Warriors Notes: LeBron, Draft, Lendeborg, Burries
While the idea of LeBron James leaving Los Angeles to play for the Warriors still seems like a long shot, it’s a rumor that won’t die until James commits to another team or someone goes on the record to kill it, Monte Poole writes for NBC Sports Bay Area. Reporting from ESPN and The Stein Line earlier this week suggested that Golden State may be the best outside threat to lure James away from the Lakers.
“I know it seems crazy,” a well-connected league source told Poole. “But there is at least curiosity on both sides. This wouldn’t even be a conversation five or six years ago, and it might not happen now, but there’s enough there that we shouldn’t ignore the possibility. It’s mostly up to LeBron.”
The Warriors would have to make significant roster changes or convince the Lakers to accommodate a sign-and-trade in order to offer more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is projected to be worth about $15MM.
Here’s more out of Golden State:
- In a separate story for NBC Sports Bay Area, Poole argues that it would be in the Warriors’ best long-term interests to find a way to turn this year’s No. 11 overall pick into multiple first-rounders by trading down.
- Following up on the news that Yaxel Lendeborg is among the players visiting the Warriors on Thursday, Anthony Slater of ESPN suggests the Michigan star will have an individual workout and in-person meeting with the front office rather than being part of a group workout. Slater adds, citing sources that Lendeborg has “several fans” in Golden State’s front office.
- Lendeborg certainly won’t be the only potential lottery target who works out for the Warriors. According to Slater, Arizona’s Brayden Burries is expected to be among the prospects who visits the team next week.
Spurs Notes: Game 4 Collapse, Fox, Wembanyama
On the heels of the worst collapse in NBA Finals history, the Spurs were left looking for answers during their post-game media session following Wednesday’s Game 4 loss, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN and Joe Vardon of The Athletic. San Antonio held a 29-point lead in the third quarter, but they were outscored by 30 points the rest of the way as they shot just 8-of-39 from the floor in the second half.
The Spurs looked dominant in the first quarter, setting a Finals record by knocking down 14 three-pointers and building a 76-49 lead going into halftime. After registering 18 assists and just two turnovers in the first two quarters, San Antonio had six assists and committed nine turnovers in the third and fourth quarters.
“We went away from everything we were doing,” rookie guard Dylan Harper said. “In the first half, a lot of tough shots went in. Really, that was because we were playing the right way. We got away from that in the second half because of the lead. We just can’t take our foot off the gas. It’s one thing for me to sit up here and say it. It’s another for us to go out there and do it.”
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama acknowledged it was a “painful” defeat, while forward Keldon Johnson called it a “tough pill to swallow” and head coach Mitch Johnson referred to it as “disappointing to say the least.” Now facing a 3-1 deficit, Wembanyama and his teammates insisted they aren’t going to roll over and let the Knicks win the series without a fight.
“What’s going through my mind right now?” Wembanyama said. “I think it’s going to go one of two ways: a bad one and a good one. The bad one would be giving up. The good one would be getting stronger through this, getting more together. I know this is what we’re going to do.
“… We’ve proven we can surpass these difficulties. Even though we haven’t been there before, I’m convinced we’re built that way and we’re going to use the better of this. It’s going to tighten us up.”
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- De’Aaron Fox, who has battled an ankle injury in recent weeks, made a costly error in the final seconds of Game 4, attempting to make a layup with the shot clock off and his team up by one. OG Anunoby blocked the shot, regaining possession for the Knicks and setting up his game-winning tip-in. Explaining why he attempted to score following a Spurs steal instead of dribbling more time off the clock and letting the Knicks foul him, Fox said, “I thought I’d be able to outrun (Anunoby),” per Sam Amick of The Athletic. “Try to get a layup, get up three and force them to need a three,” Fox told reporters. “OG made a good block.”
- The NBA’s decision not to retroactively assess Wembanyama with a flagrant foul 1 for a shove to the back of Jalen Brunson‘s head in Game 3 looms large after the Spurs big man received a flagrant 1 in Game 4 for an elbow on Karl-Anthony Towns, notes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. If a player accumulates four flagrant points in a postseason, he earns an automatic one-game suspension and Wembanyama is now at three points. He would’ve been unable to play in a do-or-die Game 5 if the Brunson incident had been ruled a flagrant and must avoid another flagrant foul going forward to avoid a suspension.
- Despite the fact that the Spurs held a significant lead for most of the second and third quarters, Wembanyama logged 44 minutes of action on Wednesday, his highest total of 2025/26 (regular season or playoffs) for a regulation game. Asked after the loss if he wore down as the game progressed, he replied, “Yeah, I guess I did,” according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). Johnson explained to reporters that he didn’t want to take San Antonio’s lead for granted. “With two days (off) after this, what was at stake, we wanted to win the game and try to put it away,” the Spurs’ coach said.
Fischer’s Latest: Bucks, Mavs, Hawks, Kings, Sabonis
In addition to creating the impression that they’ll have an additional first-round pick beyond their own 10th overall selection in the draft later this month, the Bucks have some rival front offices believing they want to trade up from No. 10, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Milwaukee has met with Mikel Brown and worked out Darius Acuff while also expressing interest in Keaton Wagler and Kingston Flemings, according to Fischer, noting that all four of those guards are considered likely to come off the board within the first nine picks.
One source who spoke to Fischer speculated that the Bucks are simply doing their due diligence in case one of those players slips to No. 10, pointing out that acquiring a pick in the 5-9 range won’t be easy. According to Fischer, rival teams believes the Clippers (No. 5), Kings (No. 7), and Hawks (No. 8) are all happy to stay where they are, while the Nets (No. 6) have also indicated they’re comfortable standing pat.
A team hoping to move into the top 10 might need to talk to the Mavericks (No. 9), who have let potential trade partners know that they’re very much open to the idea of moving in either direction, sources tell Fischer.
Here are a few more highlights from Fischer’s latest collection of NBA rumors:
- Although the Hawks haven’t shown any interest in moving off of the No. 8 pick, league sources tell The Stein Line that they’ve told teams they’re more than open to offers for their second first-rounder at No. 23. There’s a sense that Atlanta would prefer to make just a single first-round selection, says Fischer.
- Following up on Wednesday’s Domantas Sabonis rumors, Fischer classifies the Kings‘ talks with the Hornets as “preliminary,” reiterating that Sacramento would like to acquire either the No. 14 or 18 pick while Charlotte has resisted that idea. If the Kings move Sabonis, they’re hoping to take back as little multiyear salary as possible, Fischer adds, so a player like forward Miles Bridges, who will be entering the final year of his contract, would appeal to Sacramento.
- The Kings continue to insist they’d want first-round draft capital to part with Sabonis, a three-time All-Star, Fischer reports. They’ve shown interest in the Raptors‘ No. 19 overall pick, per Fischer, but it’s unclear whether Toronto will renew its pursuit of the Lithuanian big man after exploring a deal prior to February’s trade deadline.
- In case you missed it, we passed along Fischer’s latest reporting on Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier today.
Giannis Rumors: Heat, Blazers, Celtics, Wolves, Warriors, More
Even though the Heat and Trail Blazers are the only two teams that Jake Fischer of The Stein Line has been able to confirm are in active pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, that doesn’t mean they’re the only two clubs still interested in acquiring the Bucks star, as Fischer writes in his latest subscriber-only story at Substack.
According to Fischer, there have “undeniably been rumbles” about the Celtics‘ potential involvement. While his sources say Boston has yet to seriously engage Milwaukee in trade talks about Antetokounmpo and also hasn’t meaningfully explored sending out Jaylen Brown in a trade, those same sources can’t rule out either scenario as a possibility, Fischer explains.
Antetokounmpo shares a skills coach (Drew Hanlen) with Celtics star Jayson Tatum and has been repeatedly said to have an affinity for Boston as a potential landing spot. Additionally, Brown is a far more accomplished player than anyone in the Heat’s offer, which is why the Celtics are considered a potential Giannis suitor that “genuinely concerns” Miami, Fischer writes.
In fact, the Heat may be more wary of the Celtics’ involvement than the Trail Blazers’ pursuit of Antetokounmpo, given that questions about whether Giannis would sign an extension with the Blazers may dissuade Portland from going all-in for the two-time MVP, Fischer notes.
Here are a few more of the latest rumblings on Antetokounmpo:
- The Timberwolves and Warriors were among the teams pursuing Giannis at February’s trade deadline, but sources tell Fischer that neither Minnesota nor Golden State seems to be a major factor in the Bucks’ recent trade discussions.
- Fischer also hears that there haven’t been any “significant” recent talks between the Bucks and Magic about Antetokounmpo. There was some speculation that Orlando could become a more serious suitor after a disappointing season that culminated in a first-round loss, especially given the team’s connections to Giannis — Magic executives Jeff Weltman and John Hammond were in Milwaukee’s front office when the team drafted the Greek forward, and new head coach Sean Sweeney spent four years with Anteotkounmpo as a Bucks assistant coach.
- While the Rockets were once viewed as a potential Antetokounmpo suitor, they hadn’t pursued a deal for Giannis as of a few days ago, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
- One scout told Jackson he thinks the market for Antetokounmpo has been smaller than anticipated. Jackson speculates that the changing value of first-round picks due to the NBA’s draft lottery reform may have made some clubs more reluctant to give up those first-rounders.
- There’s no indication at this point that the Heat would trade center Kel’el Ware on his own or that the Bucks would flip him to another team if he were included in a package for Giannis, but a source who spoke to Jackson suggested that, based on the level of league-wide interest, either team would “very likely” be willing to net a first-round pick for Ware.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat: 6/11/2026
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included whether the Spurs should trade De'Aaron Fox, the wealth of guard prospects in this year's draft, the Bucks' next moves if they send Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami, the Bulls' chances of landing another lottery pick and more!
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets were widely lauded for the moves they made last offseason. The first domino to fall was a cost-cutting maneuver, as Denver traded Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2031 first-round pick to the Nets for Cameron Johnson.
Swapping out Porter's $38.3MM cap hit for Johnson's $21.6MM saved the Nuggets a significant amount of money in 2025/26 and will do the same in 2026/27, when there will be a similar cap disparity between the two players ($40.8MM for Porter vs. $23.1MM for Johnson).
Since depth had been an issue for the Nuggets the past few years, their priority last summer was building out their roster with veterans who could play real minutes. They signed Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown to minimum-salary contracts, then traded Dario Saric to Sacramento for Jonas Valanciunas.
The final big 2025 offseason move for Denver was signing Christian Braun to a five-year, $125MM rookie scale extension shortly before the season started. The Nuggets prioritized locking up Braun, a full-time starter who had a strong third season, over fellow 2022 first-round pick Peyton Watson, who is now headed for restricted free agency.
Denver got off to an excellent start to the 2025/26 campaign, with a 20-6 record that belied the fact that Braun (serious ankle sprain) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring strain) both got hurt in November. Then Johnson (knee sprain/bone bruise) went down in late December, followed by Nikola Jokic (knee sprain/bone bruise) and Valanciunas (calf strain) a few days later. Each player missed multiple weeks.
Jokic was having a career year to that point, and while disaster was certainly averted, his numbers went from otherworldly historic to merely terrific. He wound up appearing in a career-low 65 games, including having to play in the final contest of the season to qualify for major postseason awards. The Serbian superstar tied an NBA record co-held by Celtics legends Bill Russell and Larry Bird by finishing either first or second (he was runner-up again) in MVP voting for a sixth consecutive season.
Watson, the primary beneficiary of all the injury absences, was having a career year prior to suffering a hamstring strain just before the trade deadline in early February. He showed real upside as an on-ball scorer and cutter on top of his defensive instincts, length, athleticism and versatility, which is why the team wants to retain him this summer.
Despite all the injuries -- Braun and Gordon combined to play 80 games, while Johnson and Watson played 54 apiece -- and a mediocre stretch in the middle of the season, the Nuggets ended the year on a 12-game winning streak and entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed after going 54-28. Jamal Murray played a major role in the team's success, appearing in 75 games and posting terrific numbers en route to his first All-Star and All-NBA (third team) appearances.
The Nuggets' first-round opponent was one of their division rivals, the Timberwolves, who eliminated the Denver in the Western Conference semifinals in a seven-game series in 2024. The Nuggets were attempting to defend their title at the time, having won their first championship the year before.
Denver's lack of size, athleticism and defense against Minnesota this postseason was jarring. Jaden McDaniels not only prevented Murray from having any kind of offensive success with his smothering defense, he also targeted the Canadian guard on the other end of the floor. And Jokic had the least efficient playoff series of his career against Rudy Gobert. Crucially, Gobert was daring Jokic to shoot, and the superstar center converted just 19.4% of his 6.0 three-point attempts per game.
Injuries were a factor for both teams, with Watson missing the whole series and Gordon suffering yet another soft-tissue injury in Game 2. Donte DiVincenzo tore his Achilles tendon at the start of Game 4 for Minnesota, and Anthony Edwards sprained his knee later in that same contest. But the Wolves were the mentally, emotionally and physically tougher team, winning the series in six games.
After a disappointing first-round exit, the Nuggets have to figure out what steps to take with an aging core that will only get more expensive going forward.
The Nuggets' Offseason Plans
The main reason Denver's roster projects to be far more expensive going forward is the fact that Jokic will be eligible this summer for an extension that will pay him a projected $285MM over four years. He's reportedly expected to sign the deal after reiterating following the team's postseason elimination that he wants to be a "Nugget forever."
However, outside of Jokic, everything could potentially be on the table for the Nuggets, as president Josh Kroenke acknowledged at his end-of-season press conference. Murray and Gordon notably can't be ruled out as possible trade candidates after playing vital roles in the team's success for the better part of the past decade. A more likely outcome has long been presumed to be shedding Johnson's salary to re-sign Watson, though that's far from a fait accompli.
Draft Workouts: Lendeborg, Warriors, Brown, Kings, Wolves
The Warriors will host six prospects on Thursday for a pre-draft workout, the team announced (via Twitter). According to Golden State, that group will feature Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg.
Lendeborg is coming off a memorable 2025/26 season in which he was named the Big Ten’s Player of the Year, was named a consensus first-time All-American, and won a national championship with the Wolverines. The 6’9″ forward, who will turn 24 in September, is considered a probable lottery pick and is viewed as perhaps the most NBA-ready player in the 2026 draft class, which could make him an intriguing fit for a Golden State team that holds the 11th overall pick and is looking to make the most of Stephen Curry‘s late 30s.
Besides Lendeborg, Thursday’s workout group will also include Tennessee center Felix Okpara, Utah State guard Drake Allen, Illinois guard Kylan Boswell, South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson, and Ole Miss big man Malik Dia, per the team. Okpara (No. 46 on ESPN’s big board) and Boswell (No. 55) are considered the highest-rated prospects among those five players.
Here are more updates on pre-draft workouts around the NBA:
- Louisville guard Mikel Brown, a projected top-10 pick, has recently met with the Nets and Bucks in Orlando and also has pre-draft visits lined up with the Hawks, Clippers, and Mavericks, according to James Barlowe of NBA Big Board (Twitter link). Each of those clubs holds a pick between No. 5 and No. 10 in this year’s draft.
- The Kings are hosting Marquette guard Chase Ross, San Diego State guard Reese Dixon-Waters, Providence guard Jaylin Sellers, Cal forward Chris Bell, Vanderbilt center Jalen Washington, and George Washington center Rafael Castro for a workout on Thursday, per James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link). While none of those players are top prospects, Castro (No. 73), Washington (No. 85), and Sellers (No. 99) show up on ESPN top 100.
- UConn forward Alex Karaban and St. John’s forward Bryce Hopkins were among the players who worked out for the Timberwolves on Sunday, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and SKOR North. Karaban is viewed as a potential first-round pick, coming in at No. 30 on ESPN’s big board, while Hopkins ranks 48th. Minnesota holds the 28th and 59th overall picks in the 2026 draft.
Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Hart, Alvarado, Towns
Even after erasing a 29-point deficit against the Spurs on Wednesday, the Knicks were one possession away from their historic comeback effort falling short, having given up their lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter of Game 4. However, OG Anunoby sealed the victory with an incredible tip-in off a missed Jalen Brunson three-pointer with just 1.2 seconds left in the game, giving the Knicks a 107-106 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.
“I don’t know if there was a play bigger than any other play in the history of Knicks basketball,” head coach Mike Brown said of Anunoby’s basket, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “… That has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball. I’m not you guys. You guys know better than me. But it was just unbelievable.”
Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required) agrees with Brown’s assessment, writing that – as long as the Knicks can win one more game over San Antonio and secure a title – Anunoby’s tip-in will go down as one of the most iconic plays in all of New York sports, along with memorable moments like David Tyree’s “helmet catch” or Derek Jeter’s “flip.” As Bondy writes, Karl-Anthony Towns referred to it after the game as the “right hand of God.”
As Kurt Helin of NBC Sports details, Anunoby’s series-changing play, the highlight of huge 33-point performance, was influenced in part by Brown having encouraged him to be a “monster on the offensive glass” in Game 4.
“(Brown) told me I need to get on the glass, offensive glass, especially, and just use my ability, size, strength, athleticism, to make an impact on the offensive glass,” Anunoby said. “And it happened at the end.”
We have more on the Knicks, who will take a 3-1 series lead back to San Antonio for Saturday’s Game 5 after completing the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history:
- Josh Hart missed an open breakaway layup with less than two minutes left and the Knicks down by one point, then let Stephon Castle get behind him on defense a few possessions later and was forced to foul the Spurs guard, who gave San Antonio a temporary lead by making both free throws. Hart was relieved after the game not to have to relive those moments over and over, as Zach Braziller of The New York Post relays. “I’ve got a special shout-out for OG, man, because he saved me, at least for this game, a lifetime of regret,” Hart said.
- The Knicks’ reserves weren’t very effective on Wednesday, combining to score just four points through the first three quarters. But New York native Jose Alvarado changed that in the fourth quarter, when he scored eight points on 3-of-3 shooting and was a +17 in nearly 10 minutes of action as the team mounted its furious comeback. Towns said Alvarado’s performance was a reminder that he’s a “big-time player,” while Landry Shamet said the game changed when Alvarado checked in, according to Howie Kussoy of The New York Post. “That’s when things really started to shift,” Shamet said. “He’s a spark. The energy he brings for us … he was ready to go and stepped in and made some huge plays for us.”
- Towns got into early foul trouble and was forced to sit most of the first quarter, but he further cemented his place in Knicks lore by bouncing back to register a double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds) and tipping Dylan Harper‘s inbounds pass on the final possession of the game, preventing the Spurs from getting a clean look at a potential game-winner, writes Fiifi Frimpong of The New York Daily News (subscription required).
Mavericks Notes: Irving, Finances, Marshall, Lively, Thompson
In the latest step in his recovery from a torn ACL that forced him to miss the entire season, Kyrie Irving put his skills on display Tuesday at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Rock Hill, South Carolina, according to BasketNews. The Mavericks guard offered advice and motivation to the top 100 high school players in the United States, then gave some of them a chance to face him one-on-one in the Can You Guard Kyrie Challenge (Twitter video link from NBA Central).
The team hasn’t provided an official update on Irving’s status, but he was reportedly impressive in his battles with the high school stars. Irving said recently on social media that he’s nearly 100% recovered.
“This mission is bigger than just the basketball court,” he told the players. “I pray that you guys understand that you have a chance to change your life with the game of basketball, to utilize it as a vehicle to take you around the world, to meet different people, gain insight, gain knowledge. Last year, I had a very traumatic injury, tore my ACL. And just to be back out here in front of you guys, it’s just an honor. I don’t take for granted, man, it’s been a long year, mentally, emotionally, something – when something that you love gets taken away from you for a temporary moment, that really defines you.”
There’s more on the Mavericks:
- Dallas didn’t get much value in terms of players by trading Anthony Davis to Washington, but unloading his $58.5MM salary for next season puts the team in much better financial shape, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron states in his offseason preview. The Mavs currently have 13 players under contract for 2026/27 with a total commitment of $161.8MM. They are comfortably below both aprons and roughly $38MM away from the luxury tax line. They also created a $20.8MM trade exception in the Davis deal that enables them to acquire someone for up to $21MM. In addition, Dallas has access to the $15MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception as well as the $5.5MM bi-annual exception. Gozlan notes that using that space to take on unwanted salary from other teams could be an easy way to restock the Mavericks’ future draft assets.
- One of the team’s most important offseason decisions will be whether to extend Naji Marshall, who will become eligible for a new deal on July 6, Gozlan adds. Marshall should attract plenty of trade interest with an expiring $9.4MM contract, but the Mavs have indicated that they want to keep him as part of their future. Gozlan projects a new deal in the range of the MLE at around $45MM over three years, which is low enough to avoid creating a six-month trade restriction.
- Dereck Lively II will also be extension-eligible, Gozlan notes, but the Mavericks are unlikely go that route since injuries have caused him to miss 121 games over the past two seasons. Gozlan expects that the new front office will want to watch Lively for a year before making a decision.
- Gozlan also suggests that 36-year-old Klay Thompson might become a buyout candidate whether he stays in Dallas or gets traded. Thompson will have a $17.5MM expiring contract and isn’t in the situation he expected when he signed with the Mavs to team up with Luka Doncic on a contender. Gozlan points out that Dallas could take back up to $26.5MM in a Thompson deal.
Southwest Notes: Castle, Ejiofor, Grizzlies’ Draft, Pelicans
Stephon Castle used some strategy to maneuver his way to the Spurs in the 2024 draft, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. San Antonio held the No. 4 pick, and Castle was intrigued by the chance to team his perimeter defensive skills with an elite rim protector like Victor Wembanyama,
“I was just looking on the defensive side of things (in San Antonio), where being able to pair with Victor was definitely a plus in my eyes,” Castle said. “I just thought it would have been a perfect fit, and I feel like it was.”
To reach the Spurs, Castle had to get past the Rockets, who held the third pick. Castle was aware of coach Ime Udoka‘s interest in him, but preferred not to join a team with a veteran point guard already in place. Houston had Fred VanVleet, so Castle opted against holding a private workout with the Rockets. The strategy worked, as Houston selected Reed Sheppard, and Castle went on to win Rookie of the Year honors and become a fixture on a young team that’s already in the NBA Finals.
“I think being (in San Antonio) was always number one on my list,” Castle added. “Internally, I always felt like I was the best player in that draft. (But) I didn’t know what could happen. My agent always told me, like, anything can happen in a draft. Like, you could not work out for a team, not have talked to a team, and they can still take you. So, I mean, I wasn’t really planning on playing in Houston. I didn’t really know how any of that worked. I was kind of hoping I could slide my way to San Antonio. It kind of worked out for me.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor will have a pre-draft workout with the Spurs on Thursday, according to Adam Zagoria (Twitter link). San Antonio holds the 20th pick, which falls within Ejiofor’s projected draft range.
- Cameron Boozer appears headed to the Grizzlies with the third pick, and the team may try to find Ja Morant‘s eventual replacement at No. 16, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal states in a subscriber-only story. Cole examines the fit for Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson, Alabama’s Labaron Philon, Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz and Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie.
- 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.