Stein’s Latest: Irving, Mavs Vets, Brown, Murphy
The Mavericks have been receiving trade calls for Kyrie Irving but have reportedly stood firm in their stance that the star point guard is not available, Marc Stein writes in the latest story for The Stein Line (subscriber link).
New Mavs president Masai Ujiri has stated from the beginning of his tenure with the team that he hopes to see Irving and franchise cornerstone Cooper Flagg play together, despite the sizable age gap between them.
The Pistons and Timberwolves are two teams known to have interest in the 34-year-old’s services, while the Rockets have not inquired after him despite some speculation that they’d be a suitor, Stein reports.
Irving is coming off a missed season due to an ACL tear and is still under contract in Dallas for two more seasons. It appears that Ujiri wants to get a sense of how he can help Flagg’s development before determining whether to deal him.
We have more from Stein’s newsletter:
- While the Mavericks are signaling their lack of interest in dealing Irving, some of their other veterans may be more available. Stein writes that Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford are all players the team is seen as more open to the possibility of moving, with Thompson standing out as a clear candidate to be moved, given his expiring contract.
- After previous reports from the Stein Line indicated which teams were most active in pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stein adds that there is interest around the league in whether a robust market could form for a third team to take on Jaylen Brown in a deal that would send the Bucks star to the Celtics. The Trail Blazers, Rockets, and Hawks have all been rumored to have interest in Brown, but his contract makes it somewhat difficult to find good fits from a salary-matching perspective.
- Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III remains one of the most sought-after names on the trade market, with Stein describing the interest for him around the league as “intense.” The Pistons and Pacers are two teams that have reportedly registered their interest. As of yet, the trade discussions have all been initiated by other teams rather than the Pelicans offering him in deals. However, Stein notes that this is the first time that the Joe Dumars-led front office has been willing to entertain offers.
International Notes: 2027 World Cup, Lithuania, Croatia, Loyd, Joerger
Three NBA players have been named to Lithuania’s 15-man roster for the upcoming FIBA 2027 World Cup qualifiers, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. At a press conference Friday morning, Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas and Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis were announced as part of the team, which will play two games next month.
Domantas Sabonis, who’s normally a regular in international competitions, won’t represent Lithuania in this event. The Kings center is still recovering after undergoing season-ending knee surgery in February.
Currently 2-2 in Group D, Lithuania will host Great Britain on July 2 and travel to Italy on July 5. The team needs a top-three finish in its group to advance into the secondary qualifying round.
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Some familiar names are on Croatia’s World Cup qualifying roster, which was also revealed on Friday, Askounis states in a separate story. Pacers center Ivica Zubac will headline the team, along with Pelicans forward Karlo Matkovic and former NBA players Mario Hezonja and Dario Saric. The Croatians, who have already clinched a spot in the secondary stage, will travel to Cyprus on July 3 and host Israel on July 6.
- Former NBA player Jordan Loyd is nearing an extension that will keep him with Anadolu Efes, Askounis adds in another piece. The 32-year-old guard signed with the Turkish power last summer, and sources tell Askounis that both sides are on the verge of committing to a new agreement.
- Ex-NBA coach Dave Joerger is in talks to become the head coach of Paris Basketball, sources tell Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link). Joerger spent three seasons with the Grizzlies and three more with the Kings, compiling a 245-247 career record. He was being considered by Melbourne United in the NBL, according to Uluc, but now appears more likely to wind up in Paris.
Pelicans Make Three Additions To Staff
- The Pelicans are hiring David Cosgrave as vice president of health and performance and Joe Sharpe as head athletic trainer, states Rod Walker of NOLA. “David Cosgrave and Joe Sharpe bring a level of professionalism and experience that immediately strengthens our organization and supports our commitment to build a fully integrated, best-in-class medical and performance team,” executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement.
- Scoop Jardine announced that he’ll be joining the Pelicans as a “global director scout” (Instagram link). The former Syracuse standout spent time playing in the G League and in Canada before moving into coaching at the high school level.
Pelicans Trying To Acquire Lottery Pick?
The Pelicans are making an effort to acquire a lottery pick in this month’s draft, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reports that the team is believed to have its eye on a specific player in the neighborhood of the top 10.
New Orleans finished the 2025/26 season with a 26-56 record, but the club’s own lottery pick – which landed at No. 8 overall – is controlled by Atlanta as a result of a deal the Pelicans made to move into last year’s lottery. After using the seventh overall pick in 2025 to select Jeremiah Fears, the front office sent last year’s No. 23 pick and this year’s lottery selection to the Hawks in order to move up to No. 13 to nab Derik Queen.
Without any 2026 picks to use as bargaining chips this time around, the Pelicans will face the challenge of trading into the first round rather than simply trading up. In other words, the price figures to be steep, especially given how highly regarded the ’26 draft class is.
According to Scotto, it’s unclear what sort of trade assets the Pelicans are making available as they seek a lottery pick, but outside of Fears and Queen, who almost certainly aren’t going anywhere, Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones likely have the most trade value among the players on their roster. Zion Williamson and Yves Missi are potential trade chips with positive value too, but head of basketball operations Joe Dumars has dismissed the idea of moving Williamson and Missi’s stock likely dipped a little as he fell out of the starting lineup this past season.
The Pelicans also own the most favorable of their own or Milwaukee’s 2027 first-rounder and still control all of their own first-rounders beginning in 2028, so they have no shortage of future draft assets to put on the table. Dumars showed a year ago that he has no problem going that route, even while the team is in a retooling phase.
For what it’s worth, the Warriors – who control the No. 11 overall pick – have been frequently cited in the past year or two as a team with interest in Murphy. The Bucks (No. 10) would also probably have interest in win-now role players like Murphy and Jones if they decide to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo and try to build a contender around him; if they move Giannis, the Bucks would probably rather keep their pick.
The Hawks at No. 8 and the Mavericks at No. 9 are among the other potential trade partners the Pelicans could reach out to.
Western Notes: Gafford, Queen, A. Green, Clippers
After battling a nagging right ankle sprain throughout the 2025/26 season, Mavericks center Daniel Gafford said on Friday that he’s taking his time to fully recover before resuming on-court work, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter video link).
“I’m getting there. The rehab is good. I’m staying consistent. I’m holding myself accountable to just take care of my body … I don’t want to rush anything,” Gafford said. “Whenever I get back on the court and do all the workouts, I want to be 100% healthy.”
Gafford was limited to 55 regular season appearances this season due to the injury, which he sustained on the first day of training camp last fall. He averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21.7 minutes per game.
The 27-year-old big man was also asked for his early impressions of new president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and the changes he’s made to the organization so far (Twitter video link via Curtis).
“It is a business. I’m not necessarily surprised when it comes to some of the things that he’s done with the organization because I’m pretty sure he already had that in his back pocket when he got hired,” Gafford said. “I’m just sitting back and watching from afar. … I’ve yet to get the chance to sit down and talk with him, but he made sure he called me and we had a good conversation on the phone.”
We have more from around the Western Conference:
- Pelicans center Derik Queen reconnected with former teammate Jose Alvarado and asked Karl-Anthony Towns for advice in his role as a player correspondent at the NBA Finals on Wednesday, as Rashad Milligan of NOLA.com relays. “I mean, you already are superbly talented,” Towns said. “I’ve seen it firsthand. I think, for me, it’d be more about locking into the film consistently. Never leave the gym, be infatuated with the work. I know it’s weird, but JB [Jalen Brunson] has it on his shirt, but the magic really is in the work. The real gift about experience is that you’ll find ways to accomplish the same goal and get the stats with using way less energy. And with that, that’s where experience really kicks in, and it’s a beauty.”
- The Pelicans have made another addition to their front office, hiring Amanda Green as executive strategy and analytics, the team announced (via Twitter). Green is a longtime former Thunder executive who got her start in San Antonio and previously held a role in the league office, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. New Orleans hired Thomas Scott on Thursday to be the general manager of the team’s G League affiliate.
- Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd, Arizona guard Anthony Dell’Orso, Miami (OH) guard Peter Suder, Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton, Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn and BYU center Keba Keita are among the players who have worked out for the Clippers this week, league sources tell Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). Thorton is the top-ranked prospect in that group on ESPN’s big board, coming in at No. 52. Los Angeles currently controls the fifth, 36th and 52nd picks in this month’s draft.
Bulls Adding Alex Kaufman, Jarrett Sutton To Front Office
The Bulls plan to hire Alex Kaufman to be the new general manager of their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Chicago also intends to make a second addition to its front office, according to Scotto, who hears Jarrett Sutton is joining the organization as a scout. Sutton himself confirmed the news via his Twitter page.
Kaufman spent the 2025/26 campaign as GM of the Pelicans‘ G League affiliate, which is now known as the Laketown Squadron. The New Orleans native was promoted at least three times during his tenure with the Pelicans, which spanned seven seasons.
A Kansas City native who played four years of college basketball at Missouri, Sutton is another longtime former Pelicans employee, most recently acting as a scout.
New Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham is familiar with both Kaufman and Sutton, Scotto notes, having worked with them for six years in New Orleans. Graham steadily worked his way up the ranks over the course of 15 seasons with the Pelicans prior to joining the Hawks’ front office in the 2025 offseason.
Pelicans’ G League Affiliate Hires Thomas Scott As GM
The Pelicans‘ G League affiliate, the Laketown Squadron, has named Thomas Scott as its new general manager, the team announced (via Twitter).
Scott has held a variety of positions in professional basketball over the years, per the statement, working in player development, basketball operations, coaching, and talent evaluation. He was most recently director of basketball operations for the BIG3 league and an assistant coach with the now-defunct G League Ignite.
Scott got his NBA start as an assistant video coordinator with the New Orleans Hornets and was also a player development coach with the Cavaliers and Lakers. He has extensive coaching experience at the NBAGL level, including stops with five different organizations.
The Laketown Squadron recently rebranded because the team is relocating from Birmingham, Alabama (over 300 miles from New Orleans) to Kenner, Louisiana (about 13 miles from New Orleans) ahead of the 2026/27 season. The Squadron released a Q&A with Scott, whose father is former NBA player and head coach Byron Scott.
“I’m incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity. This is very sentimental to me because this is where my basketball journey began,” the younger Scott said. “I attended college here and started my NBA career working in the Hornets’ video room. My goal is to create something special for the fans of New Orleans, and it’s truly difficult to put into words how much this opportunity means to me.”
Fischer’s Latest: Brown, Pelicans, Murphy, Kyrie, Sixers
The Pelicans have been “mentioned by various league executives” as one of the teams with interest in Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, NBA insider Jake Fischer said in his latest live stream for Bleacher Report (video link).
Fischer’s colleague Marc Stein previously named Atlanta, Houston, and Portland as teams to watch for Brown, though as Fischer points out, there have been no real indications yet that the Celtics will seriously consider the idea of trading the All-NBA second-teamer this offseason.
With Brown’s salary set to rise to $57MM in 2026/27, any Pelicans package for Brown would have to start with at least one of Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole, Dejounte Murray, or Trey Murphy III for matching purposes. Of those players, the versatile sharpshooter Murphy would almost certainly draw the most interest from the Celtics or other potential trade partners (in multi-team scenarios).
According to Fischer, San Antonio had been one of the teams most interested in Murphy over the past year or two, but the Spurs‘ run to the NBA Finals this spring makes them less likely to do anything drastic with their roster this summer.
Here are a few more highlights from Fischer’s live stream:
- While the Mavericks‘ new front office executives have expressed enthusiasm about seeing Cooper Flagg play alongside a healthy Kyrie Irving, Fischer doesn’t “necessarily believe” that Irving will still be on Dallas’ roster by the start of the 2026/27 season, noting that plenty of teams will inquire on the star point guard in the coming weeks. Irving missed all of ’25/26 while recovering from a torn ACL but should be ready to go for opening night in the fall.
- Although Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe look like the Sixers‘ top long-term building blocks, there’s no reason to believe Joel Embiid or Paul George will be going anywhere at this point, according to Fischer, who suggests that Philadelphia is “almost certain” to bring both players back. Embiid and George would be difficult to move for any real value due to their multiyear, maximum-salary contracts.
- Based on his conversations with sources around the NBA, Fischer wouldn’t be surprised if “most favorable” terms become more common on traded first-round picks, since that’s a way for teams stockpiling draft assets to hedge against the randomness of the new draft lottery format.
Pelicans Notes: Williamson, Mosley, Bickerstaff, Assistants
Jamahl Mosley was introduced as the Pelicans’ new head coach during a press conference on Tuesday. One of his priorities is to get the most out of forward Zion Williamson, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. Mosley is convinced Williamson has a lot more to give.
“He hasn’t even scratched the surface of things he can do,” the Pelicans coach said. “I really do believe that. And I think being able to open the floor up more for him, attacking, being able to play him in different positions, because he’s an excellent basketball player with a high IQ for play-making, for making guys around him better, knowing when to make plays and the right passes to make.”
Williamson’s stats this season — 21.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game — were down, but he was able to make 62 appearances. Williamson has played 30 or fewer games in four of his seven seasons due to injuries, including missing the entire 2021/22 campaign.
“I think just opening the floor up a lot more for him to attack the basket, giving space, being able to live at the free throw line consistently,” Mosley said. “Some of the things he’s done here have been obviously spectacular — and so just making sure that we continue that, along with us being healthy.”
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- Mosley was fired by the Magic after they lost in the first round to the Pistons, who are coached by his close friend J.B. Bickerstaff. The Pistons coach believes Mosley is a good fit for the Pelicans’ roster, he told Rod Walker of NOLA.com in a subscription-required story. “With me having built a relationship with (Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations) Joe Dumars over the years and seeing (general manager) Troy (Weaver) and having an opportunity to coach some of the players Troy drafted here in Detroit, the (Pelicans) organization is headed in the right direction,” Bickerstaff said. “You look at the talent level on that team now. It’s a team that went through similar injuries (to Orlando) last year. They are talented. With Jamahl’s fit there with his personality and ability to coach and organize and build an environment, I feel like that organization has a chance to take a step this year.”
- In another subscriber-only story, Walker interviews some of Mosley’s former college teammates and NBA personnel and comes away with the impression that the Pelicans’ new head coach is a workaholic who strives to excel. One NBA front office executive who wanted to remain anonymous told Walker, “Jamahl did an incredible job of resetting the culture in Orlando by establishing a defensive identity and demanding accountability. Their offensive players bought into defending every night. The Magic went from a bottom-five defense to one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. That type of transformation starts with the coach setting standards and commitment from the players.”
- A quartet of assistants have followed Mosley from the Magic to New Orleans and their roles are defined, Walker tweets. God Shammgod will be involved in player development and in-game game planning/adjustments; Bret Brielmaier will coordinate the offense; Dale Osbourne will coordinate the defense; and Randy Gregory will head up player development.
Lakers Hire Rohan Ramadas As Assistant GM
May 26: The Lakers have made it official, announcing today in a press release that Ramadas has been named the team’s assistant general manager of strategy and data systems. He’ll oversee basketball analytics and strategic initiatives for basketball operations, per the team.
“Rohan is an important and strong addition to our front office as we further build out our basketball operations resources,” Pelinka said in a statement. “His unique blend of career experiences and analytical expertise will further strengthen the strong work already taking place internally within our data analytics and salary cap management teams.”
May 25: The Lakers will hire former Pelicans vice president of strategy and operations Rohan Ramadas as an assistant general manager, according to Dave McMenamin and Shams Charania of ESPN. Ramadas will work directly under president of basketball operations and GM Rob Pelinka.
Ramadas joined the Pelicans in September of 2024 as their senior director of analytics and innovation. He was promoted to the VP position last May.
The move was confirmed by Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link), who points to Ramadas’ scientific-based background, which includes more than 12 years with The Aerospace Corporation, and states that he’s “regarded as very smart by people in the league who know him.”
“He’s a literal rocket scientist,” a Pelicans source told McMenamin and Charania, adding that Ramadas implemented AI and coded models to help the front office in New Orleans.
Pelinka said at his end-of-season press conference that the organization had plans to hire two assistant general managers – one to specialize in pro and draft scouting as well as player development, and another to focus on strategy, particularly analytics and the salary cap.
The Lakers held face-to-face meetings with many of the candidates during the draft combine in Chicago, sources tell McMenamin and Charania.