Portland Trail Blazers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Workouts: S. Henderson, Blazers, Howard, Nowell, Roberts

June 3rd, 2023 at 2:37pm CST by Rory Maher

The Trail Blazers, who control the No. 3 overall pick, are holding a pre-draft workout Saturday with G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson, a projected top-three pick, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report.

Henderson has said in the past he thinks he’d be a good fit alongside Damian Lillard and he reiterated that again today, according to Aaron J. Fentress of The Oregonian (Twitter link).

Recent mocks have Henderson, who was a candidate for No. 1 overall at one point before Victor Wembanyama went to a different level this season, going No. 3 to Portland, with Alabama’s Brandon Miller going to Charlotte at No. 2.

Highkin recently said he thought the Blazers would trade their pick for an established star player, mentioning Jaylen Brown and Pascal Siakam.

Here are a few more 2023 NBA draft-related notes ahead of June 22:

Michigan wing Jett Howard will work out for the Magic Saturday, per Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire (Twitter link). The Magic control the Nos. 6, 11 and 36 picks in the draft, while Howard is currently ranked No. 17 on ESPN’s big board. The son of Juwan Howard, Jett is thought to be one of the better shooters in the draft.
Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell has workouts lined up with the Mavericks, Pacers, Suns and Clippers. He also worked out for the Jazz and Wizards the past couple days, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link). The 5’8″ Nowell had a memorable performance in the NCAA tournament for the Wildcats, averaging 23.5 points, 13.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 steals on .446/.419/.920 shooting in four games (40.0 MPG) en route to the Elite Eight.
Georgia guard Terry Roberts worked out for the Nets this week and had a previous workout with the Rockets, a league source tells Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link). Roberts had previous experience with Florida SouthWestern State College and Bradley before playing for the Bulldogs as a senior.

Nuggets Notes: Jackson, Nurkic, Jokic, Altitude, Malone

June 1st, 2023 at 3:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nuggets guard Reggie Jackson got a taste of the NBA Finals as a rookie in 2012 with the Thunder, who lost to the Heat. Jackson finds himself facing the Heat again 11 years later after passing through several organizations.

Jackson never realized how hard it would be to get back to the Finals, he told Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times.

“I just thought it was going to be championship after championship after championship,” Jackson said. “So being here, taking 11 years, the ups and downs of the business, injuries, changing franchises, yeah, I don’t take it for granted. I think the 11-year run has made me realize how much luck you really have to have.”

We have more on the Nuggets as they head into the Finals:

Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic remains close friends with Nikola Jokic. Nurkic asked for a trade after it became clear Jokic was Denver’s center of the future and he was dealt to Portland during the 2016/17 season. Jokic actually offered to the coaching staff to give Nurkic his starting job back prior to the deal, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “We still talk about what could have been,” Nurkic said. “But everything happens for a reason. I’m happy with my career. And I’m happy for him too … His story is really amazing.”
Coach Michael Malone hopes Denver’s altitude will mess with the Heat‘s heads and lungs, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes. “When we can establish that pace of play, that makes it really hard for visiting teams to kind of sustain and stay with that initially,” Malone said. “Most teams will wind up getting their second wind and be able to work themselves into that. But yeah, the altitude is here, man. Might as well use it to our advantage.”
The smartest thing owner Stan Kroenke did was remain patient with Malone, Sean Keeler of the Denver Post opines. His core players believe in him and that’s why the Nuggets are in the Finals for the first time. Malone is grateful for the ownership group’s trust in him. “I feel really fortunate and blessed to be working in an organization run by Stan and Josh Kroenke,” Malone said. “They gave me a chance eight years ago to lead this team, and the most important part of this last eight years is their ability to be patient and have a big-picture approach and let this thing grow into what it is today.”

Draft Notes: Sanogo, Withdrawals, Hornets, Magic, Thunder, Sensabaugh

May 31st, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

UConn big man Adama Sanogo will be keeping his name in the draft and leaving the Huskies following a wildly successful junior year, sources tell Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Sanogo averaged 17.2 PPG and 7.7 RPG for UConn in 2022/23 and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament, which culminated with a Huskies championship.

Sanogo isn’t necessarily viewed as a top prospect, but he has improved his stock so far during the pre-draft process and currently comes in as the No. 70 player on ESPN’s big board, making him a legitimate candidate to hear his name called on June 22.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

While Sanogo won’t return to UConn, the defending champions will get one more year from guard Tristen Newton, who will run it back for the 2023/24 season, according to an announcement from the school (Twitter link). Newton averaged 10.1 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 4.5 RPG in 39 games (28.8 MPG) for UConn in 2022/23.
St. John’s guard Jordan Dingle, Hampton wing Jordan Nesbitt, and UC-Davis guard Elijah Pepper are withdrawing from the draft, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (all Twitter links). Pepper is taking advantage of his extra year of NCAA eligibility due to the COVID-19 season, while Dingle and Nesbitt are underclassmen with multiple years remaining. Dingle is transferring from Penn to St. John’s.
Kansas State forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin is also pulling his name out of the draft and will return to school for one more year, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium.
The latest ESPN mock draft from Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (Insider link) includes several interesting tidbits. Among them: Alabama’s Brandon Miller will visit the Hornets on June 10; Scoot Henderson views both the Hornets and Trail Blazers situations as appealing; there’s speculation after Houston’s Jarace Walker called off his pro day appearance that a team opted to “shut him down”; there’s some chatter that the Magic may not hang onto both of their lottery picks (Nos. 6 and 11); and a number of rival executives believe the Thunder could dangle future draft assets in an effort to move up from No. 12.
Givony also reports within ESPN’s newest mock draft that Ohio State forward Brice Sensabaugh underwent surgery after the college season to address a knee issue and hasn’t been able to take part in competitive team workouts.

Blazers Rumors: Grant, Thybulle, Reddish, No. 3 Pick, Sharpe, More

May 31st, 2023 at 7:42am CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant still appears on track to become a free agent this offseason rather than accepting the maximum four-year, $113MM extension he can sign until June 30. Appearing on the HoopsHype podcast with Michael Scotto, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report said he doesn’t expect the annual salary on Grant’s next deal to be worth more than about $30MM, but suggests that the forward may be waiting until free agency in order to get a fifth year from Portland.

“I think it’s going to come out around five years, $150 million, with probably a player option,” Highkin said. “I know he gets talked about as one of the top free agents on the market, but I’d expect that gets done pretty quickly. It might even be a (6:01 pm) on June 30th type of signing.”

As for restricted free agents Matisse Thybulle and Cam Reddish, Highkin views Thybulle as the player who is more likely to re-sign with the Blazers, suggesting that the former Sixer will be a priority for the front office. Highkin is less certain about Portland’s appetite for a new deal with Reddish, telling Scotto that the team would probably have interest in bringing back the former lottery pick if the price is right.

Here are more highlights from the conversation between Scotto and Highkin:

Scotto has gotten the sense that the Trail Blazers are comfortable keeping the No. 3 overall pick and drafting either Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson, even as they plan to continue building around Damian Lillard. However, Highkin believes Portland is far more likely to trade the pick for an established veteran, mentioning two-way forwards like Jaylen Brown and Pascal Siakam as potential targets while downplaying the likelihood of the club pursuing offensive-minded players like Zach LaVine. Another Raptors forward, OG Anunoby, has also been linked to the Blazers and would be a good fit on the roster, but Highkin doesn’t expect Portland to give up the No. 3 pick for Anunoby.
There are some people in Portland who believe Shaedon Sharpe has All-Star potential, according to Scotto. Highkin agrees that the Blazers are high on Sharpe and expects he’ll be kept out of any trade that doesn’t return a superstar (“Joel Embiid or something like that”). Anfernee Simons is the more likely trade candidate, Highkin explains, given his larger cap hit and his fit next to Lillard. Sharpe, who has more size and defensive upside than Simons, is the more logical long-term backcourt partner for Dame.
The Blazers may make some changes to their coaching staff this summer to give Chauncey Billups some more experienced assistants, Highkin notes. The organization remains optimistic about Billups’ potential as a head coach and wants to give him an opportunity to lead a more competitive roster, Highkin adds.
When the Blazers signed Jusuf Nurkic to a four-year, $70MM contract last offseason, that didn’t necessarily mean they thought he was their center of the future, according to Highkin, who believes the team is “very open” to moving Nurkic and will explore trade possibilities this summer. Highkin suggests that Nurkic’s willingness to be shut down with a leg injury in 2021/22 when Portland went into tank mode played a part in Portland’s decision to “take care” of him in free agency last summer.

New York Notes: Bridges, Lillard, Toppin, Brunson

May 27th, 2023 at 8:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mikal Bridges has already been mentioned in several offseason trade rumors, but Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) believes the Nets intend to build around him rather than trying to deal him for other assets. Lewis states that Bridges has already become “the face of the franchise” and has strong support from owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks.

Bridges posted career-best numbers after being acquired from Phoenix in February, averaging 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27 games. He also emerged as a locker room leader and quickly won over Brooklyn fans with his style of play. He has a team-friendly contract that runs for three more seasons.

“I think he’s proven to a lot of people that his role can continue to get better and better and bigger and bigger,” Marks said. “But now that when the ball is in his hands in those key crucial moments of games, can he step up? Can he be that guy that we can rely on in big moments? I think we saw it a little bit in Phoenix when Devin Booker was out. He carried a considerable load for them. And then we saw this year where he came in and immediately was a crowd favorite.”

There’s more from New York:

The Nets have “genuine interest” in Damian Lillard if he asks the Trail Blazers for a trade, Lewis adds in another Post story. Lewis examines the various factors surrounding a potential Lillard trade, including his age, his contract, which will reach $63.2MM in 2026/27, and what Brooklyn would have to send to Portland in return. Lewis doesn’t expect Nets management to part with Bridges, so a deal would have to be built around Nic Claxton, with Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O’Neale thrown in for salary matching or possibly Ben Simmons if Brooklyn can include enough other pieces to convince the Blazers to take on his contract.
Obi Toppin was the first lottery pick made by the Knicks‘ current management team, but his time in New York could end this summer, suggests Steve Popper of Newsday. Toppin has been stuck behind Julius Randle, which has prevented him from getting the playing time he needs to develop his game. Popper adds that although Toppin averaged 21.8 PPG in the five starts he made this season, he doesn’t provide the defensive presence that coach Tom Thibodeau wants at power forward.
In a mailbag column, Fred Katz of The Athletic rates the Knicks‘ addition of Jalen Brunson last summer as the NBA’s best free agent signing since 2019.

2023 NBA Draft Picks By Team

May 27th, 2023 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

Two of the biggest winners on draft lottery night last week were the Hornets and Pacers. Charlotte moved up two spots from the pre-lottery standings to claim the No. 2 overall pick. The Pacers, meanwhile, stayed put in the lottery, but because San Antonio leapfrogged Houston in the first round, Indiana moved up 18 spots from No. 50 to No. 32 in the second round due to a convoluted set of trade criteria.

The Hornets and Pacers have something else in common: Charlotte and Indiana are the only teams that control more than three picks in the 2023 NBA draft. In fact, the two clubs own five selections apiece, accounting for 10 of the 58 total picks in this year’s event.

Nine additional teams each have three 2023 picks, joining the Hornets and Pacers to control nearly two-thirds of the draft — those 11 teams hold 37 of this year’s 58 picks, leaving the other 19 clubs to divvy up the remaining 21 selections.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, three teams don’t own any 2023 draft picks. The Bulls, Knicks, and Sixers will sit out this year’s event unless they acquire a pick via trade.

To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2023 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 58 selections by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…

Teams with more than two picks:

Charlotte Hornets (5): 2, 27, 34, 39, 41
Indiana Pacers (5): 7, 26, 29, 32, 55
San Antonio Spurs (3): 1, 33, 44
Portland Trail Blazers (3): 3, 23, 43
Orlando Magic (3): 6, 11, 36
Washington Wizards (3): 8, 42, 57
Utah Jazz (3): 9, 16, 28
Oklahoma City Thunder (3): 12, 37, 50
Brooklyn Nets (3): 21, 22, 51
Sacramento Kings (3): 24, 38, 54
Memphis Grizzlies (3): 25, 45, 56

Teams with two picks:

Houston Rockets: 4, 20
Detroit Pistons: 5, 31
Atlanta Hawks: 15, 46
Los Angeles Lakers: 17, 47
Los Angeles Clippers: 30, 48

Teams with one pick:

Dallas Mavericks: 10
Toronto Raptors: 13
New Orleans Pelicans: 14
Miami Heat: 18
Golden State Warriors: 19
Boston Celtics: 35
Denver Nuggets: 40
Cleveland Cavaliers: 49
Phoenix Suns: 52
Minnesota Timberwolves: 53
Milwaukee Bucks: 58

Teams with no picks:

Chicago Bulls
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers

Nets Notes: Bridges, C. Jones, Kalkbrenner, Holmes, Bates

May 20th, 2023 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

There has been speculation that Nets forward Mikal Bridges will be a target for the Trail Blazers if and when they shop the No. 3 overall pick, but John Hollinger of The Athletic is skeptical that a deal centered around that pick would appeal to Brooklyn.

As Hollinger points out, the Nets don’t control their own first-rounders in any of the next four drafts, so they have little incentive to take a step back in the short term. Plus, Bridges is signed to one of the NBA’s most team-friendly contracts through the 2025/26 season.

Alex Schiffer of The Athletic (Twitter link) says he has heard the same thing as Hollinger at the draft combine in Chicago. According to Schiffer, any rumors linking Bridges to Portland are “all talk,” since Brooklyn isn’t interested.

Here’s more on the Nets:

Many prospects in this year’s draft class have cited Bridges as a player they want to emulate at the NBA level, according to Schiffer. Iowa’s Kris Murray, Villanova’s Cam Whitmore, Pepperdine’s Maxwell Lewis, and Frenchman Rayan Rupert are among the prospects who likened themselves to Bridges. “I want to have the same trajectory and same process he did,” Rupert said. “Mikal Bridges is a big inspiration for me.”
Xavier guard Colby Jones told Schiffer that he’s scheduled to work out for the Nets in the coming weeks. Jones is the No. 28 prospect on ESPN’s big board, while Brooklyn owns the Nos. 21 and 22 picks in next month’s draft.
Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner and Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II are among the draft prospects who worked out for the Nets prior to the draft combine, Schiffer writes for The Athletic. Kalkbrenner, who has also auditioned for the Bulls, said that his session with Brooklyn went well, but Holmes wasn’t as positive about his workout in Brooklyn. “I didn’t do too well, I feel like, at the Nets,” Holmes said. “I feel like I could have stepped it up a bit, but it was good to learn. Great players there.”
Former five-star recruit Emoni Bates has been linked to the Nets and said he’ll work out for them at some point in the coming weeks, according to Schiffer. An Eastern Michigan forward, Bates added that he also has workouts lined up with the Thunder, Suns, Cavaliers, Blazers, and Pistons.
In case you missed it, Ben Simmons‘ agent said earlier this week that the former No. 1 overall pick is “progressing really well” in his injury rehab process. We have more details here.

Community Shootaround: Blazers’ Lottery Pick

May 19th, 2023 at 9:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers had some lottery luck, moving up to the No. 3 spot in the draft order on Tuesday.

That presents an interesting dilemma for Portland, which still seems desperate to quickly build a contender around Damian Lillard. The Blazers could use the pick as bait to acquire an All-Star level player or they could simply hold onto it and draft the best available player.

We all know what will the Spurs will do with the top pick – select potential superstar Victor Wembanyama. The Hornets hold the second slot and there’s no clear-cut selection after the French big man. If the Hornets go by need, they’d most likely take forward Brandon Miller rather than point guard Scoot Henderson, considering their best young player is LaMelo Ball.

Miller would also seem like a better fit for the Trail Blazers, since they already have a floor leader. There are other players worthy of consideration at the third spot, including Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Jarace Walker and Anthony Black.

Miller could immediately fill a void in the frontcourt if he’s still on the board at No. 3, as the Blazers’ small forward spot was in flux this season. Power forward Jerami Grant is headed to free agency and while Portland’s front office has stated it wants to re-sign Grant, there’s no guarantee he’ll be back.

Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons are signed through the 2025/26 season, though the Blazers must determine whether they’re truly part of the long term plan. Portland also has to decide whether to extend qualifying offers to Matisse Thybulle and Cam Reddish.

All of those personnel moves must be factored into their decision whether to trade the pick to get Lillard a proven star sidekick, or draft a player ready to make an impact.

Even though the free agent market isn’t dazzling, a lot of top talents such as Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Karl-Anthony Towns and Pascal Siakam could be on the trading block.

That brings us to today’s topic: Should the Trail Blazers keep the No. 3 overall pick in the draft or trade the pick as part of a package to get a proven veteran star?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Draft Notes: Miller, Podziemski, Vukcevic, Prosper, More

May 19th, 2023 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Based in part on the Hornets‘ roster needs, Jonathan Givony of ESPN believes Alabama wing Brandon Miller is slightly more likely than G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson to be the pick at No. 2, telling ESPN’s Zach Lowe on The Lowe Post podcast that he’d put the odds of Charlotte drafting Miller at 60%. However, according to Givony, Miller isn’t necessarily acing the pre-draft process so far.

“Every team in the NBA is looking for this type of player,” Givony said (hat tip to RealGM). “Six-nine, big guard, can handle the ball. Pass out of pick and roll. Make shots off the dribble. Defend multiple positions. Rebound. That’s what people are looking for. At the same time, he is not in great shape right now, so I don’t know how great his workout’s going to be. His interviews have not been great, I’ve been told — both publicly and privately with NBA teams.”

As David Aldridge of The Athletic writes, teams meeting with Miller will have questions about his connection to the death of Jamea Jonae Harris in Tuscaloosa. Miller brought former Alabama teammate Darius Miles the gun that was used in the killing, though he has insisted that he didn’t know the gun was in the car. The 20-year-old wasn’t charged with a crime and executives who spoke to Aldridge don’t think it will materially affect Miller’s draft stock.

“I don’t believe there will be any impact unless he lies in his interviews,” one exec said. “Integrity is more relevant than criminal friends; one we can fix, the other, we can’t.”

Here are more notes on the NBA draft:

Santa Clara sophomore guard Brandin Podziemski has opted to keep his name in the 2023 NBA draft, formally announcing his decision on Twitter. Podziemski is the No. 31 prospect on ESPN’s big board and has reportedly had a strong showing at the combine, per Givony (Twitter link), so he’s a legitimate first-round candidate.
After performing well in Wednesday’s scrimmages at the draft combine, Serbian big man Tristan Vukcevic and Marquette wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper withdrew from Thursday’s scrimmages, tweets Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca takes a more in-depth look at Prosper, who had 21 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes during Wednesday’s scrimmage.
In addition to working out for Atlanta, Princeton forward Tosan Evbuomwan had workouts with the Spurs, Pistons, and Celtics prior to the draft combine, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Evbuomwan was initially only invited to the G League Elite Camp, but earned a spot at the combine after making a strong impression last weekend.
John Hollinger of The Athletic considers which lottery picks might be in play on the trade market, starting with the Trail Blazers‘ and Rockets‘ selections at Nos. 3 and 4.

Northwest Notes: Blazers, K. Williams, Anderson, Jazz

May 19th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

While Charlotte’s pick at No. 2 represents the first pivot point of the 2023 NBA draft, the Trail Blazers‘ decision at No. 3 is arguably even more interesting. That pick is a valuable one in a draft considered to have a consensus top three prospects, but Portland is eager to build a contender around Damian Lillard in the short term and may be more inclined to trade the choice.

In the view of Jason Quick of The Athletic, the Trail Blazers’ only real option – if they’re serious about keeping Lillard and building a winner around him – is to trade the pick. But ESPN’s Jonathan Givony isn’t sure Portland will take that route, suggesting during an appearance on Zach Lowe’s Lowe Post podcast that he believes the Blazers will hang onto the selection.

“I don’t see them trading it either, honestly,” Givony said, per RealGM. “I think they would be very happy with Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson. “I also think they’re going to kick the tires on the Thompson twins and Cam Whitmore. I think this is going to be a process here where they’re looking at a lot of different options.”

If the Blazers do shop the pick, the expectation is that they’ll be targeting two-way impact players, a league source tells K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. As Johnson observes, Lillard has strong relationships with Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, but neither of those offensive-minded Bulls wings really qualifies as a two-way dynamo.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Thunder wing Kenrich Williams underwent a follow-up procedure on Tuesday to remove hardware that was inserted during his March wrist surgery, the team announced. According to Thunder, Williams’ rehab process is still on the same timeline, and he remains on track to be ready for the start of the 2023/24 season.
Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson, who sustained an eye injury during the team’s first-round playoff series, underwent surgery on Wednesday to address the issue, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and SKOR North. While there’s no official timeline for Anderson’s recovery, there’s no indication he won’t be ready for training camp.
Tony Jones of The Athletic sketches out an offseason to-do list for the Jazz, including identifying a point guard, resolving Jordan Clarkson‘s free agency, and comprehensively investigating what trade opportunities might be out there for them.