Draft Notes: Graves, Okorie, Evans, Veesaar, Kayil
When he declared for the 2026 NBA draft earlier this spring, Santa Clara freshman forward Allen Graves also entered the NCAA transfer portal. However, he has been focused more on improving his draft stock than on lining up a new college for next season, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Borzello, Graves said he has only had conversations with two schools since entering the transfer: LSU and Duke. Kentucky also reached out to his representatives, Graves said, but LSU and Duke would be his top two choices if he decides to play his sophomore season.
For now though, Graves is leaning toward keeping his name in the draft pool as long as he feels confident about being a first-round pick, which seems like an increasingly realistic outcome. In their most recent mock drafts, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports had Graves at No. 16 overall, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report had him at No. 20, and ESPN’s Jeremy Woo had him at No. 22.
Here are a few more draft-related updates from this week’s combine:
- Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie, who is viewed as a possible first-round pick, intends to remain in the draft and forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility, according to Borzello (Twitter link). “I already talked with (Stanford coach) Kyle Smith and I talked to my agents and my family,” Okorie said. “I’m staying in the draft.” When Okorie declared for the draft, he was said to be leaning strongly toward going pro but was leaving the door open for a return to Stanford.
- As expected, Duke wing Isaiah Evans and UNC center Henri Veesaar, who rank 21st and 31st, respectively, on ESPN’s big board, will keep their names in the draft and go pro, according to Borzello (Twitter links). Evans said that he’s “fully in” and hasn’t talked to the Blue Devils at all about returning, while Veesaar said he’s “all-in” on the draft. “It’s 100% my decision to stay. I think it’s the right decision, basketball-wise,” the North Carolina big man added.
- German point guard Jack Kayil had committed to Gonzaga for the 2026/27 season, but he plans to remain in the draft instead of going to college, agents Kevin Bradbury and Milan Nikolic tell Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Kayil is ranked just 61st on ESPN’s board, but he has receiving “first-round feedback” in Chicago this week after an excellent season with the German team Alba Berlin, Givony reports.
- Givony (Twitter link) passes along the names of several of the notable prospects who aren’t participating in 5-on-5 scrimmages at the combine, pointing out that some of them may have already decided to return to school and won’t want to risk suffering an injury.
Keegan Murray Undergoes Arthroscopic Ankle Surgery
Kings forward Keegan Murray underwent a “minimally invasive” arthroscopic procedure on Tuesday in order to remove loose bodies from his left ankle, a league source tells James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link).
According to Ham, the surgery requires a recovery period of six-to-eight weeks. That timeline suggests Murray should recover in plenty of time to be ready for training camp in late September, assuming he doesn’t experience any setbacks.
After appearing in 80, 77, and 76 regular season games during his first three years in the NBA, Murray was beset by health problems in 2025/26. His season debut was delayed until November 20 after he underwent surgery on his left thumb; he later missed a pair of games in December due to a mild calf strain; then he was out for several weeks with a left ankle sprain and returned for just four games before he aggravated that ankle injury, ending his season.
In total, Murray made just 23 regular season appearances, averaging 14.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.6 blocks in 34.5 minutes per game. His shooting percentages of 42.0% from the floor and 27.7% on three-pointers were career lows, but the sample size was relatively small.
The Kings clearly view Murray as an important part of their future, having signed him to a five-year, $140MM rookie scale extension last October. That deal, which runs through 2030/31, will go into effect in July as Murray’s rookie deal expires.
Murray is currently the only player on the Kings roster who is owed guaranteed money beyond the 2027/28 season, though youngsters Nique Clifford and Dylan Cardwell have non-guaranteed salaries for ’28/29.
And-Ones: McGrady, First-Rounders, Combine, Rozier
Former NBA guard Tracy McGrady, a seven-time All-Star who earned a spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, has accepted a role at Wagner College, the school announced in a press release. McGrady has been named the strategic advisor for the men’s basketball program.
In his new role, McGrady will assist with NIL deals, marketing, player development, and “expanding Wagner’s reach beyond its traditional areas of engagement on and off the court,” according to today’s announcement.
McGrady will forgo a salary and will serve in a volunteer capacity — his son, Laymen, will be a freshman at Wagner this season after spending a year at Oral Roberts as a redshirt in 2025/26.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Based on his conversations with NBA executives at this week’s draft combine in Chicago, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) expects fewer first-round picks to change hands in trades beginning this offseason. As Fischer explains, teams are wary about how valuable a late-lottery pick could become under the NBA’s new lottery reform plan, which will likely make them more reluctant to surrender those selections.
- Also reporting from the combine, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report takes a look at the winners and losers so far among this year’s draft-eligible prospects. While some of Wasserman’s choices overlap with ESPN’s picks that we passed along on Tuesday, Bleacher Report’s draft guru also identifies Arkansas’ Darius Acuff and Houston’s Kingston Flemings as winners, noting that Acuff’s measurements compared favorably to Damian Lillard‘s, while Flemings showed off an impressive three-pointer during shooting drills. Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner, whose height was determined to be below 5’11”, and Alabama’s Amari Allen, who came in at just over 6’5″, are among Wasserman’s combine losers so far due to their official measurements.
- The NBA and former Heat guard Terry Rozier met with an arbitrator last month for a second time to renew their battle over whether or not Rozier is entitled to receive his full $26.6MM salary for 2025/26 as he faces federal charges following his arrest last fall. Rozier won an initial arbitration case earlier this year, but the league is still arguing that his salary should be reduced. Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic has the details on the latest arbitration session.
Josh Giddey Undergoes Arthroscopic Procedure On Ankle
Bulls guard Josh Giddey recently underwent a successful arthroscopy on his right ankle, the team announced today (via Twitter).
According to the Bulls, the plan is for Giddey to resume basketball activities in approximately three months, which would be in mid-August. The expectation is that the 23-year-old will be ready to go for the start of training camp in late September.
Giddey was limited to 54 appearances in 2025/26, but his lengthiest absences were the result of hamstring issues. Still, he has dealt with repeated right ankle problems over the past two years too, dating back to when he first injured the ankle at the 2024 Olympics while playing for Australia’s national team. He said back in September 2024 that he sustained a ruptured ATFL (anterior talo-fibular ligament); since then, he has sprained the ankle multiple times.
While Chicago’s roster figures to undergo some major changes this offseason under new head of basketball operations Bryson Graham, Giddey looks like one of the few players whose spot should be relatively safe.
The former Thunder lottery pick, who has been the Bulls’ starting point guard since being traded to Chicago during the 2024 offseason, set new career highs in points (17.0), assists (9.1), and rebounds (8.3) per game this past season while posting a shooting line of .448/.364/.763. He negotiated a long-term contract with the team as a restricted free agent last offseason and still has three years and $75MM left on that deal.
Central Notes: Wade, Bulls, Malone, Pacers
After falling behind 2-0 to Detroit in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson and his staff considered making a starting lineup change, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). However, Atkinson decided to stick with forward Dean Wade as the fifth starter alongside his “core four” of Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
Wade, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, has rewarded Atkinson’s faith in him, according to Fedor. While the 29-year-old only scored three points in nearly 40 minutes of action across Games 3 and 4, he has been a crucial part of the Cleveland’s defensive plan against All-Star guard Cade Cunningham. According to NBA’s matchup data, Cunningham had five points, two assists, and four turnovers on 2-of-8 shooting when Wade was his primary defender in the two games in Cleveland.
“I thought Dean Wade took his defense to another level,” Atkinson said after Monday’s win. “To have a 6-foot-9 body that can lean on Cade and make things difficult, I thought that was key.”
No Cavaliers player has a higher individual net rating during the postseason than Wade. The team has outscored its playoff opponents by 10.6 points per 100 possessions during his 262 minutes of action and has been outscored by 10.2 points per 100 possessions in the 271 minutes he hasn’t played.
“All the lineups with Dean, we rebound better and we defend better,” Atkinson said.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- The Bulls have plenty of work to do on the roster this summer, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac, who suggests in his offseason preview that Matas Buzelis looks like the only young player on the roster who is guaranteed to be a long-term cornerstone. Smith explores potential uses for Chicago’s cap room, noting that taking on unwanted contracts attached to more valuable assets is probably the safest approach. If the Bulls want to target a restricted free agent, they’d be better off working out a sign-and-trade than risking an offer sheet that might gets matched, Smith adds.
- In a pair of subscriber-only stories for The Chicago Tribune, Julia Poe considers the Bulls‘ draft options with the fourth and 15th overall picks and reports that Bryson Graham has made his first personnel change since being hired as the team’s executive VP of basketball operations, having let go of Windy City Bulls general manager Josh Malone.
- Revisiting the trade that saw the Pacers give up a handful of assets – including what turned out to to be the No. 5 pick in this year’s draft – for Ivica Zubac, Jay King of The Athletic questions whether acting with such urgency to address the team’s hole at center was the right call. As King observes, even though they appeared in the 2025 NBA Finals, there’s no guarantee that a healthier version of the Pacers will be able to get back to that level next season, especially since so much is hinging on Tyrese Haliburton recapturing his prior form after an Achilles tear, one of the most difficult injuries to return from.
Knicks Notes: Shamet, Towns, Patton, Brown
With OG Anunoby expected to return from his right hamstring strain in the Eastern Conference finals, Landry Shamet will likely once again be the odd man out in the Knicks‘ rotation, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post.
Shamet played sparingly during the first eight games of the postseason, averaging just 9.3 minutes per night, but after Anunoby went down, he logged 37 total minutes in Games 3 and 4 vs. Philadelphia.
While he may still be behind fellow reserves Miles McBride, Jordan Clarkson, and Jose Alvarado on Mike Brown‘s depth chart, Shamet impressed when given an opportunity during those two victories in Philadelphia, scoring 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting and giving the Knicks’ head coach something to think about going forward.
“Landry hadn’t played a drop all playoffs,” Brown said. “I think the first game (of the first round), he was in the rotation and then the second game a little bit, then he was out. That’s six, seven games that he hadn’t seen significant minutes on the court. … He was huge on both ends of the floor.”
We have more on the Knicks:
- For a second straight year since swapping Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, the Knicks and Timberwolves are both making deep playoff runs. However, Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News (subscription required) argues that New York deserve to be crowned the winners of that blockbuster trade, given the way that Towns and the Knicks have dominated during this postseason. Towns has averaged a relatively modest 17.4 points per game during the playoffs, but he’s filling up the stat sheet with 10.0 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.1 SPG, and an incredible shooting line of .587/.483/.897. The Knicks had a +24.8 net rating when he was on the floor in the first two rounds.
- New York ranked fourth during the regular season with a 37.3% mark on three-pointers and has converted a league-high 40.8% during the postseason. In a subscriber-only story for The New York Post, Stefan Bondy profiles shooting coach Peter Patton, the club’s secret weapon who has helped multiple Knicks players post career-best numbers from beyond the arc. “I feel like when you have somebody telling you what you need out of your shot and you trust him, it’s big time. I feel like for all of the guys he’s been huge,” said McBride, who hit a career-best 41.3% of his three-pointers in 2025/26. “… I just love the fact that he’s watching, he’s locked in, he’s helping the whole team. … It’s just small technique things. Like if you’re dropping your hand down or you’re turning a little bit. Just anything you’re doing off with your shot, he points out and it helps.”
- Do the Knicks match up better against Detroit or Cleveland? James L. Edwards III of The Athletic considers which Central Division team New York should want to play, ultimately concluding that Detroit has played the Knicks tougher even though the Cavs look like the more difficult matchup on paper. Still, the Knicks should be favored over either team, Edwards notes.
- Although he doesn’t necessarily believe Tom Thibodeau deserved to be fired, Ian O’Connor of The Athletic argues, based on what he has seen from the team this spring, that the Knicks did the right thing by replacing Thibodeau with Brown.
Sixers Rumors: Front Office, Morey, Embiid, George, More
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey still had two “expensive” years left on his contract, but that didn’t dissuade the team’s ownership group from deciding that a front office change was necessary, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
After formally confirming on Tuesday that they’ve parted ways with Morey, the 76ers have tasked Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president of sports Bob Myers with temporarily running the front office and leading the search for a new lead basketball executive. However, according to Fischer, the plan is for Myers to return to an advisory role once a hire is made.
Myers will consider candidates within the organization in addition to external options, Fischer writes. While it’s too early to identify potential frontrunners, Fischer says Andre Iguodala, the current NBPA executive director who played under Myers in Golden State and also spent several years playing in Philadelphia, isn’t expected to receive consideration for the job, even though his stint with the players’ union is scheduled to end next month.
Here’s more from Fischer on the Sixers:
- Although fans in Philadelphia weren’t happy about the mid-season trade that sent Jared McCain to Oklahoma City for draft assets, including a 2026 first-rounder, a source with knowledge of the situation told Fischer that deal wasn’t the “proverbial last straw” for Morey. Ownership “very much approved” that deal, Fischer writes, which makes sense, given that it helped the 76ers move out of luxury tax territory. The club is also optimistic about its ability to select a quality prospect next month with the No. 22 overall pick acquired in that trade, Fischer adds.
- There’s a widespread belief that the Sixers would be best off resetting their roster around Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, but that will be easier said than done in the short term, Fischer notes. The three years and $188MM left on Joel Embiid‘s contract will make it very challenging to move him without attaching sweeteners, which likely won’t appeal to Philadelphia, meaning an Embiid trade is unlikely to happen this offseason. According to Fischer, one idea mentioned by rival strategists is a swap involving Embiid and Kings center Domantas Sabonis, but he acknowledges that calling that scenario a “long shot” might be understating it.
- As tricky as Embiid would be to move, the same may no longer be true of Paul George, who rehabilitated his value to some extent with a strong finish to the season, including a playoff run in which he shot 49.3% from three-point range. George also has just one guaranteed year remaining on his maximum-salary contract, with a player option to follow, so if he conveys a willingness to decline that option in favor of an extension that starts at a lower number, that could make potential suitors more comfortable rolling the dice on him. Fischer likens George’s contract situation – and trade value – to Trae Young‘s entering last season. The Hawks didn’t acquire any draft picks for Young but they didn’t have to send out any either, and they were able to acquire two relatively team-friendly contracts in their deal with Washington.
- Even though Nurse will remain in his position as head coach, there’s an expectation that his staff will undergo some offseason changes, according to Fischer, who observes that a number of Sixers assistants are on expiring contracts.
And-Ones: Karaban, Draft Combine, FA Rankings, Magnay, Dowtin
UConn senior forward Alex Karaban is among the players who have made a strong impression at the NBA’s draft combine this week, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo and Jeff Borzello.
Karaban entered the combine ranked as the No. 32 prospect on ESPN’s board. He was the best shooter during Monday’s drills and improved his standing vertical leap by 5.5 inches since his appearance at the 2024 combine.
Baylor guard Cameron Carr, Michigan forward Morez Johnson and Houston center Chris Cenac have also stood out at the combine, per Woo and Borzello. On the flip side, poor shooting by Arizona forward Koa Peat could lead him to consider withdrawing his name despite being ranked as a first-rounder entering this week.
Here’s more from around the international basketball world:
- LeBron James, Jalen Duren and Austin Reaves head the list of free agents – and potential free agents – compiled by the Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus. Overall, Pincus ranks 66 possible free agents as well as throwing in some honorable mentions.
- The Tasmania JackJumpers have signed Will Magnay to a two-year deal, according to a team press release. The second year is a team option, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc tweets. Magnay is a four-time club Defensive Player of the Year, and has the club’s all-time highest rebounds at 532, and all-time highest blocks at 150. Magnay appeared in one game with New Orleans during the 2020/21 season.
- Maccabi Tel Aviv and former NBA guard Jeff Dowtin have parted ways, the Israeli club tweets. Dowtin, 29, has played 87 games in the NBA, including 41 with Philadelphia during the 2024/25 season.
Timberwolves Notes: Edwards, Reid, Wembanyama, Gobert
Anthony Edwards left his teammates in awe by scoring 36 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, during Game 4 of the Timberwolves’ second-round series against the Spurs, according to The Associated Press’ Dave Campbell.
Edwards missed the clinching Game 5 against Denver in the first round due to a hyperextended left knee and bone bruise. He’s gutted through all four games against San Antonio, playing 40 and 41 minutes in the past two games entering Tuesday’s Game 5.
“Honestly, I think he would just now be coming back if he was like a normal human being, but he’s not,” guard Mike Conley said. “We’re thankful for what he’s sacrificing for us and putting us on his back,” Conley added. “We expect it from him. He expects it. So we just try to keep him healthy, keep him going forward.”
“We’re lucky to have him. He’s special, no doubt, especially given what he’s been fighting through over the last month and a half,” coach Chris Finch added.
Here’s more on the Timberwolves:
- Edwards drew some extra motivation on Sunday. His thoughts centered around his mother, Yvette Edwards, who died from cancer on Jan. 5, 2015. It was his first career win on Mother’s Day. “I just wanted to win for my mom,” he said, per Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “It was that simple.”
- Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was ejected in the first half of Game 4 after elbowing Naz Reid. It was a powerful blow but Reid wound up playing 31 minutes and contributing 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists. “If only y’all knew who my mom and my grandmother are,” he told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I get a lot of my toughness from them. My mom used to walk damn near an hour and 45 minutes to work. That’s what my mom taught me. You get knocked down, get right back up.”
- Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert have a deep bond. Gobert first met the Spurs star when the latter was 13 years old. The Frenchmen have had to put their friendship aside in this series, Anthony Slater of ESPN writes. “[We talk] in regular times. We say ‘hi’ [on the court]. Our families see each other. But we are focused,” Gobert said.
Morey Ousted As Sixers’ President; Nurse Keeps Coaching Job
Daryl Morey has been relieved of duties as president of basketball operations with the Sixers after six seasons, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
The decision was made after Morey met with Sixers owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer on Tuesday evening in Philadelphia, according to Charania, who says that head coach Nick Nurse will be retained for a fourth season.
Former Warriors executive Bob Myers, now the president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, will lead the search for the new head of basketball operations. Myers will oversee the franchise’s basketball operations department in the interim.
The Athletic had reported on Monday that Morey and/or Nurse could be on their way out.
Harris issued the following statement via a press release:
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Daryl personally and professionally, and I’m grateful for his contributions over the last six seasons. After speaking with Daryl, we determined that it was time for a fresh start. Bob Myers will lead the process of identifying a new leader and I believe his experience in constructing four NBA championship teams will be a valuable resource to our organization. To our fans, your frustration and disappointment are understandable and warranted. We have fallen well short of our own expectations and failed to deliver in the way this city deserves. That bothers me deeply and I have confidence in Bob to establish a path forward for our franchise.”
Morey was hired to bring the franchise a championship for the first time since 1983. Philadelphia reached the postseason in all but one of his six seasons on the job, but fell well short of the ultimate goal. The Sixers did not advance beyond the second round of the playoffs during Morey’s tenure.
It wasn’t for a lack of trying. He acquired James Harden during the 2021/22 season but Harden demanded a trade after the following season over a contract dispute. Morey opened up significant cap space prior to the 2024/25 season and signed Paul George to a max deal, along with several other notable free agents.
Injuries derailed Morey’s plans. George, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid have played only 43 games together over the last two seasons, including the regular season and playoffs. That trio is owed $153MM next season.
After the Sixers were swept in the second round by the Knicks, Embiid remarked, “… Gotta get better, from top to bottom. Ownership, front office, players, coaches. Everybody just gotta get better.”
It will be up to the next team president to put together a championship-caliber roster. Morey’s replacement will have two major building blocks in Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, who finished third for the Rookie of the Year award.
Nurse is 116-130 in three seasons as the Sixers’ head coach, with 47- and 45-win seasons sandwiching a forgettable 24-58 campaign. Nurse guided the team to a first-round comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Celtics, but the 76ers were overmatched against the Knicks, who swept them out of the postseason.