Bucks Open For Business On Antetokounmpo Trade Offers
In the aftermath of the lottery, the Bucks are prepared to listen to trade offers for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
However, the Bucks are in no rush to make a deal. There is expected to be a robust market for Antetokounmpo, according to Charania, and ownership and front office officials will carefully sift through offers with a high asking price. Milwaukee is seeking a young blue-chip talent and/or a surplus of draft picks.
According to previous reports, the Celtics, Magic, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Heat, Rockets and Raptors are among the potential suitors for Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks listened to offers for Antetokounmpo prior to February’s trade deadline but opted to put off those discussions until the offseason. They will now engage in those conversations once again. The playoff results could also factor into the number of teams that will make an offer. That group includes the Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Knicks and Lakers. who all pursued Antetokounmpo at the February deadline.
After one Bucks co-owner – Wes Edens – told ESPN in March that the team figures to either trade or extend their franchise player in the coming year, another one of the team’s co-owners – Jimmy Haslam – said on Wednesday that he’d like to see the team reach a resolution on Antetokounmpo by next month’s draft.
“Sometime over the next six or seven weeks we’ll decide whether Giannis is going to sign a max contract and stay with us or he’s going to play somewhere else,” Haslam told reporters during a news conference introducing Taylor Jenkins as the Bucks’ new coach.
Haslam has said publicly and privately that the Bucks will work with Antetokounmpo in the coming weeks on an outcome that is best for both sides. Nothing has changed in Antetokounmpo’s stance that the time has come for both sides to move on, according to Charania’s sources.
Things became even more contentious after the trade deadline, as a fractured relationship between the two sides led to a league investigation into his own organization for shutting him down late in the season with a knee injury.
Milwaukee didn’t have any luck in Sunday’s lottery and are slotted at the No. 10 pick. None of Antetokounmpo’s projected suitors, such as Miami and Golden State, moved into the top four as well.
There are two more years left on Antetokounmpo’s contract, including a player option of $62,786,682 in the final year. Any potential suitor will likely want to know if he’s willing to sign an extension before trading away multiple assets.
Wembanyama Escapes Fine, Suspension After Game 4 Ejection
The Spurs lost Game 4 of the conference semifinals to the Timberwolves on Sunday night after Victor Wembanyama was tossed for elbowing Naz Reid during the first half. The superstar center will not face an additional penalty, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Wembanyama will not be suspended or fined by the league in the aftermath of the ejection. Wembanyama will be eligible to play against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night in San Antonio.
Minnesota outscored San Antonio 34-25 in the fourth quarter of a 114-109 victory that knotted the series at 2-apiece. The Timberwolves will have to deal with Wembanyama’s towering presence in the pivotal Game 5. The Spurs center was coming off a huge 39-point, 15-rebound, 5-block performance in Game 3 when San Antonio grabbed a 2-1 lead in the series.
Wembanyama was initially called for an offensive foul during the second quarter incident in Game 4 but it was upgraded to a flagrant 2, which comes with an automatic ejection, upon review. The NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year only had four points and four rebounds in 12 minutes prior to the ejection.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson commented afterward that a possible suspension for Wembanyama “would be ridiculous.” That is no longer a concern.
However, players who get ejected from a game are typically fined by the league when it reviews the penalty, so there could be some criticism toward the NBA office for giving Wembanyama preferential treatment.
Daryl Morey, Nick Nurse May Be Replaced After Sweep
The thrill of beating Boston in the first round was short-lived for the Sixers, and major changes could be coming for the franchise this offseason. Multiple sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic that the jobs of president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse will both be reevaluated. Jones adds that ownership hasn’t reached any final decisions and will take a few days to address the state of the franchise before determining whether to make changes.
“Uncomfortable conversations” are necessary on several fronts, according to Jones, and the most important one is how to handle Joel Embiid. Jones notes that Embiid frequently clashed with the front office and coaching staff throughout the season, and he publicly implored management to do something other than “ducking the luxury tax” leading up to the trade deadline.
Jones reports that Embiid and other players didn’t support the decision to send second-year guard Jared McCain to Oklahoma City in a deal that only netted a draft pick in return. Jones states that Embiid made a noticeable effort to avoid directly criticizing the front office in interviews after that trade was announced.
After being held out of an April 1 game at Washington, Embiid responded with an angry Twitter post stating, “I guess they won’t let me play basketball!!” When reporters asked about the post two days later, he responded, “I wanted to play basketball. I wasn’t allowed to play basketball. I think this is more of a question for Daryl Morey and whoever makes the decisions.”
The Sixers have to be encouraged by Embiid’s playoff performance, even though he was only available for 38 games during the regular season. He managed to return from an emergency appendectomy and was an offensive force in the first-round comeback against Boston.
Embiid’s injury history and contract situation – he has two guaranteed years left at nearly $58MM and $62.6MM, plus a $67.2MM player option for 2028/29 – make it extremely difficult for Philadelphia to trade him. But Jones emphasizes that he has to be more in synch with the front office and coaching staff to be fully effective.
Jones cites a mixed case for keeping Morey in charge of the franchise. Although he was heavily criticized for parting with McCain, Morey realized that he would never become a starter with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in the backcourt, and getting a first-round pick for a projected reserve is good value. Morey also deserves credit for taking Edgecombe with the third pick in last year’s draft and Maxey at No. 21 in 2020. Dominick Barlow, who was brought in on a two-way contract last summer, turned out to be an important addition.
But Morey is also responsible for giving the huge extension to Embiid and a pricey free agent deal to Paul George that will limit the Sixers’ flexibility for nearly the rest of the decade. Jones points out that having them alongside Maxey and Edgecombe creates two versions of the same team that don’t fit together well.
Regarding Nurse, sources tell Jones that there are concerns about his ability to control the locker room. He cites an incident at an April 1 shootaround where several players met with members of the coaching staff to air complaints about “certain players’ participation in team activities” and the overall direction of the season. The level of tension was so high that there were concerns that the shootaround might have to be canceled, according to Jones’ sources, but enough was resolved that it was able to continue.
Jones believes that Nurse deserves credit for winning 45 games with an injured roster, and his players never stopped playing hard. They responded to Nurse’s public criticism after a Game 4 loss to Boston and rallied to win the series.
After the fate of Morey and Nurse is decided, the Sixers will have to address their roster. Jones identifies a need for more shooting, rebounding and positional size among the forwards. They have a talented core in place and Edgecombe should continue to improve as he gets older, but the New York sweep is an indication that they’re not ready to compete with the best teams in the East.
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Stewart, Thompson, Jenkins
Ill-timed turnovers cost the Pistons a chance to grab a commanding lead in their series with the Cavaliers, and they know they’ll need to take better care of the ball in tonight’s Game 4, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. The worst offender was Cade Cunningham, who had eight turnovers in Saturday’s game and three in the final two-and-a-half minutes. Cunningham is the leading scorer in this year’s playoffs at 30.2 PPG, but he also has the most giveaways with 58.
“Just careless turnovers. I wouldn’t even say ‘careless,’” Cunningham said after the Game 3 loss. “I care about (them) a lot. Just bad plays that could’ve got shots on the rim and could’ve gave us an opportunity to win this game.”
The Pistons’ 16 turnovers resulted in 27 Cleveland points and likely squandered a game they led in many other significant categories. Detroit took 91 shots compared to 74 for the Cavs and won the rebounding battle by a 40-33 margin. They held a 17-5 advantage in offensive boards, which led to 19 second-chance points to Cleveland’s 11.
“That’s too many turnovers for us as a group. Sixteen is too many,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Give up 27 points off those turnovers … our defense is so stingy if we get you in the half court. We’ve just got to make sure we get shots on goal so we can set our defense and make people have to work through it.”
There’s more on the Pistons:
- Isaiah Stewart emphasized that injuries aren’t the reason for his reduced playing time, Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News states in a subscriber-only piece. After playing nine minutes in the first half on Saturday, Stewart didn’t return to the game as Bickerstaff opted to go with Paul Reed, who helped spark a comeback from a 17-point deficit. Davis notes that it’s the third time in this year’s playoffs that Stewart has played fewer than 10 minutes. “I’m 100% healthy,” he said. “I know people are wondering if the reason I’m playing short minutes and short stints is injury-related, but it is not. I’ve been available to play. … When my name is not called, but P. Reed’s is, I cheer for him. He did his thing (in Game 3). He went out there and brought the energy for us.”
- Ausar Thompson should be a fixture in the Pistons’ closing lineup, argues Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). Windsor contends that Bickerstaff’s biggest mistake on Saturday was removing Thompson from a tie game with 3:05 remaining and replacing him with Daniss Jenkins. Thompson’s shaky outside shooting makes it difficult to provide enough spacing for the offense, but he more than makes up for that deficiency with his defensive prowess. Windsor points out that Thompson had the team’s second-highest plus/minus rating in the game, while Jenkins hadn’t made a shot all day.
- In a separate Free Press story, Windsor lists five things the Pistons need to do to reclaim control of the series.
Trade Speculation Emerges After Lottery Results
The Wizards won the top prize in Sunday’s lottery, but it’s premature to assume that pick will be AJ Dybantsa, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. The BYU star has topped nearly every prominent mock draft for several months, but Washington officials plan to sift through all their options for the next six weeks before making a decision.
Mannix reports that the Wizards aren’t ruling out the possibility of trading down, as insiders view this as a “top-heavy” draft without a consensus No. 1 pick. General manager Will Dawkins will review the scouting reports of all the top prospects, and if a player stands out who could be available later in the draft, sources tell Mannix that the team would be willing to deal.
Mannix suggests the Jazz, who drew the No. 2 spot, might have some interest in moving up to land Dybantsa. Utah’s front line is set after trading for Jaren Jackson Jr. in February, so there’s not a pressing need for another big man like Cameron Boozer. Keyonte George, who represented the team at the podium for Sunday’s lottery, appears to be the point guard of the future, so Darryn Peterson is less attractive than he might be to other teams. Dybantsa is the best fit, but the Jazz would likely have to pay a high price to move up.
There’s more on the draft lottery:
- Winger confirmed to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required) that he’s willing to listen to offers for the No. 1 pick. Winger said winning the lottery is “not a savior moment” and he views this year’s selection as another piece to the puzzle on top of several years of productive draft picks and the mid-season trades that brought in Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Jazz president Austin Ainge also expressed a willingness to deal, telling Fischer, “We’re open. We’ll always listen.”
- There’s a chance that the No. 3 pick held by the Grizzlies could be on the move as well, Fischer adds. Sources tell him that Memphis is receiving “no shortage of trade interest,” with an agent in Chicago suggesting that it could be sent out as part of a Ja Morant deal. Fischer is doubtful that the Grizzlies will part with that asset just to unload Morant, noting that team president Zach Kleiman has a history of trading up or into the draft, as he did last year when he moved up to No. 11 to snag Cedric Coward.
- Fischer tabs the Nets as the biggest loser in the lottery as they fell from third to sixth and likely have no path to land one of the elite four prospects. Brooklyn has a lot of future draft assets to offer in a trade, and general manager Sean Marks promised “to look at everything” in an effort to move up, but team officials throughout the league are skeptical that anyone would be willing to trade all the way down to No. 6. Any movement, Fischer adds, will probably be a “shuffling” of the top four teams.
- Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic hears the same message, with one high-ranking team official telling him, “A team in the top four would be stupid to trade out.” Several team executives tell Vorkunov that Peterson isn’t a lock for the second pick, assuming Dybantsa is the first name off the board. Some teams would consider taking Boozer or Caleb Wilson ahead of the Kansas guard.
Knicks Notes: Series Sweep, Hart, Towns, McBride, Brunson
The Knicks didn’t get to celebrate in front of their home crowd after finishing off a sweep of the Sixers Sunday afternoon, but it kind of felt that way, writes Vincent Goodwill of ESPN. Plenty of New York fans made the trip to Xfinity Mobile Arena to enjoy their team’s latest dominant performance, a 144-114 win that ran the Knicks’ winning streak to seven games and put them in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Guard Josh Hart, who played at Villanova, couldn’t resist taking a playful swipe at his former home city.
“I used to think Philly was a sports town. I don’t know if it is anymore,” he said. “Everybody was begging for Philly [fans] not to sell their tickets. It never felt like a road game.”
In fairness to Philadelphia fans, they were probably dispirited by the one-sided nature of the matchup. New York controlled the series right from the start and had Sunday’s game virtually wrapped up by halftime. The Knicks tied an NBA record by making 18 three-pointers in the first half and held a 24-point lead at intermission.
Goodwill notes that New York has outscored its opponents by 19.4 points per game through the first two rounds, which is the largest differential for any team entering the conference finals since the playoffs were expanded 42 years ago. The Knicks have been looking unbeatable lately, but players aren’t taking anything for granted.
“Our team, the first year with each other, beating Boston last year we were very excited,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “This year, we’re locked into the moment, and there’s a lot more work to do. So, it’s great to see our guys kind of hungry for the next challenge.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Towns continued to flash his playmaking skills with nine assists in 16 minutes during the first half, observes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. He finished with 10, but only had to play four minutes in the second half because the game was out of reach. The Knicks’ offense has been energized since Brown decided to turn Towns into more of a passer midway through the first-round series. “Shout out to our team,” Towns said. “We found a way to, in a way, stabilize our season and do what was needed to adjust to Atlanta. And [we] found ourselves in a better position. It’s a shout-out to the coaching staff for realizing adjustments that needed to be made and also [a] shout-out to me personally that they trusted me.”
- Miles McBride, who hit seven three-pointers on Sunday while starting in place of the injured OG Anunoby, said the Knicks adopted a more aggressive attitude after falling behind Atlanta in Round 1, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “I feel like our mindset shifted,” McBride said. “We know we’re the better team (but) we can’t just come out there and expect to win, because they’re talented too. So I feel like our mindset just shifted totally to ‘take the game’ instead of (waiting for) them to give us the game.”
- The organization spent years chasing stars before landing Jalen Brunson in the summer of 2022, notes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. The undersized guard didn’t look like a franchise player when he was signed away from Dallas, but he has affected the team as much as anyone else could have. “What’s the dude’s name on Snoopy? Linus? He’s got a blanket,” coach Mike Brown said. “I’m Linus, and Jalen is my blanket. He helps me relax throughout the course of a game. That’s what great players do. They keep you poised, they make the game easier for everybody else and they help you get through a stretch.”
Victor Wembanyama Ejected From Game 4 As Wolves Even Series
The Spurs lost Victor Wembanyama to his first career ejection after he received a flagrant foul 2 following an elbow to the neck and jaw of Timberwolves big man Naz Reid, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. The incident occurred with 8:39 remaining the second quarter of Sunday’s Game 4 in Minnesota (YouTube link), which the Wolves went on to win to even the series at two games apiece.
According to Wright, Wembanyama was initially called for an offensive foul but it was upgraded to a flagrant 2, which comes with an automatic ejection, upon review. The star center seemed confused about the penalty on the broadcast, appearing to ask teammate Harrison Barnes what it meant, Wright notes.
The NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year only had four points and four rebounds in 12 minutes after dominating and joining exclusive company in Game 3 with 39 points (on 13-of-18 shooting), 15 rebounds and five blocks in 37 minutes.
The incident will be reviewed further by the league office to determine if additional punishment may be warranted.
After the five-point loss, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson defended the 22-year-old big man, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter links). While Johnson didn’t condone the elbow to Reid, he said Wembanyama was defending himself.
“It’s getting to a point that if the people that are in charge of controlling the game and protecting the physicality of the game don’t do that, then at some point he’s going to have to protect himself,” Johnson said. “… He’s going to have to protect himself if they’re not…It’s disgusting….I just think that the amount of physicality that people play with him at some level you have to protect yourself.”
Johnson added that he thought a possible suspension for Wembanyama “would be ridiculous.”
“There was zero intent,” he said (Twitter link via Orsborn).
Five Prospects Called Up To Draft Combine
Tennessee State guard/forward Aaron Nkrumah has been called up to this week’s NBA draft combine after impressing at the G League combine in Chicago over the weekend, a source tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link).
Nkrumah, who won the Ohio Valley Conference’s Player of the Year award as a senior in 2025/26, was a last-minute addition to the G League combine after not receiving an invitation to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Givony notes.
A 6’6″ wing, Nkrumah averaged 17.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals on .438/.351/.789 shooting in 33 games for the Tigers last season. Tennessee State advanced to the NCAA tournament as a 15-seed in March, losing in the first round to two-seed Iowa State after winning its conference tournament.
USC forward Jacob Cofie, Purdue big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, and George Washington forward/center Rafael Castro have been called up from the G League combine to the draft combine as well, Givony reports for DraftExpress (All Twitter links). Kaufman-Renn and Castro are both seniors who competed at the P.I.T., while Cofie is a sophomore early entrant.
Bryce Hopkins of St. John’s, whom Givony previously highlighted as a standout (via Twitter), has also been called up, the NBAGL announced (Twitter link). Only Nkrumah, Cofie, Kaufman-Renn, Castro and Hopkins received call-up invitations to the main combine.
Keba Keita (BYU), Noam Yaacov (Israel/Oostende) and Jaden Henley (Grand Canyon) are among the other prospects who performed well during G League combine scrimmages, according to Givony and his colleague Jon Chepkevich (All Twitter links here).
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Edgecombe, Oubre, Maxey
The Sixers were swept by the Knicks on Sunday, losing their Eastern Conference semifinal series 4-0 after completing a 3-1 comeback against Boston in the first round. Philadelphia was overmatched in Game 4 and wound up losing by 30 points.
“At times, it’s okay to just say the other team was better,” star center Joel Embiid said, per Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). “… Gotta get better, from top to bottom. Ownership, front office, players, coaches. Everybody just gotta get better.”
Despite the dispiriting manner in which they lost, Embiid viewed the season as a success because of the way he and the team were able to manage his left knee, which has undergone multiple surgeries.
“We came into the season thinking there was not much left…I thought I was done,” Embiid said (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports).
The 32-year-old continues to express confidence in his knee, which caused him to miss extended time in recent seasons, tweets Bodner.
“I’m as confident as I’ve ever been [with the knee],” Embiid said. “Obviously, that was the biggest concern. I’m not thinking about it, and as long as we keep doing what we’re doing, I won’t have to think about it anymore.“
Here’s more from Philadelphia:
- Embiid said he had complications after his emergency appendectomy, which caused him to miss three games at the end of the regular season and the first three games of the playoffs, as Bodner relays (via Twitter). “The things that I’ve been dealing with, they’ve all been related to the surgery,” Embiid said. “Coming back early, the core was weak, everything was affected. So you’re looking at the hip, the adductor, everything is out of place. Jumping right to playoff basketball, that was tough. But I felt I still played as hard as I could.”
- When asked if he thought about his legacy, the former MVP replied, “I want to win more than anyone. It sucks to lose. I haven’t won anything, so that hurts. But to go home and raise [his son], raise my daughter, look at my wife in the eyes and understand I’m a good man…Really, that’s all that matters” (Twitter link via Bodner)
- Both head coach Nick Nurse and Embiid were complimentary of standout rookie VJ Edgecombe, who was selected third overall in last year’s draft, according to Bodner and Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter links). “That was a hell of an impressive rookie season. He’s a hell of a player,” Nurse said. “It’s not about shooting, scoring, jumping, all that stuff. He really knows how to play. He really has a leadership quality to him. He’s a big-time winner.” Embiid said Edgecombe “has a chance to be extremely special” and hopes to help his teammate continue to develop.
- Veteran forward Kelly Oubre Jr. discussed his impending free agency after Sunday’s loss, saying he loves Philadelphia (Twitter links via Bodner). “I’ve averaged 20 points in this league and still find myself barely getting any contracts…I hope I did myself a good service by being more efficient, slowing down, and playing better overall basketball,” said, Oubre, who added he wanted to be “somewhere where I’m loved. Somewhere where my family can be comfortable…I just want my kids to have somewhere they can call home.”
- Star guard Tyrese Maxey was not happy about Knicks fans taking over the Sixers’ home arena, tweets Bodner. “It absolutely sucks. It just sucks,” Maxey said. “That’s really all I can say about it, man…There’s only one way to put a stop to it: we have to go out there and win these games. It felt louder here for them than it did in the Garden.”
Draft Notes: Dybantsa, Wizards, Mocks, Jazz, Tanner, More
BYU forward AJ Dybantsa has been the prospect most frequently cited as the frontrunner to go No. 1 overall, and he reacted to the Wizards landing the top pick at the draft lottery, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter video link).
“Obviously I’ve been betting on myself for a little while to be a No. 1 pick,” Dybantsa said. “So initially just thinking like how I would fit into the team. I think I’m pretty versatile, adaptable, so I think I can play anywhere.”
Asked about what he knew about Washington, D.C., Dybantsa said he “knew a little bit.”
“The Jordan Brand Classic was there last year,” the 6’9″ forward said. “I got to tour their facility a little bit. I know a couple of their players. Tre Johnson, played against him at length (in high school/AAU). I’ve been watching AD (Anthony Davis) for a long, long time. Trae Young, even when he was at Oklahoma. So I know a couple of guys there.”
An anonymous NBA general manager told Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68 that he thinks the Wizards will end up taking Dybantsa (Twitter link).
“I don’t they can take the risk with (Darryn) Peterson even though I think his upside is even higher than Dybantsa,” the GM said. “I think Washington will go with Dybantsa because it’s a safer pick and they can’t afford to screw this up.”
Monumental basketball president Michael Winger, who was the Wizards’ lottery-drawing representative, released a statement after Washington won the lottery.
“Today is another encouraging day for Wizards fans and our entire organization,” said Winger. “To choose first among this inspiring group of athletes is a welcomed opportunity, and challenge, for our group. We look forward to adding another high performing young player to our ascending team.”
Here’s more on the 2026 NBA draft:
- Just like in the recent mocks from ESPN and Yahoo Sports, Dybantsa goes No. 1 overall to the Wizards in the updated 2026 mock drafts from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. The mocks from Vecenie and Wasserman are actually identical for the first nine picks, with Peterson (Jazz), Cameron Boozer (Grizzlies), Caleb Wilson (Bulls), Keaton Wagler (Clippers), Darius Acuff (Nets), Kingston Flemings (Kings), Mikel Brown (Hawks) and Brayden Burries (Mavericks) selected two through nine. Vecenie is a little lower on New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez than other evaluators. Vecenie has Lopez going 20th to the Spurs, while Wasserman has him at 10th (Bucks). Interestingly, all four mocks have the Thunder taking Michigan big man Yaxel Lendeborg at No. 12 and three of the four have the Heat selecting Labaron Philon at No. 13, while two have the Bulls drafting Jayden Quaintance at No. 15.
- The Jazz moved up in the draft lottery for the first time in franchise history, according to Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune, who thinks the future is looking bright in Utah after the team added Jaren Jackson Jr. at the deadline to a core featuring Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen and restricted free agent Walker Kessler. The Jazz will be selecting second overall, up from fourth in the pre-lottery odds. “It feels great, a big relief,” president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “It’s a really important tool for us to help build this winning team. So, couldn’t be more happy.” Ainge told the Deseret News it would be easier selecting second than fifth or seventh. “For sure, a lot easier,” Ainge said. “We just have to figure out who believe is No. 1 and No. 2… It’s much easier, but we still have to get it right.”
- Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner, who is testing the draft waters, tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link) he’ll be competing in the scrimmages at this week’s combine as he looks to boost his stock. “I’ll do whatever it takes to stay in the draft. I’m not running from anything. I love to play,” Tanner said. The sophomore guard said he’s focused on getting drafted “as high as I can,” addressed his size (he’s listed at 6’0″) being a perceived weakness, and listed his goal during the pre-draft process (All Twitter links). “My goal is to play in the NBA. Always has been since I was a kid,” Tanner told Givony. “I’m fully focused on making it. This is another opportunity to show what I can do. The way I make those around me better and raise the level of my teammates. I’ve always built my game on that.”
- One GM told Goodman he doesn’t think there’s much difference between the first and ninth picks in what’s viewed as a deep class (Twitter link). “I don’t see much disparity from No. 1 to the No. 8 or 9 pick,” the GM told the Field of 68. “I think the No. 3 or 4 pick may be the best because you won’t get crucified for not taking Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer or Wilson down the line. The decision will be made for you.”