Southeast Notes: LiAngelo Ball, Robinson, Heat, Unseld
LiAngelo Ball is signing a deal to play for the Hornets’ Summer League team, reports Rod Boone of Sports Illustrated. The move will reunite LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball for the first time since they played in Lithuania together during the 2018/2019 season.
The middle Ball brother has been working out with members of the Hornets, notably RFA-to-be Devonte’ Graham. He had joined the Thunder’s G League team in 2020 just days before the league was shut down due to COVID-19, and signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pistons in December, but failed to play due to an ankle injury and was subsequently waived.
The Summer League opportunity could be a chance for the third Ball brother to get a foothold in the NBA, writes Boone.
We have more news from around the Southeast Division:
- Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, entering his first free agency as a coveted player, isn’t sure what’s going to happen, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “I’d love to try to make something work with Miami,” Robinson said. “The reality is, like, I tell this to my family, I don’t know how the next 10-plus days, two weeks, how it’s going to play out. At this point, and I’ve said this already on this podcast, but I think the biggest challenge has been detaching myself from a particular outcome.”
- Winderman also answered a mailbag question about whether the Heat could bring back former players Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow this summer. Winderman believed that there could be more desire with the team to bring back Richardson than Winslow, but if Richardson declines his $11.6MM player option with the Mavericks, it’s unlikely that the Heat could afford him.
- Wes Unseld Jr. discussed his on-court plans for the Wizards this week, as Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. Unseld talked about trying to limit early shot-clock opportunities, his philosophy on the intersection between creating a sound defensive scheme and tailoring it to individual personnel’s strengths and preferences, and how he wants to make Bradley Beal even more effective. “A lot of times, he’s gonna see two, sometimes three bodies,” Unseld said. “So, getting him off the ball to get it back, putting him in multiple actions to kinda loosen up defenders I think is gonna be helpful for him.”
Pacific Notes: Ayton, K. Jones, Lakers, Warriors
Deandre Ayton, fresh off of his first NBA Finals appearance with the Suns, is eligible for a five-year, $168MM max contract that would kick in at the start of the 2022/23 season, and Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic takes a look at what could be next for the big man.
Ayton’s career lows in PPG and APG were a result more of the context of adding Chris Paul and reorganizing the offense, rather than any regression on Ayton’s end, Rankin writes. In fact, Ayton’s growth as a team-first player willing to do whatever it takes for the success of the Suns adds even more appeal for the club as it decides if it will offer him a max deal.
“If sacrificing is leading the wins and where we are today, I’ll sacrifice everything, you know what I’m saying,” Ayton said. “Everything (Paul’s) told me has led up to here, so why stop now?”
We have more news from the Pacific Division:
- Kai Jones, the big man out of Texas, interviewed with Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka at the NBA Combine, and has since worked out at the team’s facility, tweets Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. The big man out of the Bahamas is a Klutch Sports client who participated in Rich Paul‘s Klutch Pro Day, so the Lakers figure to be very familiar with him. Jones is considered to have one of the widest draft ranges in the first round, as he could go anywhere from the top-10 to the early 20s.
- The Lakers worked out six prospects yesterday, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times: Josh Christopher, Joshua Primo, Marcus Zegarowski, Anthony Tarke, Jayvon Graves, and Eugene Omoruyi. Christopher and Primo are potentially candidates for the Lakers’ pick at 22. The Lakers are also working out six prospects today, tweets Goon: Carlik Jones, Feron Hunt, Jeremiah Tilmon, Mitchell Ballock, Greg Brown, and Neemias Queta. The Lakers don’t have a second-round pick but could try to trade into the second round.
- The Warriors are bringing back Chris Duarte and Trey Murphy III for second workouts this weekend, tweets Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. While the 14th pick may be seen as a slight reach for the two older prospects, either would fit in right away with the Warriors’ needs and could have untapped upside in the team’s system.
Draft Notes: Cooper, Bezhanishvili, Williams, Johnson
Potential late lottery pick Sharife Cooper has been making the rounds. He’s worked out for the Thunder, Rockets, Warriors, Lakers, Clippers and Celtics, Adam Zagoria of the New York Times tweets. As previously noted, Cooper has worked out for the Hornets and has also visited the Pacers. The Auburn point guard is currently ranked No. 17 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list.
We have more draft-related intel:
- Giorgi Bezhanishvili has recently worked out for the Spurs, Hornets and Bulls, Zagoria reports in another tweet. The junior forward who played for Illinois is a potential second-round selection.
- Ziaire Williams was brought in for a second workout with the Magic, draft expert Chad Ford tweets. The Stanford freshman wing is ranked No. 24 by ESPN, but Ford views Williams as a potential lottery selection. Orlando owns the No. 5 and 8 picks.
- Jalen Johnson left Duke in mid-February after losing playing time but he brushes aside questions about his character, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee writes. “Those really aren’t red flags,” Johnson said. “People say a lot of things about me, but they say those things without knowing me. … I don’t like seeing that stuff and I know my parents see that stuff, and I know it hurts them, because at the end of the day these people are making judgments without knowing me, without speaking to me, without saying a word to me.” Johnson is still expected to go in the lottery.
Bradley Beal Pondering Trade Request Before Draft
Wizards All-Star guard Bradley Beal is considering whether to request a trade prior to the draft, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
Sources close to Beal say he’s mindful that the Wizards could get a better package of picks as well as players if a deal is done by Thursday night. After that, the Wizards would have to settle for future picks with uncertainty over what kind of prospects they’ll eventually draft. Plenty of front office personnel around the league still believe Beal will decide to stay put, but a source close to the league’s second-leading scorer this past season admits the situation is fluid.
If Beal informs the front office he prefers to go elsewhere, he’d want to land in a place that already has, as Fischer describes it, an established winning environment.
Beal doesn’t have a known list of preferred destinations, though sources told Fischer that teams such as the Warriors, Celtics, Heat and Sixers would likely be among that group. Golden State’s veterans have pushed management to pursue a Beal trade but virtually every team in the league would have some level of interest in bringing in the high-scoring wing.
Beal’s potential change of heart about staying in Washington is somewhat tied to the uncertainty surrounding Russell Westbrook, who is reportedly among the players the Lakers might pursue in a trade. Westbrook and Beal hold options on their contracts after next season, which could also impact what the Wizards might do.
Olympic Notes: LaVine, NBA Participants, Hernangomez, Finals Trio
Zach LaVine was placed in protocols due to contact tracing before he was allowed to go to Tokyo. That development came as a big surprise to the Team USA wing. LaVine was sidelined for 11 Bulls games in April when he tested positive for COVID-19, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times writes. “Well I was a little shocked,’’ LaVine said. “Obviously, I didn’t think I could get [the virus]. Obviously, I didn’t. I’m going to have to be careful with everybody including the team and everybody coming over here, so it made sense, and I pretty much had to do my time, jump through a couple hoops to get here.’’
We have more Olympic-related notes:
- If there are a lot of familiar faces in the Olympic tournament, it’s because there are a record number of current and former NBA participants. According to an NBA press release, there are 49 current players and 16 former players dotting Olympic rosters. The Heat lead the way with four players in the competition.
- Spain’s basketball federation president claims that Juan Hernangomez won’t play in the Olympics because Timberwolves president Gersson Rosas nixed it, according to a Eurohoops story relayed by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Hernangomez dislocated his left shoulder this summer but Jorge Garbajosa says the big man has been cleared by Spain’s medical staff. “Juancho wants to play in the Olympic Games, but Juancho won’t be able to play,” Garbajosa said. “We’ve had countless medical meetings and we’ve never received a ‘no.’ We have a received a ‘yes’. … It’s a problem of people – not medical personnel – who have personally decided that Juancho couldn’t play. I’m talking about their president of basketball operations.”
- Devin Booker, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday arrived in Tokyo on Saturday and their Team USA teammates are impressed by the commitment of the three players who participated in the Finals, Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes. “I have a lot of respect for those guys for not only committing to do this but actually keeping their word,” Draymond Green said. “You’re talking about three true professionals, three extremely competitive guys that wouldn’t be on their way here if this didn’t mean something.”
Cade Cunningham Impressed With Pistons, Detroit
Likely No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham praised the Pistons organization and the city of Detroit in his only scheduled pre-draft visit, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes.
Cunningham worked out with the Pistons on Tuesday.
“The organization has a lot of great people within it,” Cunningham said. “I mean, starting from the owners, Troy Weaver is a great GM, and then, you know, all the way down. They got just great people throughout. So I learned a lot on my visit. If they take me, I’ll definitely be excited to be there.”
Cunningham, who excelled in his lone college season at Oklahoma State, explained his decision to work out for one team.
“I wanted to meet with the team with the No. 1 pick and I feel like I’m the No. 1 pick,” he said. “I met with Detroit, they’re the ones that had the pick.”
However, Cunningham might visit with another team if Detroit opts to trade the top selection, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic.
“If the Rockets get the No. 1 pick, I’d meet with them if there is enough time,” he said when asked about the possibility of Houston trading up.
Houston holds the No. 2 pick and is expected to have more discussions with Detroit as the draft nears, according to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko. The Rockets had some talks with the Pistons during the draft combine last month in Chicago and are prepared to make an offer to move up a spot.
Cunningham is content with the Pistons holding onto the pick and sees himself as fitting in not only with the team but the city.
“Detroit fits me, that’s the main thing I’m going to try to do is step in and embody the swag that people from Detroit walk with, the people from Michigan in general,” he said. “They have an underdog, go-get-what-you-want feel to them and I like that about the city.”
Eastern Draft Notes: Hawks, Sixers, Cavaliers, Hornets
Tennessee guard Jaden Springer and Oregon guard Chris Duarte are expected to work out for the Hawks shortly before the draft, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweets. Duarte is ranked No. 23 on ESPN’s Best Available list, though he’s expected by some outlets to go higher, and Springer is rated No. 27. Atlanta holds the No. 20 pick.
We have more draft news involving Eastern Conference teams:
- Villanova’s Jeremiah Robinson-Earl worked out for the Sixers on Friday and former Wisconsin big man Nigel Hayes will visit on Saturday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The Sixers have a late first-round pick at No. 28 that they’re reportedly shopping and a second-round selection at No. 50. Robinson-Earl, the co-Big East Player of the Year, is ranked No. 58 by ESPN.
- Arkansas guard Jalen Tate, brother of the Rockets’ Jae’Sean Tate, worked out for the Cavaliers on Friday, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets.
- The Hornets have been very busy. On Thursday, they worked out Justin Champagnie (Pittsburgh), Marek Dolezaj (Syracuse), Juwan Durham (Notre Dame), Ty Gadsden (UNC-Wilmington), Neemias Queta (Utah State), Colbey Ross (Pepperdine) and Moses Moody (Arkansas), the team’s PR department tweets. On Friday, they brought in Corey Kispert (Gonzaga), Denzel Mahoney (Creighton), Mac McClung (Texas Tech), EJ Onu (Shawnee State), Alperen Sengun (Besiktas-Turkey) and Cameron Thomas (LSU), according to another PR department tweet. Kispert (No. 13) and Sengun (No. 15) are the top-rated prospects in those groups. Charlotte holds the No. 11 pick and two late second-rounders.
Olympic Notes: Booker, Middleton, Holiday, McGee, Robinson, Top Players
Devin Booker, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are expected to be available to play in Team USA’s Sunday morning opener, Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes. The Bucks duo joined Booker in Seattle on Friday to take a private plane to Tokyo. The Finals trio won’t get a chance to practice with the team but coach Gregg Popovich would like to play them right away against France.
We have more Olympic-related news and tidbits:
- JaVale McGee is a much different player than the man he replaced, Kevin Love, on Team USA. That forces Popovich to alter his frontcourt strategy and McGee may be nothing more than an insurance policy against France, Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes.
- Heat wing Duncan Robinson claimed on The Long Shot Podcast that he nearly replaced Bradley Beal on Team USA’s roster, as Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald relays. “It basically got to the point where like it started to pick up some momentum and it looked like it was going to happen,” Robinson said. Keldon Johnson was eventually chosen as Beal’s replacement.
- Many of the other teams in the Olympics could threaten Team USA in its quest for gold and Vardon takes a closer look at the other 11 squads and their chances of knocking off the American contingent.
- Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard head HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina’s Olympic player rankings. Doncic edged out Durant due to the fact he’ll likely put up big numbers for Slovenia. Urbina lists his top 30 players in Tokyo.
New York Notes: Tucker, Thor, Duarte, Knicks Front Office, Martin
After winning a title with the Bucks this week, free agent forward P.J. Tucker seems unlikely to pursue another with the Nets, according to NetsDaily.com. The Athletic’s Alex Schiffer has indicated the Nets were interested in the veteran forward even before the James Harden trade and Tucker is also good friends with Harden and Kevin Durant. However, Brooklyn will likely be limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception and Tucker is expected to command more in the open market. Milwaukee also holds Tucker’s Bird rights and wants to retain him despite luxury tax concerns.
We have more on the Nets and Knicks:
- Count both New York clubs among the 11 teams that have brought in JT Thor for a workout, Mike Mazzeo tweets. The Auburn power forward is ranked No. 28 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list. Brooklyn owns the No. 27 pick and three second-rounders, the earliest at No. 44, while New York has picks No. 19, 21 and 32.
- Chris Duarte worked out for the Knicks on Friday, Adam Zagoria of the New York Times tweets, and it was a solo workout, Ian Begley of SNY.TV tweets. The Oregon shooting guard is ranked No. 23 on ESPN’s list but others have Duarte going much higher, Begley points out. The Knicks are seeking to move up into the late lottery, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report said on the Knicks Film School podcast (Twitter link). Today’s workout could indicate Duarte is the target.
- While the Knicks have agreed to a two-year extension with Scott Perry, multiple Western Conference teams have expressed interest in other members of the front office, according to Begley. The contracts of several of those executives expire at the end of the month, Begley adds.
- Point guard Jeremiah Martin will join the Knicks’ summer league team in Las Vegas, Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw tweets. Martin played with the Cavaliers in the closing weeks of the season on a two-way deal.
Nuggets’ JaMychal Green Declines Contract Option
Nuggets forward JaMychal Green is headed to unrestricted free agency this summer. He’s declining the $7.56MM option on the final year of his contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
The 31-year-old Green appeared in 58 regular-season games this past season, including five starts, and averaged 8.1 PPG and 4.8 RPG in 19.3 MPG. He also averaged 5.4 PPG and 5.2 RPG in 19 MPG during the postseason. He missed the first five games of the season with a calf strain.
Green has also played for the Clippers, Grizzlies and Spurs.
The Nuggets became a hard-capped team after signing Green with the mid-level exception last offseason. The mid-season acquisition of Aaron Gordon ate into his playing time.
Green might be taking a bit of a gamble, considering he’s been mainly a second-unit contributor much of his career. However, he’s a solid rotation player and could now find a new home where he might receive a bigger opportunity.