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Execs, Scouts Share Feedback, Predictions For 2024 Draft Class

July 31st, 2024 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the 20 NBA executives and scouts polled by Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com (Insider link), 15 predicted that Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, will have a more successful NBA career than No. 2 pick Alex Sarr of the Wizards.

However, only one of those 20 respondents predicted that Risacher will end up being the best pick of the 2024 draft. Seven voters chose No. 3 pick Reed Sheppard for that honor, per Givony and Woo.

“Sheppard is going to help Houston right away, and I think he has a chance to be an All-Star down the road,” one high-level Eastern Conference executive told ESPN.

Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan, who went seventh overall, was the second-leading vote-getter for the best pick of the draft, earning three votes.

“I thought [Clingan] was a steal on draft night at 7, but the things he did defensively in summer league were unreal with the impact he made,” one respondent said. “Now they have him shooting trail and pick-and-pop threes. If he starts making those consistently, that’s a game-changer with the way he can pass and protect the rim.”

Here are a few more of the most notable answers from the poll conducted by ESPN’s draft experts:

Pistons forward Ron Holland (No. 5 overall) and Bucks guard AJ Johnson (No. 23) each earned four votes for the biggest reach of the draft. “I feel bad for Cade Cunningham,” one source told ESPN. “They’ve been rebuilding for years even though they never planned on it, and this pick signals they might need to blow up the roster and start over again. I just don’t see how [Holland] plays with Ausar Thompson, Jaden Ivey and all their other young guys. That situation is a mess. Even when Holland was scoring in Vegas, it was so ugly to watch.”
Five of the 20 respondents picked Wizards guard Carlton Carrington (No. 14 overall) as the player who will become the biggest steal of this year’s draft, with one Western Conference executive comparing him to Tyrese Maxey.
Sheppard (seven votes), Grizzlies center Zach Edey (four), Spurs guard Stephon Castle (three), and Clingan (two) were the only players who were chosen by multiple respondents as their Rookie of the Year pick.
Feedback on this year’s two-day draft format was generally positive, according to Givony and Woo, with executives expressing appreciation for the break in between the two rounds that allowed them to do additional research ahead of day two. However, one GM criticized the decision to invite so many prospects to the green room, since it resulted in multiple players leaving Barclays Center after day one without being selected.
Here’s how one of ESPN’s 20 respondents evaluated the two-day format: “Some of the people in our front office didn’t like how much this second day helps the disorganized teams who typically wing it and can be taken advantage of from a strategy standpoint. But the pros far outweigh the cons when it comes to better drafting and decision-making. There were a ton of trades and I think next year you’ll see some real creativity now that we have a better idea for how the evening looks.”

Olympic Notes: Team USA, Exum, Aldama, Theis, France

July 27th, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Team USA big men Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis have both missed practice time ahead of the club’s pool-play opener vs. Serbia on Sunday due to illnesses, while Kevin Durant was unable to suit up in any of the pre-Olympic exhibition games as a result of a calf strain. However, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes, head coach Steve Kerr expressed optimism on Saturday that none of his 12 players will be unavailable vs. Serbia.

“I’m confident we’ll have everybody ready (Sunday),” Kerr said.

The U.S. squad beat Serbia by 26 points earlier this month in Abu Dhabi, holding star center Nikola Jokic to 6-of-19 shooting in that game. But the Serbians were resting some key players, including Bogdan Bogdanovic. Team USA is prepared for a more competitive game on Sunday.

“Jokic, with what he’s able to do, obviously we know what he does at NBA, but maybe a little bit higher usage in the international game,” Davis said. “It’s going to be fun.”

Here are a few more notes on the Olympic tournament, which tipped off on Saturday:

NBA veterans like Josh Giddey and Jock Landale led Australia to a win over Spain on Saturday in the first Group A game, as Aris Barkas of Eurohoops details. However, the Boomers were missing one notable NBAer, as Dante Exum was unavailable due to a compound dislocation of his finger. While at least one report has suggested Exum will miss multiple games, he hasn’t technically been ruled out for Tuesday’s contest vs. Canada yet and is working to return as soon as possible. “The biggest thing at the moment is trying to just let the wound heal because it was a compound dislocation,” he said (Twitter link via Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com). “So just making sure everything [is right], but I’ll put a ball in my hand tomorrow and see how it feels and go from there.”
Although Spain couldn’t pick up a win on Saturday, Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama was impressive in defeat, racking up 27 points and six three-pointers. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, those six threes represented a Spanish Olympic record.
Pelicans center Daniel Theis helped lead Germany to a win over Japan on Saturday with 18 points on 7-of-7 shooting. He suggested after the game that last year’s World Cup title puts a spotlight on the Germans in this year’s event. “I think we kind of got a target on our back. Everybody wanted to be the world champion,” Theis said, per Barkas of Eurohoops. “One of our biggest strengths is we never underestimate any opponent. We did not do it last year. We have not done it this year. Whoever we played, we never took anybody lightly. So we take everybody seriously, and that is a big strength for us.”
The top two picks in this year’s NBA draft are French, but neither Zaccharie Risacher nor Alex Sarr is representing France at this year’s Olympics. Marc J. Spears of Andscape takes a closer look at why the youngsters aren’t in Paris with the French national team this year and why they’re likely to be factors at the 2028 Olympics. France won its opener on Saturday over Brazil, with Victor Wembanyama and Nicolas Batum each scoring a game-high 19 points.

And-Ones: Risacher, Sarr, Sheppard, LeBron, TV Package, Beverley

July 27th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

The top two picks in the draft — Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr — were also two of the biggest disappointments during Summer League action, John Hollinger of The Athletic notes.

The Hawks‘ Risacher shot 11-of-28 from the floor in 59 minutes before being sidelined by a quad contusion. The Wizards‘ Sarr shot 0-of-15 from the field in his third game and only scored two points in his fourth outing. The Pacers‘ Jarace Walker and Timberwolves‘ Rob Dillingham were among the other notable players who struggled in Vegas.

On the flip side, third overall pick Reed Sheppard of the Rockets showcased his all-around skills, Hollinger writes. Another standout was Scotty Pippen Jr., who made a strong case to be the Grizzlies‘ backup point guard.

The Ringer’s J. Kyle Mann and ESPN’s experts also shared their thoughts on the biggest takeaways from Summer League action.

We have more from around the basketball world:

LeBron James ranks No. 1 among the top 25 players in this century, according to a poll of ESPN experts. Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal round out the top five.
The new broadcasting deals signed by the league with Disney, NBC and Amazon include national broadcasts on every day of the week during the regular season. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps provides more details on the rights packages.
Patrick Beverley will not face criminal charges for throwing a basketball at a Pacers fan during the playoffs, The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov tweets. A Marion County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman said the county won’t bring charges after it reviewed the Indianapolis police department investigation. Beverley is expected to play with an Israeli team next season.

Hawks Notes: Young, Capela, Gueye, Djurisic, Risacher

July 18th, 2024 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Hawks moved one of their two starting guards this offseason, sending Dejounte Murray to New Orleans while hanging onto Trae Young. Veteran center Clint Capela also remains on the trade block, sources tell Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link).

If the Hawks end up trading Capela, the 25-year-old Young could become the oldest member of a starting lineup that also features Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, and Onyeka Okongwu, Lowe suggests, noting that Daniels’ secondary play-making and elite defense could pair well with Young’s skill set, allowing Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter to lead the second unit. In that scenario, the three-time All-Star could “lead a fun, up-tempo team that might be ready to peak by the middle of his prime,” Lowe writes.

Still, Lowe wonders if that path to eventual contention might progress too slowly for Young’s liking, especially since the team doesn’t control its own first-round picks for the next three years, hindering its ability to continue adding young talent. On the other hand, going all-in by trading their 2029 and 2031 first-round picks for veteran help would probably be too aggressive an approach for the Hawks.

If Atlanta remains stuck in the middle of the Eastern Conference, it could lead to an “inevitable decision point” with Young, Lowe says. The star guard is under contract for at least the next two seasons, with a player option for 2026/27, and trade interest from teams like the Spurs and Lakers has “cooled” in recent months, sources tell ESPN, so it’s a safe bet he’ll open the 2024/25 season with the Hawks. But depending on how the coming year plays out, it may just be a matter of time before Young is once again the subject of trade speculation.

Here’s more on the Hawks:

Atlanta is optimistic about Mouhamed Gueye‘s chances of earning a rotation spot as early as this fall, sources tell Lowe. The 2023 second-round pick was limited to just six games as a rookie, largely due to a lower back stress fracture and a UCL sprain, but the team remains high on his potential.
Agent Misko Raznatovic has provided an update on his client Nikola Djurisic, who sustained a left foot fracture in Summer League play. According to Raznatovic (Twitter link), Djurisic is undergoing surgery this week and the plan is for him to get back on the court by the end of September. That timeline suggests the 2024 second-rounder could be ready for training camp in the fall if he signs an NBA contract, though I’d expect the Hawks to take a patient, cautious approach with his recovery.
Marc J. Spears of Andscape spoke to Zaccharie Risacher and his father Stéphane about the elder Risacher’s long, successful career as a basketball player in Europe and the impact it had on his son. “That was the first player I ever watched,” Zaccharie said. “When I started to grow and I got my first iPad and iPhone, I would go to watch my father’s highlights on YouTube.”

Hawks Notes: Risacher, Gueye, Djurisic, Krejci

July 14th, 2024 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

As he adjusts to life in the NBA, French forward Zaccharie Risacher will carry the target that comes with being the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. He got his first taste of that experience in Friday’s Summer League debut as the Wizards’ Justin Champagnie, his primary defender, “chirped” at him throughout the game, writes Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution. Risacher was able to overcome that distraction, putting up 18 points, five rebounds and two assists while shooting 7-of-16 from the floor and going 3-of-9 from three-point range.

“I try to play the way we want me to play,” he said. “So, like I said before, during the draft process, I’m ready to do whatever the coaches want me to do. So, if coach wants me to take threes, I’m gonna take threes. And if he wants me to be aggressive, I’m gonna be aggressive and that’s just a part of the player that I am and express myself on every side of every little thing.”

Williams observed that Risacher seemed comfortable with the faster pace and the greater spacing in the NBA game, even though his outside shot wasn’t falling. He expressed disappointment with his performance on defense, which he hopes to improve when the Hawks face San Antonio on Sunday.

“I think I didn’t show like my full ability on defense, and I’m kind of mad at that because that’s not the player that I am,” Risacher said. “And the defensive part is really important in basketball, and I feel like my team needs that too from me, so that’s gonna be the main thing for me to deal with and improve on right away.”

There’s more on the Hawks:

Second-year big man Mouhamed Gueye exchanged trash talk with Washington’s Alex Sarr in both English and French during their intense battle Friday night, Williams states in a separate story. After appearing in just six NBA games as a rookie, Gueye is hoping to prove that he’s ready for a larger role. “Mo’s been in the gym all summer working and all that,” Hawks Summer League coach Ronald Nored said. “And I thought he did a good job with it. He took the challenge defensively. I thought that fueled him offensively. The running, the cutting, the movement of the ball, we need that for Mo and I think he took the challenge.”
Summer League is an opportunity for Serbian guard Nikola Djurisic to prove that he’s worthy of a roster spot, Williams adds in another piece. The Hawks traded up to take Djurisic with the 43rd pick, but they haven’t indicated whether he’s in their plans for this season. They have a pair of two-way contract slots still open.
Vit Krejci‘s new four-year, $10.19MM (minimum-salary) contract includes $3.66MM in guaranteed money, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Krejci’s $2.16MM salary for the upcoming season is fully guaranteed, followed by a $1.5MM guarantee on his $2.4MM salary for 2025/26, a non-guaranteed $2.7MM salary for the third year and a $3MM team option on the final season.

Hawks Sign No. 1 Pick Zaccharie Risacher To Rookie Contract

July 6th, 2024 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, has officially signed his rookie scale contract with the Hawks, according to the NBA’s transaction log.

A 19-year-old French forward who was born in Spain, Risacher began his professional career with ASVEL Basket in France in 2021. He spent the past season on loan to another French team, JL Bourg, where he showed promise as a shooter, ball-handler, and versatile defender.

The 6’9″ forward averaged 13.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 24.0 minutes per game across 17 EuroCup appearances in 2023/24, with a .566/.561/.659 shooting line. In 32 contests in France’s LNB Elite, he averaged 10.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 0.9 APG on .439/.352/.740 shooting.

As our breakdown of rookie scale salaries shows, Risacher will almost certainly earn a first-year salary of $12.57MM, with a four-year total of $57MM on his rookie deal. Those figures are equivalent to 120% of the standard rookie scale amount, which is what nearly every first-rounder receives.

Risacher is expected to make his Hawks debut at the Las Vegas Summer League, which tips off next week.

Hawks Select Zaccharie Risacher With No. 1 Pick

June 26th, 2024 at 7:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have made Zaccharie Risacher the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

Atlanta unexpectedly moved up from No. 10 to No. 1 at the draft lottery last month, despite having just a 3% chance to get that first overall pick. While there was no consensus number one prospect in this year’s class like Victor Wembanyama a year ago, the jump to the top of the draft gave the Hawks the opportunity to take their pick of this year’s draft-eligible prospects.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter video link), the Hawks ultimately narrowed their choices to Risacher and Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard before selecting Risacher.

A 19-year-old French forward who was born in Spain, Risacher began his professional career with ASVEL Basket in France in 2021. He spent the past season on loan to another French team, JL Bourg, where he showed promise as a shooter, ball-handler, and versatile defender.

The 6’9″ forward averaged 13.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 24.0 minutes per game across 17 EuroCup appearances in 2023/24, with a .566/.561/.659 shooting line. In 32 contests in France’s LNB Elite, he averaged 10.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 0.9 APG on .439/.352/.740 shooting.

This pick is just the beginning of what promises to be an eventful offseason in Atlanta. The Hawks are widely expected to trade one of their two star guards – Trae Young or Dejounte Murray – and may make additional changes to their rotation, with Clint Capela among the other Atlanta veterans mentioned as a trade candidate.

Draft Rumors: Hawks, Wizards, Sarr, Knicks, Kolek, Bulls, More

June 25th, 2024 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

In their latest mock drafts ahead of Wednesday’s first round, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic each say there’s no clarity yet on what the Hawks will do with the No. 1 overall pick. Both mocks still have Zaccharie Risacher going to Atlanta first overall for the time being, but haven’t ruled out the idea of a trade down (possibly for Donovan Clingan) or a different choice at No. 1.

While there has been some chatter linking French big man Alexandre Sarr to Atlanta, both Givony and Vecenie suggest those rumblings may be a smokescreen designed to get the Wizards to consider a possible move up to No. 1 so that they can land the player widely viewed as their top target. A year ago, the Wizards moved up one spot in the lottery from No. 8 to No. 7 in order to nab Bilal Coulibaly.

According to Givony, there’s a belief that Sarr would be comfortable ending up with the Wizards, whose rebuild may offer him a more immediate path to a significant role. Meanwhile, during a Tuesday radio appearance on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, Hawks general manager Landry Fields confirmed that Sarr hasn’t visited his team, as Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks relays (via Twitter).

“He was scheduled to come work out,” Fields said of Sarr. “We had it on the books and then he declined to come work out.”

Here’s more on the 2024 NBA draft, which is just one day away:

Both Vecenie and Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 (Twitter link) have received similar feedback on the quality of this year’s draft class. According to Vecenie, while this year’s top 10 is considered weak, the depth in the 10-25 range is viewed as strong, with the rest of the class at about the usual level. A veteran general manager offered a similar assessment to Goodman. “The depth of this draft, especially in the back half of the first round, isn’t much different than in most years,” that GM said. “But the top five – and even top 10 – collectively is as underwhelming as I’ve ever seen it.”
Among the many sourced notes in Vecenie’s mock draft: The Knicks have had interest in Marquette guard Tyler Kolek throughout the season, while the Bulls are believed to be fans of Illinois wing Terrence Shannon. Kolek may be off the board by the time New York picks at No. 24; conversely, Chicago’s No. 11 pick would be higher than expected for Shannon, who has been viewed as a late first-rounder in most mocks.
Confirming prior reporting, Josh Robbins of The Athletic cites a team source who says the Wizards are “amenable” to acquiring another first-round pick. Washington currently controls the second and 26th overall selections. However, one scenario suggested by Robbins would involve the Wizards sending out a veteran player, the No. 26 pick, and the No. 51 pick for matching salary and a higher first-round pick, which would mean upgrading their second first-rounder rather than adding a third one.
ESPN’s latest mock draft has Yves Missi going to the Pelicans at No. 21, and a recent HoopsHype report also linked New Orleans to the former Baylor center. According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, the Pelicans met with Missi at the draft combine in Chicago and also brought him to New Orleans for a workout. While Clark expects Missi to get serious consideration from the Pels if he’s available at No. 21, he says it’s unclear whether the team will prefer a player who is more NBA-ready.

Draft Notes: Rockets, Wizards, Suns, France, Big Boards

June 22nd, 2024 at 8:15am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Rockets may be more interested in moving their pick than keeping it, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reports. Offers for the selection are expected to be entertained until Houston is on the clock at No. 3 in Wednesday’s draft. If Houston does stand pat at No. 3, Reed Sheppard appears to be the heavy favorite for that spot. The Trail Blazers are among the teams that have called the Rockets about moving up to No. 3 in the draft.

According to Fischer, the Wizards have the league convinced they’re honing in on Perth’s Alexandre Sarr. As reported, Sarr hasn’t conducted a private workout for the Hawks, holders of the No. 1 selection, and Fischer reports Sarr’s preferred destination is, in fact, Washington. Beyond their plans at No. 2, the Wizards are a “prime candidate” to move up from No. 26 and have also been seeking a third first-round pick, Says Fischer.

Further down the draft, the Suns are a strong candidate to trade down from No. 22. The goal for the Suns, Fischer writes, would be to accumulate future second-round picks to restock their draft capital for trade flexibility. Additionally, the idea of adding inexpensive rookie contracts onto an expensive roster appeals to Phoenix.

We have more from around the draft:

A flood of talent is following 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama from France, Yahoo Sports’ Krysten Peek writes. His former teammate Bilal Coulibaly was selected No. 7 overall in last year’s draft and another ex-teammate, Armel Traore, could be in play in the second round of this year’s draft. Additionally, Zaccharie Risacher and Sarr are seen as the favorites for the top two draft selections in this class, while Tidjane Salaun, Melvin Ajinca and Pacome Dadiet are all likely to be selected this year too. Down the line, Nolan Traore and Nathan Soliman are picking up steam in future draft classes.
Risacher, Sarr and UConn’s Donovan Clingan, in that order, round out ESPN’s top three players on Jonathan Givony’s final big board update before the draft. Givony and Jeremy Woo provide their picks for the top 100 players in the class, with Sheppard, G League Ignite’s Matas Buzelis, UConn’s Stephon Castle, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham, Salaun, and Serbia’s Nikola Topic filling in the rest of their top 10 (in that order).
Risacher is lower on Sam Vecenie’s draft board at The Athletic, with the French wing coming in at No. 5. Salaun, Buzelis, Dillingham and Topic all sit outside the top 10 of Vecenie’s annual draft guide, while he ranks Colorado’s Cody Williams (No. 6), Providence’s Devin Carter (No. 7), Pitt’s Carlton Carrington (No. 8) and Ron Holland of the G League Ignite (No. 10) among the top 10. I highly recommend both Givony’s and Vecenie’s draft guides if you have a subscription to either platform, as this is some of the top draft content to come out annually.
Clingan is the name most linked to the Hawks over the past week, Vecenie writes in a recent mock draft. While Atlanta has openly stated it is content with standing pat at No. 1, Vecenie hears there’s an impression the club is open to making a move if the right deal presents itself. However, Atlanta hasn’t finalized its decision yet and even if it wanted to trade down to select him later, Chicago and Memphis have expressed interest in taking Clingan themselves if they can trade up. Vecenie indeed has Washington landing Sarr and Houston getting Sheppard, but has Risacher falling to San Antonio at No. 4, Buzelis going No. 5 to Detroit and Castle landing in Charlotte at No. 6.

Rockets Rumors: Clingan, Sheppard, No. 3 Pick, Smart, More

June 20th, 2024 at 1:43pm CST by Rory Maher

The Rockets have UConn center Donovan Clingan and Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard at the top of their board heading into next week’s draft, league sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Houston controls the No. 3 overall pick.

According to Iko, Clingan seems to have the edge over Sheppard, but it’s not a sure thing the 7’2″ big man will be available with the third pick. ESPN recently reported that while Zaccharie Risacher remains the favorite to go No. 1 to the Hawks, Atlanta is also high on Clingan, who may be Risacher’s top competition. Ken Seguira of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has also heard the Hawks are high on Clingan.

The Rockets already have Alperen Sengun at center and he shares an agent with Clingan, Iko writes. Those factors — plus the trade deadline addition of Steven Adams — would seemingly work against Houston selecting Clingan, and the team has been unable to get him in for a private workout to this point. Sheppard, meanwhile, will visit the Rockets this week, sources tell Iko.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman recently suggested Houston might not have much leverage if they decide to trade the No. 3 selection due to a perception that there’s a minimal difference in value between that pick and those later in the lottery. However, Iko has heard differently, writing that there’s “rapidly growing interest” from rival teams in Clingan and Sheppard. Those teams may also be motivated to move up ahead of the Spurs, who control the Nos. 4 and 8 picks.

While several teams have shown interest in the third pick, team and league sources tell Iko the Hornets, Grizzlies and Trail Blazers have been “the most vocal” in their pursuit of the selection, with Memphis and Charlotte particularly “aggressive.”

Iko hears all three clubs are fans of both Clingan and Sheppard. The Hornets control the 6th and 42nd overall picks; the Grizzlies control Nos. 9, 39 and 57; and the Blazers control Nos. 7, 14, 34 and 40.

Here are some more Rockets rumors, all from Iko:

In an ideal situation, Houston would prefer to use the No. 3 pick as part of a package to acquire a star player like Donovan Mitchell, but there hasn’t been much league-wide “activity or movement” when it comes to stars this offseason, according to Iko. The Pelicans are rumored to have floated a proposal of Brandon Ingram for Sengun, but Houston has “no interest” in that deal, team sources tell Iko. Iko also hears New Orleans discussed Ingram with the Sixers.
If the Rockets can’t land a star and still decide to move the third pick, Iko wonders if a Grizzlies offer centered around Marcus Smart and the ninth pick could make sense for both sides. According to Iko’s sources, GM Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka are fans of Smart, who played under Udoka in Boston. In a move-back scenario, Houston might be interested in selecting Tennesee forward Dalton Knecht, says Iko.
Houston also controls a second-round pick (No. 44) in the upcoming draft. San Francisco’s Jonathan Mogbo, Minnesota’s Cam Christie, Illinois’ Terrence Shannon, Colorado’s KJ Simpson, UCLA’s Adem Bona and Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro are among the prospects who have been discussed at that spot, though Iko acknowledges some of those players might get drafted before then. Clemson forward/center PJ Hall, Texas forward Dylan Disu, St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins and Washington State forward Jaylen Wells are among the players who will work out for Houston this week, Iko reports.
For free agency, Iko hears the Rockets have placed a high priority on adding shooting, but the team is only interested in two-way contributors — Alec Burks, Gary Harris, Talen Horton-Tucker and Saddiq Bey are names to watch. Bey, however, will be a restricted free agent if he’s given a qualifying offer, which complicates matters (he’s also recovering from a torn ACL). A source close to Eric Gordon tells Iko that the veteran guard is “50-50” on exercising his player option to remain with the Suns, but the longtime former Rocket is also open to a reunion with Houston. The Rockets will have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to dangle in free agency, Iko notes.