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And-Ones: 2024 Draft, Flagg, J. Harper, What-Ifs

August 2nd, 2023 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

The projected NBA draft class of 2024 doesn’t have a clear-cut No. 1 prospect like Victor Wembanyama in 2023, but it features a handful of potential high-impact players who could make legitimate cases for that No. 1 spot with strong seasons, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.

For now, O’Connor’s “way-too-early” big board for the 2024 draft is headed by G League point forward Matas Buzelis, followed by his Ignite teammate Ron Holland at No. 2. Baylor freshman Ja’Kobe Walter, UConn freshman Stephon Castle, and another Ignite prospect, power forward Izan Almansa, round out O’Connor’s top five.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Although he won’t be eligible for the 2024 draft, 16-year-old phenom Cooper Flagg looks like a potential No. 1 overall pick in 2025 or 2026, says Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Deveney spoke to multiple NBA evaluators to get a sense of what to expect from Flagg. “The kid is going to be a star, as long as he puts in the work,” one GM told Heavy.com. “The book on him is that he has a really good work ethic so you don’t expect that to be a problem, but you can’t tell with guys that young, how they will develop.”
Veteran point guard Jared Harper, who has appeared in NBA games for the Suns, Knicks, and Pelicans, has re-signed with Valencia Basket, the Spanish club announced in a press release. Harper first signed with Valencia last September after finishing the 2021/22 season on a two-way deal with New Orleans.
In a pair of entertaining articles for ESPN.com, Tim Bontemps takes a look back at the biggest “what-ifs” in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference over the past five years. Lonzo Ball‘s knee injury, Kawhi Leonard‘s free agency departure from Toronto, the Warriors’ decision to draft James Wiseman over LaMelo Ball, and the Rockets’ and Lakers’ trades for Russell Westbrook were among the sliding doors moments explored by Bontemps.

And-Ones: Mannion, Qualifying Offers, 2024 Draft, D-Lo, Hayward

June 25th, 2023 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Warriors guard Nico Mannion is signing with Baskonia in Spain, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets, calling it a done deal. Mannion played the last two seasons in his home country of Italy with Virtus Segafredo Bologna. He played 30 games with Golden State during the 2020/21 season after being drafted in the second round.

Because the Warriors issued a two-way qualifying offer to Mannion in 2021 and again in 2022, they still control his RFA rights in the event that he decides to return to the NBA. That would change if they decide not to extend that QO this year or in a future season.

We have more news from around the basketball world:

Good news for restricted free agents in future seasons — there’s a 10% increase in qualifying offers that teams must make to those players or else they become unrestricted. However, according to Mike Vornukov of The Athletic (Twitter link), it doesn’t apply to restricted free agents this summer — instead, the stipulation in the new CBA begins with this year’s rookie class. In another tweak, offer sheets for future restricted free agents will have a new deadline. If a team that has to make a decision on whether to match an offer sheet receives it before noon ET, that team has until 11:59 p.m. ET the next day to match. If it’s received after 12 p.m. ET, that team has until 11:59 pm ET two days later.
Now that the 2023 draft is behind us, what might the 2024 draft look like? ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo provide an early glimpse of next year’s draft class, doing a mock draft that includes both rounds. They predict G League Ignite guards Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis will be the first players off the board.
With the Lakers drafting Jalen Hood-Schifino, it may decrease the possibility they will try to re-sign free agent D’Angelo Russell, Cydney Henderson of USA Today writes. Gordon Hayward‘s future with the Hornets is very much in doubt with the addition of forward and No. 2 pick Brandon Miller, Henderson also notes.

And-Ones: CBA Changes, Free Agents, Las Vegas, Holland

June 21st, 2023 at 9:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Players signed using the newly created cap exception for second-round picks that will be included in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement won’t count against the cap until July 31, Keith Smith of Spotrac reports (Twitter links).

In the past, teams looking to maximize their cap room have sometimes put off signing their second-round picks, since those players don’t have a cap hold until they sign. However, as Smith explains, the new rule will allow those players to sign immediately without affecting a team’s cap space for the first month of free agency. That will allow them to fully participate with their new teams in Summer League play.

According to Smith, the second-round pick exception will allow teams to sign players to three- or four-year contracts with team options in the final season. It will also give second-round draftees the opportunity to earn more than the rookie minimum in the first season (for three-year deals) or in the first two seasons (for four-year deals).

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype has another minor update on the new CBA, tweeting that the extend-and-trade restrictions will be loosened beginning in 2024 to allow for an extra year and a higher salary. Currently, an extension-eligible player who is traded must wait six months to sign a new deal that places him under contract for more than three total seasons (including his current deal) or features more than a 5% raise.
John Hollinger of The Athletic shared his top free agent point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards, and centers based on his BORD$ formula. Among Hollinger’s most interesting rankings? Nikola Vucevic at sixth among centers, one spot behind Dwight Powell; and Rui Hachimura at 14th among power forwards, behind players like Trey Lyles and Oshae Brissett.
Sports and entertainment venue developer Tim Leiweke, the CEO of Oak View Group, spoke last week about his plans to build a 20,000 seat, NBA-ready arena as part of a massive Las Vegas development project that has a $10 billion budget and will be entirely privately financed. Howard Stutz of The Nevada Independent has the story, including the quotes from Leiweke.
Five-star recruit Ron Holland has officially signed with the G League Ignite, according to a press release from the team. We first covered Holland’s commitment to the Ignite last month.

G League Ignite Signs Matas Buzelis, Gets Commitment From Ron Holland

May 31st, 2023 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Matas Buzelis, an 18-year-old guard/forward, has officially signed with the G League Ignite, according to a press release. The move had long been expected, with Buzelis’ plan first reported last August.

A consensus five-star recruit, Buzelis was named the MVP of this February’s Basketball Without Borders Global Camp and competed in the McDonald’s All-American Game in March.

He’s currently considered the top player in the NBA’s 2024 draft class by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who had the Lithuanian-American prospect coming off the board first overall in a ’24 mock draft earlier this year.

The Ignite has also secured a commitment from another potential 2024 lottery pick, according to Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi of ESPN, who report that 6’8″ forward Ron Holland will play for the G League club next season.

Holland initially committed to Texas, but decommitted in late April and was recently released from his letter of intent. He also reportedly considered Arkansas before deciding to forgo the college route and play in the NBAGL. Holland admitted to ESPN that the process “was not easy,” but said he’s confident that the Ignite will help him reach his potential and prepare him for the NBA.

“To have a long career, I need to prepare my body and improve my skills as I continue to try to win games,” Holland said. “They have a program to help develop my body and my game. I know I have to work on being a more consistent shooter, along with my footwork and ball handling, so I can score in space on the perimeter against a set defender.”

Holland was the No. 6 pick in ESPN’s aforementioned 2024 mock draft.

Buzelis and Holland will join Thierry Darlan, Dink Pate, London Johnson, and Babacar Sane on the Ignite’s 2023/24 roster. According to Givony (Twitter link), the team would be willing to add one more young NBA prospect to that group.