, 56 and 60 in the second round.

One option is trying to package both picks along with a player to move into the top five, Pompey notes. Another is a smaller deal to inch up a couple of spots and increase the odds of landing Villanova’s Mikal Bridges. The Sixers could also swing for the fences on Kawhi Leonard, offering the Spurs the 10th pick, Markelle Fultz and either Dario Saric or Robert Covington.

Pompey cites a comment made by former Cavaliers GM David Griffin this week that the Sixers have their eyes on someone projected to be among the first five selections, adding that Luka Doncic or Michael Porter Jr. would be a good fit in Philadelphia.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
  • Philadelphia needs to make room on its roster for Jonah Bolden, a 2017 second-rounder who is expected to come to the NBA next season, Pompey adds in the same story. A 6’10” stretch four, Bolden played for Maccabi Tel Aviv this year in the Israel Premier League.
  • Mikal Bridges and Kentucky’s Kevin Knox would both be good fits for the Knicks, ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenburg tells Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Even though Kristaps Porzingis is expected to be sidelined until at least December with a torn ACL, Greenburg believes the priority should be to find a player who complements him. “You’re not winning today,” Greenberg said, “so I think you’ve got to approach it like, ‘Who will play best with Porzingis?’ You’ve got to give Porzingis something to get excited about. Who’s going to fit with him? I think Knox and Bridges can both.” He adds that the Knicks should avoid drafting another point guard, even if Trae Young or Collin Sexton is available at No. 9.
  • The agent for Timofey Mozgov has talked to the Nets about his client’s lack of playing time, but hasn’t demanded a trade or discussed a buyout, relays Brian Lewis of The New York Post. With two years and $33.7 million remaining on his contract, Mozgov is virtually untradeable, and Lewis points out that the Nets are unlikely to go through with another buyout while they’re still paying Deron Williams. “I don’t know any reason why I first lost my place in the starting five and then not playing even a minute,” Mozgov said. “But it’s the head coach’s decision and he is responsible for result. I tried to speak to [Kenny] Atkinson, but he was not able to give me an answer.”
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Draft Updates: Green Room, Sexton, Gilgeous-Alexander, Shamet

June 16th, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The names of several green room invitees for Thursday night’s draft have been leaked, relays Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Only college players will be in the room this year, as Luka Doncic is still involved with his season for Real Madrid.

The projected top picks will be well represented with Arizona’s Deandre Ayton, Duke’s Marvin Bagley III, Michigan State’s Jaren Jackson Jr., Texas’ Mo Bamba, Alabama’s Collin Sexton, Oklahoma’s Trae Young, Duke’s Wendell Carter Jr., Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr., Villanova’s Mikal Bridges, Kentucky’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Michigan State’s Miles Bridges all on hand.

Joining them will be Kentucky’s Kevin Knox, Texas A&M’s Robert Williams, Miami’s Lonnie Walker, Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo, Texas Tech’s Zhaire Smith, Boston College’s Jerome Robinson, Boise State’s Chandler Hutchison and UCLA’s Aaron Holiday.

There’s more pre-draft news to pass along:

  • Sexton doesn’t have any more workouts on his schedule after completing today’s session with the Magic, tweets Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Sexton has been limiting his workouts to teams in his projected range, as the only others were for the Cavaliers (No. 8 pick), Knicks (No. 9) and Hornets (No. 11).
  • Gilgeous-Alexander is a rare mid-level prospect who hasn’t conducted a single publicized workout, notes Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype. Although a team or two may have brought him in for a secret session, there are also organizations that tried to work him out but were denied. Kalbrosky speculates Gilgeous-Alexander’s representatives may be trying to steer him to a large-market team like the Clippers, who hold the 12th and 13th picks.
  • The Sixers will work out Wichita State’s Landry Shamet on Tuesday, Kalbroksy tweets, adding that Philadelphia may consider him at No. 26.
  • The Suns held a workout today with Texas Tech’s Smith as the biggest name in the group. Also participating, according to a tweet from the team, were Georgia Tech’s Josh Okogie, Notre Dame’s Bonzie Colson, Wake Forest’s Bryant Crawford, Oregon State’s Drew Eubanks and Bosnia’s Markus Loncar. This is the Suns’ final scheduled session before the draft, tweets Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic.
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Draft Updates: Porter, Doncic, Bagley, Bamba

June 14th, 2018 at 9:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Teams that had planned to attend Michael Porter Jr.‘s workout tomorrow are being told it will be held at another time, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Porter’s representatives canceled the session late Wednesday night without providing an explanation.

The move has led to speculation that Porter’s surgically repaired back may be bothering him, but it’s also possible he has received a guarantee that would make a group workout unnecessary. Porter’s camp may be rethinking his status and devoting time just to teams at the top of the draft, according to Tom Ziller of SB Nation, who adds that they now believe he will be taken in the top four.

There’s “a very real chance” that the Kings will use their No. 2 pick on Porter, Amick adds, but it’s not certain at this point whether last night’s news will impact their decision. The organization may request more medical information and take another look at Porter in action before making a commitment.

There’s more draft-related news this morning:

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Latest On Michael Porter Jr.

June 12th, 2018 at 6:59pm CST by clarkcrum

As previously reported this weekend, the Knicks, who have long been noted to have significant interest in Michael Porter Jr. and hold the No. 9 overall selection in this month’s NBA Draft, will send “top-level” officials to Chicago this upcoming Friday for a workout with Porter.

Now, according to Ian Begley of ESPN, several teams with picks ahead of the Knicks (Suns, Kings, Hawks, Grizzlies, Mavericks, Magic, Bulls, and Cavaliers) have reached out to members of the Knicks’ organization to gauge the team’s interest in possibly trading up to draft Porter.

Per Begley, there is no indication that the Knicks have reached a consensus as to who they would pick at No. 9, but opposing teams are aware that certain members of the Knicks’ organization are big fans of Porter’s game.

In other Porter Jr. news, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer noted in his story that we reported on earlier today that the Clippers, who hold both the No. 12 and No. 13 picks in this month’s draft, are interested in possibly trading up for the chance to draft Porter or Luka Doncic.

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Doncic, Okobo, Others Remaining In NBA Draft

June 11th, 2018 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA’s withdrawal deadline for early entrants right around the corner, top prospect Luka Doncic will keep his name in the 2018 NBA draft, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com. While that doesn’t mean he’s obliged to come to the NBA next season, it makes Doncic draft-eligible next week, when he’s expected to come off the board within the first four or five picks.

According to Givony, a number of teams have inquired about the possibility of acquiring a top-three pick, with an eye toward nabbing Doncic. We heard previously that the Clippers had explored that possibility, but it sounds like they’re not the only team weighing that scenario.

Meanwhile, Givony has several more updates on international prospects who have decided to either keep their names in the draft or withdraw from the 2018 pool. Here’s the latest:

Staying in the draft:

Withdrawing:

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Suns Rumors: Draft, Doncic, Trades, Jackson

June 10th, 2018 at 10:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Having brought in Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, Mohamed Bamba, and Jaren Jackson Jr. for workouts, the Suns are done auditioning players for the No. 1 overall pick, according to general manager Ryan McDonough. As Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic details, those four players and Luka Doncic all remain in the mix for the top pick in this year’s draft.

“There’s not a bad player in that group,” McDonough said of the players who visited the Suns. “We couldn’t go wrong with any of the four guys we brought in.”

As for Doncic, while the team won’t get a chance to put him through an individual workout, McDonough says the Suns “still want to spend a lot of time” on the EuroLeague MVP.

Here’s more from the Suns’ GM on the team’s draft options, via Bordow:

  • Given that the Suns seem to like several prospects at the top of the draft, trading down is a possibility. “[We’ll] see if there are teams that want to blow us away with an offer for No. 1 because I think in this draft we’d be comfortable picking lower than that,” McDonough confirmed.
  • However, as McDonough said last month, he believes that a trade involving the No. 1 pick is “unlikely,” warning people not to overreact to his comments about a potential deal. If the Suns do trade down, they wouldn’t want to go any lower than No. 6, according to the GM.
  • A trade up from No. 16 is probably more likely than a trade down from No. 1, Bordow writes. Although McDonough doesn’t anticipate getting back into the top five, he didn’t rule out a more modest move. “If we could get into the late lottery or maybe the mid-lottery that’s something we will definitely look at,” McDonough said.
  • The Suns will be reluctant to include their own 2019 first-round pick or the Heat’s unprotected 2021 first-rounder in any trade offer. “That’s extremely valuable,” McDonough said of Miami’s 2021 selection, acquired in the Goran Dragic deal. “And our own pick, that’s potentially valuable as well. … We’d have to get a lot to give up one of those assets.”
  • Following Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s workout for the Suns, McDonough said the Michigan State big man shouldn’t “take a backseat” to any other prospect in the draft, calling him the best shooter among the bigs who worked out for Phoenix. “He has a case to be up there with just about anybody,” McDonough said of Jackson. “He’s just not getting as much buzz as some of the other guys.”
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Draft Notes: Doncic, Bridges, Holiday, Diallo, Rodriguez

June 7th, 2018 at 8:53pm CST by marksuleymanov

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and general manager Vlade Divac are both in Madrid, Spain, to watch Luka Doncic in the ACB Playoffs, tweets basketball journalist David Pick. Doncic, widely expected to be a top-three selection in the draft, has already secured numerous accolades, including the EuroLeague MVP, Rising Star, and Final Four MVP.

While there has been talk of Doncic going No. 1 overall to the Suns, it’s more likely he ends up with either the Kings or Hawks, who own the second and third picks, respectively. Doncic has said that it’s not certain that he will come stateside next season despite the expectation that he will be a top draftee. Just recently, a report suggested that both the Hawks and Kings may pass on Doncic and instead focus on frontcourt players.

“[The Kings] have a real hole there in the frontcourt. I don’t think that they’re in love with Willie Cauley-Stein by any means. They started Zach Randolph at the four all year long,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said. “What do they do there? Do they go with Marvin Bagley who is going to be a compelling prospect for them? 

Check out more draft news below:

  • Michigan State’s Miles Bridges is set to work out for the Knicks this Saturday, reports ESPN’s Ian Begley. The Knicks own the ninth overall pick and Bridges, along with Villanova’s Mikal Bridges have been reported as possible targets for New York.
  • UCLA’s Aaron Holiday had his second workout with the Suns on Thursday, the team announced. Five other prospects were part of the workout, with Troy Brown (Oregon), Jalen Brunson (Villanova), Marcus Derrickson (Georgetown), Amine Noua (France), and Desi Rodriguez (Seton Hall) also participating.
  • Seton Hall’s Desi Rodriguez also worked out for the Thunder on Wednesday, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.
  • Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo has scheduled workouts with the Lakers and Mavericks, Sean Deveney of Sporting News tweets. Diallo will have also worked out for the Bulls, Wizards, Suns, Blazers, Kings, Nets, Knicks, and Bucks.
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Charania’s Latest: Clippers, Doncic, Kawhi, RFAs, More

June 7th, 2018 at 5:33pm CST by Luke Adams

While no trades are likely to be completed until closer to – or during – draft night, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports believes there could be a lot of movement in this year’s draft, with several teams looking to trade up or down. Appearing today on Chris Mannix’s podcast, Charania pointed specifically to the Clippers as a team that has weighed the possibility of moving up. With the Nos. 12 and 13 picks currently in hand, L.A. could put together an intriguing package, and they’ve looked “heavily” at Real Madrid star Luka Doncic, according to Charania.

Here are more highlights from Charania’s appearance on the Yahoo Sports NBA podcast:

  • Addressing the Kawhi Leonard situation in San Antonio, Charania indicated that an extension or a trade are the probable outcomes for the star forward this summer — it’s unlikely that the Spurs would keep him for next season without a new deal in place. However, both sides are interested in mending fences and clearing up last season’s miscommunications. Leonard is also nearing 100% health and should be ready to go to start next season, Charania adds.
  • In a look at the restricted free agent market, Charania identified Magic forward Aaron Gordon and Bulls guard Zach LaVine as two players who could command max or near-max deals and are unlikely to change teams. He also speculated that the Suns, Kings, and Pacers are among the clubs with cap room who could be fits for Celtics RFA Marcus Smart, and said that there seems to be mutual interest between the Mavericks and Julius Randle.
  • Raptors guard Fred VanVleet and Bulls swingman David Nwaba are two under-the-radar restricted free agents in line for sizable raises, in Charania’s view. He expects both players to land deals worth more than $5MM, noting that Toronto may have to use its full Early Bird exception (approximately $8.5MM) to retain VanVleet.
  • While outside observers around the NBA remain skeptical about the Thunder‘s chances of re-signing Paul George, Oklahoma City is still exuding confidence, according to both Charania and Mannix. Charania observes that George and Russell Westbrook have become “really close,” which could factor into the forward’s decision.
  • Many people around the league don’t expect former Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo to get another NBA job anytime soon, if at all, per Charania.
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