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Draft Notes: Garza, Cooper, Pacers, Mock Drafts

July 21st, 2021 at 10:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers, who are in the market for a reserve center, worked out a pair of big men today, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Iowa’s Luka Garza, the two-time national player of the year, was in Philadelphia, along with Utah State’s Neemias Queta.

Garza, who is projected to be taken anywhere from the end of the first round to the middle of the second round, has dropped weight since the college season ended in an effort to become more mobile on defense. Queta was named Player of the Year in the Mountain West Conference and was a finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year honors.

With Dwight Howard entering free agency, Pompey notes that the Sixers don’t have a reliable backup to Joel Embiid. Philadelphia holds the 28th and 50th selections in next week’s draft.

There’s more draft news to pass along:

The Knicks have been seeking information on Auburn point guard Sharife Cooper, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Cooper only played 12 games as a freshman because of an NCAA investigation into his eligibility, and some scouts believe he’ll be selected much higher than his current rating of 17th on ESPN’s big board. Begley isn’t sure if New York has worked out Cooper yet, but he notes that point guard is a strong position of need.
The Pacers hosted several projected first-round picks in a workout today, according to a story on the team’s website. Oregon’s Chris Duarte, Virginia’s Sam Hauser, Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert, LSU’s Cameron Thomas, Stanford’s Ziaire Williams and Colorado’s McKinley Wright all participated. Indiana has the No. 13 pick.
With the draft eight days away, the top of the lottery appears set. Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs and Scottie Barnes are the first five off the board in new mock drafts from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Their first difference comes at No. 6, where Vecenie has the Thunder taking Jonathan Kuminga, while Wasserman has James Bouknight going to OKC. Vecenie also released his final draft rankings, which list Cunningham, Suggs, Mobley, Green and Kuminga as the top five prospects.

Draft Notes: Green Room Invites, Makur, Taylor, Draft Intel

July 20th, 2021 at 8:17pm CST by Eli Cohen

The NBA has finalized the list of 20 prospects who will be invited to the Green Room on draft night, writes ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. While 15 of the names had already been reported, the final five players were identified over the last two days: Chris Duarte, Cameron Thomas, Isaiah Jackson, Alperen Sengun and Ziaire Williams will round out the group.

While an invitation to the Green Room is no guarantee of being drafted in the top 20, the decision is considered to be an indication of teams’ thinking, as the invitations are determined through a series of conversations with general managers and a voting process where teams vote on the 25 prospects most likely to have their name called first, Givony writes.

We have more news from around the draft world:

Howard University’s Makur Maker has withdrawn from the draft, tweets draft analyst Chad Ford. The 6’11 forward flashed versatility at the NBA Combine, but his draft stock was still hazy. Because he missed the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline, Maker will likely pursue professional options, whether in the G League, Australia’s NBL, or elsewhere.
Terry Taylor worked out with the Bucks yesterday and the Nuggets today, tweets Adam Zagoria of Forbes. Taylor has workouts lined up with the Nets, Cavaliers and Mavericks this week, and already worked out for the Knicks, Warriors, Kings, Pacers, Grizzlies, Bulls, Spurs and Pelicans. The 6’5″ wing led the country in double-doubles, Zagoria notes.
Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo released his latest mock draft today, sharing some pieces of intel gathered from sources. Within his mock, Woo confirms that the prevailing notion is that the Rockets prefer Jalen Green to Evan Mobley, that the Thunder are being increasingly linked to James Bouknight, that the Magic covet Scottie Barnes, and that Jonathan Kuminga‘s range seems to be settling around six-to-eight, rather than being a top-five pick.

Draft Notes: Warriors, Hornets, Green Room Invites, Preston

July 16th, 2021 at 8:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors brought in some first-round prospects for workouts on Friday, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Chris Duarte, Keon Johnson, Corey Kispert, Trey Murphy III, Ziaire Williams and Ayo Dosunmu visited the Warriors’ training facility. Johnson is the highest-rated prospect on the list, as the Tennessee guard is currently ranked No. 9 overall by ESPN.

Gonzaga’s Kispert (No. 13), Virginia’s Murphy (18), Oregon’s Duarte (23), Stanford’s Williams (24) and Illinois’ Dosunmu (34) could all be off the board by the second round. Golden State holds the seventh and 14th overall picks.

We have more draft-related news and tidbits:

The Hornets looked at a handful of prospects on Thursday, the team’s PR department tweets. That group included Jahvon Blair (Georgetown), Tahj Eaddy (USC), Balsa Koprivica (Florida State), Sterling Manley (North Carolina) and M.J. Walker (Florida State).
Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs — the highest-rated prospects — are among the 15 players already invited to Green Room for the draft, which will be held at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. Davion Mitchell, James Bouknight, Keon Johnson, Scottie Barnes, Franz Wagner, Jalen Johnson, Kispert and Moses Moody will also be there. As previously noted, Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey and Kai Jones have received invites. The remaining invites will be determined next week, Givony adds in a separate tweet.
Ohio University guard Jason Preston blogged about the Pistons as a teenager, James Edwards III of The Athletic writes in a feature piece. Edwards details Preston’s journey from a journalism student who wasn’t recruited out of high school to a likely second-round pick. He’s currently slotted at No. 42 on ESPN’s list.

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.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Miles, Madar, Sixers, Raptors

July 15th, 2021 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics are set to hire former guard Aaron Miles to their coaching staff, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

Miles’ NBA career was brief – he appeared in just 19 games with Golden State back in 2005 – but he spent nearly a decade playing in international leagues before transitioning to coaching in 2015. He was the head coach of the Santa Cruz Warriors from 2017-19 and has spent the last two seasons as a player development coach in Golden State.

New Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is putting together an interesting group of assistants in Boston. His staff will also reportedly include former Spurs assistant Will Hardy and another former NBA guard, Damon Stoudamire.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Israeli guard Yam Madar, who will play for the Celtics‘ Summer League team after being selected in the second round of the 2020 draft, is determined to show Boston he deserves a spot on the club’s regular season roster, as he tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Madar technically remains under contract with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel for another season, so he and the Celtics would have to work out a buyout if he’s going to come stateside for 2021/22.
Rich Hofmann and Derek Bodner of The Athletic take a closer look at the Sixers‘ roster, determining which players are likely to stay and which may be gone by opening night in the fall. Hofmann and Bodner believe the odds of a Ben Simmons offseason trade are higher than 50/50.
In another story for The Athletic, John Hollinger and Eric Koreen discuss the Raptors‘ offseason, exploring the team’s options with the No. 4 pick, whether it makes sense to trade Pascal Siakam, and what free agency will look like for Kyle Lowry and Gary Trent Jr. While Hollinger would have no issue with Toronto drafting Jalen Suggs at No. 4, he suggests the team should look hard at Scottie Barnes and Alperen Sengun and consider the possibility of trading down.

Southeast Notes: Mosley, Barnes, Wizards, Gallinari, Hornets

July 13th, 2021 at 12:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jamahl Mosley has interviewed for head coaching jobs before, but he said the experience with the Magic was different because of the relationships involved. In an interview with Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Mosley talks about his prior experience with president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman in Denver and front office official Anthony Parker in Cleveland.

“I started to sense that there was a little bit of a joy to where it was going,” said Mosley, who was officially hired Sunday morning. “That happened after the second or third interview. It felt good. And I met the DeVos family, and you just saw family. That’s when it really kind of set in.”

Mosley chose to sidestep a question about the end of his time in Dallas, where he served as an assistant to Rick Carlisle for the past seven years. There was an expectation that Mosley might become the Mavericks‘ next head coach when Carlisle left for Indiana, but the front office chose Jason Kidd instead.

“It’s me moving forward, and that’s the best thing,” Mosley said. “I’m moving into a situation that allows me to grow, allows me to walk into exactly what I started out doing, and that’s developing and helping young men become better individuals on and off the court.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic, who hold picks No. 5 and 8 in this year’s lottery, brought in Florida State forward Scottie Barnes for a private workout over the weekend, Robbins tweets. Barnes is ranked sixth on ESPN’s big board and is considered a possible top-five pick.
With Bradley Beal eligible for free agency next summer, the Wizards may value veteran help more than the No. 15 pick they hold in the draft, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. He notes that not many teams are willing to part with useful players in exchange for a mid-round draft choice, but he proposes a few trades involving the Knicks, Lakers, Hawks, Grizzlies and Pacers.
Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari has confirmed on Instagram that he will play in the Tokyo Olympics. Gallinari has been representing Italy in international competitions since he was a teenager, but this will be his first Olympic Games.
The Hornets are hosting six players today in a pre-draft workout, according to a tweet from the team. Taking part are West Virginia’s Derek Culver, prep school player Jimma Gatwech, Nikita Mikhailovskii of Avtodor (Russia), UNC-Greensboro’s Isaiah Miller, Georgetown’s Jamorko Pickett and Kentucky’s Olivier Sarr.

Pacific Notes: S. Barnes, C. Thomas, Hield, Williams

July 12th, 2021 at 9:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Versatile Florida State point forward Scottie Barnes possesses some of the same qualities that make Warriors veteran Draymond Green such a valuable teammate, writes Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area. Barnes also is an unselfish player who prioritizes defense and winning over personal statistics, and could be an intriguing successor to Green if he falls to Golden State’s No. 7 pick in the upcoming 2021 draft.

Though Barnes was a below-average jump shooter in college, Andrews notes that his Green-esque impact could offset his modest scoring contributions. In his lone season for FSU, the 6’9″ Barnes averaged 10.3 PPG, 4.1 APG and 4.0 RPG, with a shooting line of .503/.275/.621.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

LSU guard Cameron Thomas is scheduled to work out for the Warriors this Wednesday, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPN. The 6’4″ guard averaged 23.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 1.4 APG during the 2020/21 NCAA season. He posted a shooting line of .406/.325/.882.
Kings shooting guard Buddy Hield faces a potentially tenuous future with the club, as he touched on in a podcast interview with Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes. “I see my name in trade rumors, but I can’t control all that,” Hield said. “My job is to go out there and play basketball and everybody’s goal is to get to the playoffs and win a championship.” The Kings have not made the playoffs since 2006. Hield has two years left on the four-year, $86MM contract extension he signed with Sacramento during the 2019 offseason.
Suns head coach Monty Williams notes that Nets head coach Steve Nash, a former two-time MVP while a point guard for Phoenix, reached out to him over text during the playoffs, tweets Mark Medina of USA Today. “It spoke to me about how those guys feel about the Suns and the fanbase,” Williams said.

Kings Notes: Haliburton, Draft Workouts, Wagner

July 10th, 2021 at 5:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton is enjoying his experience with the U.S. Select Team, which is giving him a chance to test his skills against some of the NBA’s best players, writes Jason Jones of The Athletic. Haliburton had previous experience in the international format as part of the USA under-19 National Team while at Iowa State.

Haliburton has fully recovered from the hyperextended left knee that brought an early end to his first NBA season. Although he played just 58 games, he was an All-Rookie First Team selection and finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting. He has been working out in Sacramento for the past month and now gets to see how his expanded game fares against elite competition.

“For me to get out and use that stuff against other guys and see it work against them in live action, it helps a lot,” Haliburton said. “And just kind of seeing what other guys are working on at the same time, how other guys are improving. Just taking bits and pieces of that, putting that into my training and things like that.”

There’s more from Sacramento:

The Kings, who hold the ninth pick in the draft, have conducted interviews with several projected lottery picks, sources tell Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The list includes Florida State forward Scottie Barnes, Tennessee guard Keon Johnson, Baylor point guard Davion Mitchell and Arkansas guard Moses Moody. The team hasn’t met with a few other players expected to be taken in that range, such as Duke forward Jalen Johnson, Michigan forward Franz Wagner and Gonzaga forward Corey Kispert, but they may be brought in before the July 29 draft. The Kings’ pre-draft workouts are being held privately this year, so all information is second-hand.
Sacramento also has pick No. 39 and has reportedly met with a number of players who could be available in the second round, Anderson adds. Some of the names are Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq, Belgian guard Vrenz Bleijenbergh, Texas point guard Matt Coleman, Michigan center Hunter Dickinson, Coastal Carolina point guard DeVante Jones, Loyola Illinois center Cameron Krutwig, Little Rock forward Ruot Monyyong, Virginia guard Trey Murphy, Alabama guard Joshua Primo, Tennessee forward Yves Pons, Texas center Jericho Sims, Austin Peay forward Terry Taylor and Colorado point guard McKinley Wright IV.
A high basketball IQ and the ability to play either forward position make Wagner a good fit for the Kings, writes James Ham of NBC Sports California.

Combine Notes: Garza, K. Johnson, Barnes, Kuminga

June 26th, 2021 at 10:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Iowa center Luka Garza was one of the best players in college basketball, but he has to prove to scouts that his skills will translate to the NBA. The Wooden Award winner was hoping to do that at the draft combine this week, but he was slowed by a groin injury, writes Mike Hlas of The Iowa Gazette.

Garza, who ranks 53rd on ESPN’s big board, was forced to sit out the combine scrimmages and was limited to athletic tests and shooting. His performances were among the worst in the shuttle run, sprint and vertical leap, but he was one of the most accurate shooters at the combine.

Garza calls himself “the best big-man shooter in the draft” and has dropped considerable weight as he prepares to turn pro. He is now 243 pounds after playing at 265 at Iowa and credits the change to hiring a dietitian and chef.

“I definitely know the criticisms about my game,” he said. “I’m trying to show I move better than they think. … To me, I welcome it. It’s a to-do list.”

There’s more from the combine:

Tennessee’s Keon Johnson has been “the biggest standout” at the event, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports. Johnson made headlines this week when he broke the combine record with a 48-inch vertical leap, and he recorded the third-fastest sprint time as well. Hughes notes that Johnson, who is ranked eighth overall by ESPN, has more than just athleticism to offer. He can score, rebound and defend and is working to improve his ball-handling and shooting range.
The measurements taken at the combine should help Florida State forward Scottie Barnes‘ chances of being selected in the top five, Hughes adds. Barnes is 6’8″ with a 7’3″ wingspan and has the third-largest hands in this year’s class. Hughes suggests the success of former Seminoles teammate Patrick Williams, who was taken at No. 4 last year by the Bulls, could also work to Barnes’ advantage.
Former G League Ignite star Jonathan Kuminga generated “positive buzz” at today’s pro day, tweets Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.

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.