California Notes: Camper, Terrell, Bleijenbergh, Lakers
The Kings have a workout scheduled for this Tuesday with Siena College swingman Manny Camper, writes Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. Camper averaged 14.1 PPG and 9.7 during 2020/21, his senior season.
Anderson notes that Camper was the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. Camper was also a two-time All-MAAC First Team honoree during his NCAA tenure. According to Anderson, Camper has been described by coaches and staff at Siena as a “high character individual” and a “consummate selfless team leader.”
The Kings currently possess the No. 9 overall pick and the No. 39 pick in the 2021 draft. While he’s not expected to be drafted this season, Camper could make for an intriguing addition to the Kings’ Summer League roster, Anderson writes.
There’s more out of California:
- The Kings worked out Sacramento native Christian Terrell, a Sacramento State alum who also attended Sacramento High School, per Sean Cunningham of ABC10 (KXTV) Sacramento (Twitter link). “It felt good to work out for your home team,” Terrell, a 6’5″ guard, said. “Just getting to experience what it’s like being inside Golden1 was a blessing and I am super grateful the Kings organization reached out to me and allowed me to work out.”
- Intriguing Belgian pro Vrenz Bleijenbergh is scheduled to work out with the Kings on Monday, as Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee details. The 6’11” swingman most recently played for the Antwerp Giants, and Anderson notes that the league currently views him as a potential second-round prospect. Anderson adds that Bleijenbergh was recently honored as a Pro Basketball League Rising Star selection.
- More recent Los Angeles championship pedigree is arriving for the Lakers. Dodgers owners Mark Walter and Todd Boehly have officially bought out minority owner Phil Anschutz‘s 27% stake in the club, per a team press release. Under the stewardship of Walter and Boehly, the Dodgers won their first title in 32 years during the 2020 MLB season.
Rockets Talked To Pacers About No. 13 Pick
The Pacers are looking for a player who can contribute right away and are willing to trade the 13th pick in this year’s draft for veteran help, according to J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star (hat tip to RocketsWire). A source tells Michael that Indiana talked to the Rockets about a possible deal.
Michael adds that the Pacers want somebody who is under contract for at least two more years, which suggests Eric Gordon is a target in any deal with Houston. Gordon will make $18.2MM in the upcoming season and $19.6MM in 2022/23, along with a non-guaranteed $20.9MM for the 2023/24 season.
The Rockets are rebuilding after posting the league’s worst record and would welcome another lottery selection. They own three picks in the upcoming draft and may be willing to send No. 23 or 24 to Indiana in the deal.
Gordon, 32, is an Indiana native and played college basketball at the University of Indiana. Injuries limited him to 27 games this season, but he was still productive when he was on the court, averaging 17.8 points and 2.6 assists in about 29 minutes per night.
The Pacers would have to match salary in any deal, and Ben DuBose of RocketsWire notes that Jeremy Lamb, who has a $10.5MM expiring contract, would be a good start. The Rockets originally drafted Lamb in 2012, but shipped him to Oklahoma City in the James Harden trade.
Magic Hire Jamahl Mosley As Head Coach
11:05am: The deal with Mosley has been finalized, the Magic announced on Twitter.
“We would like to welcome Jamahl and his family to the Magic family,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman stated in a press release. “Within the NBA coaching community, Jamahl is considered a rising star. His coaching path is rooted in player development. He is a communicator and connector, and we look forward to him leading our group.”
9:11am: Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley will be the new head coach of the Magic, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Mosley has agreed in principle to a four-year contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
A report on Thursday suggested that Mosley was the frontrunner for the position, which has been vacant since Steve Clifford and the team agreed to part ways in early June. Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr. was the other finalist for the job.
Mosley, 42, has been an assistant to Rick Carlisle in Dallas for the past seven years and has earned a reputation for building relationships and developing young talent. He had been expected to leave the organization after the Mavs hired Jason Kidd as head coach when Carlisle left.
Orlando had been targeting a young coach to oversee the team’s rebuilding effort. The roster is loaded with players in their early 20s after the Magic parted with Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier at the trade deadline in March.
Now that Orlando has hired a head coach, only two teams are still conducting coaching searches. Those teams are New Orleans and Washington.
Collin Sexton Considered “Very Available” In Trade Talks
Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton is “very available” on the trade market, sources tell Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. It’s not the first rumor that Sexton might be on the move before the start of next season, but it provides some insight into the team’s strategy as it prepares for the draft and free agency.
Sexton, 22, is coming off a brilliant third NBA season that saw him average 24.3 points per game. He will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the offseason, which is why Cleveland is exploring trade offers. It may take a $100MM deal to keep restricted free agent center Jarrett Allen, and the Cavs don’t want their roster to become too expensive before they’re ready to contend.
Lloyd calls Sexton “a fine NBA player,” but doesn’t see him being worth max money. He notes that backcourt partner Darius Garland was chosen ahead of Sexton for a spot on the U.S. Select Team, which indicates how both players are viewed around the league.
Lloyd asked a rival executive if a package that includes Sexton and veteran forward Kevin Love could be enough to get Ben Simmons from the Sixers, but the executive believes Philadelphia will get better offers.
Sexton’s contract situation is dragging down his trade value, Lloyd adds. Another source told him the team should have tried to move Sexton last offseason to avoid the current lack of leverage and it’s unlikely that Cleveland will get a pick in the top half of this year’s draft in return.
Lloyd adds that Sexton will only be with the Cavs in training camp if they can’t find an acceptable offer.
European Teams Reportedly Interested In Brad Wanamaker
10:29am: Wanamaker appears to be disputing the report, calling it “fake news” in a tweet.
10:00am: Hornets point guard Brad Wanamaker will have at least two offers in Europe if he can’t find an NBA deal he likes in free agency, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando.
Virtus Bologna in Italy and KK Partizan in Serbia have both expressed interest in Wanamaker. The news was first reported by Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport, which says Wanamaker will wait until free agency starts in August before making a decision.
The 31-year-old started this season with the Warriors before being moved to Charlotte at the trade deadline in March. He was used as a backup for both teams and averaged 5.5 points and 2.9 assists in 61 total games. He played two seasons with the Celtics before signing with Golden State as a free agent last offseason.
Wanamaker had plenty of international experience before coming to the NBA in 2018. He had stops in Italy, France, Germany and Turkey.
Olympics Notes: Team USA, Brown, Agada, Scola
Team USA is still be the favorite to capture the gold medal in Tokyo, but there are plenty of questions after Saturday’s 90-87 loss to Nigeria in exhibition play, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Coached by Mike Brown and sporting seven current NBA players on its roster, Nigeria led throughout the fourth quarter and held off American rallies with a combination of physical defense and three-point shooting, hitting 20 of 42 from beyond the arc.
“That’s a talented group of players. It’s not a bunch of people off the street playing basketball,” U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. “Every year, teams are better and better, and every year, one or two or three more NBA players are on their teams, so they’re a quality team. Mike’s done a great job with them, and they’re as athletic as anybody. They’re very physical, and they’ve been practicing for three weeks.”
Team USA is loaded with All-Stars, but just began practicing together this week in Las Vegas. A lack of continuity could be a concern, as it was with the last major international tournament, the 2019 FIBA World Cup, where the Americans lost to France and Serbia and wound up finishing seventh.
“None of us have ever played with each other, we’re just trying to figure it out,” Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said. “We don’t have three to four weeks. This is good for us, we’ll learn a lot from the film and we’ll regroup.”
There’s more Olympics-related news this morning:
- Brown recognizes the significance of Saturday’s win, which was the first ever for an African team against the United States, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The Nigerians, who are aiming for the first Olympic basketball medal in African history, lost to the Americans by 83 points in the 2012 Olympics and by 44 in a 2016 exhibition game. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t mean much in the standings as far as where we’re trying to get to,” Brown said. “But it’s a good win for us. I don’t think any African team has been able to beat USA Basketball in an exhibition game or a real game. … We’re trying to get a little bit of momentum for Nigeria and for the continent of Africa.”
- NBA interest has “spiked” in Nigeria’s Caleb Agada, who came off the bench to score 17 points in the upset, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. Agada recently had a workout with the Jazz and will play for the Nuggets‘ team in next month’s Summer League.
- Former NBA forward Luis Scola scored 25 points for Argentina in a loss to Australia Saturday night. At age 41, Scola indicated he may keep playing once the Olympics are over. “I don’t even know if I’m going to retire after the tournament,” he said (Twitter link from Reynolds).
Northwest Notes: Lillard, Thunder, Bol, Barton
Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard plans to keep any further discussion about his future in Portland private, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. There has been speculation that Lillard might request a trade from the organization where he has spent his entire nine-year career in the wake of a disappointing first-round playoff exit and a coaching change.
Asked to comment on the rumors this week at Team USA’s training camp in Las Vegas, Lillard said he will handle the situation behind closed doors.
“Anything that I have to say, I’m going to say directly to (Blazers general manager) Neil (Olshey) and I’m going to address it directly with my team,” Lillard said. “There’s really nothing else I have to say about it.”
Lillard, who will turn 31 this week, is a six-time All-Star and one of the most prolific scorers in the league. However, Portland has been bounced from the playoffs in the first round in four of the past five seasons and may be entering a transition phase. Even so, Lillard pointed out that he hasn’t made any negative public comments about the franchise.
“There’s a lot of things being said and sometimes words being put in my mouth, and I haven’t said anything,” he said. “If there is something to be said or if I think something or have something to say that I’m going to say it and I’m going to stand on it.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Thunder have collected draft assets by taking on large contracts from other teams, and Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman wonders if the Sixers‘ Ben Simmons could become a target. Mussatto suggests offering Philadelphia Kemba Walker, who was recently acquired from the Celtics, along with Ty Jerome and the 16th and 18th picks in this year’s draft. Simmons, whose future with the Sixers is uncertain after a shaky shooting performance in the playoffs, is owed more than $146MM over the next four seasons.
- In a mailbag column, Mike Singer of the Denver Post speculates on the future of Nuggets big man Bol Bol, who barely played after signing a two-year contract last offseason. Singer notes that Bol only saw a combined 26 minutes in April and seemed to fall behind Zeke Nnaji and Vlatko Cancar on the depth chart.
- Singer also cites “chatter” about a possible extension for Nuggets guard Will Barton, who has a July 17 deadline to decide on a $14.6MM player option for next season. Singer states that there’s a lot of “goodwill” between the organization and Barton, who is projected to be a starter if he returns.
Pelicans Notes: Coaching Search, Green, Bouknight
There’s a “belief around the NBA” that Suns assistant Willie Green is the frontrunner to become the Pelicans‘ next head coach, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Green and Bucks assistant Charles Lee are considered to be the top two candidates, and with both involved in the NBA Finals, New Orleans may have to wait until that series wraps up before announcing a decision.
Green, 39, had a 12-year playing career and spent the 2010/11 season with New Orleans. His variety of NBA experiences, which include playing alongside Allen Iverson in Philadelphia and winning two titles as a coach with the Warriors, appeal to the Pelicans’ front office.
Stan Van Gundy came to New Orleans with a solid reputation, but wasn’t able to connect with the players during his eight months as head coach. Clark states that the priority with the next hire will be to find someone who can be encouraging but still command respect from the young roster, particularly Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
There’s more on the Pelicans:
- Green’s combination of youth, success and playing experience might make him the best candidate for the job, per William Guillory of The Athletic. Green has a chance to win his third ring in the past five years, and he’s able to mix old-school coaching techniques with modern analytic theories, Guillory states.
- New Orleans is taking a risk by waiting so long to hire its next coach, writes Jacob Rude of Yahoo Sports. More than three weeks have passed since Van Gundy was dismissed, and for the second straight year a new head coach will have minimal impact on draft and free agency decisions. Rude also recounts the questionable roster decisions that have taken place since David Griffin was hired as president of basketball operations and notes that some positive news is needed soon to convince Williamson that the franchise can become a contender.
- Connecticut guard James Bouknight could be the answer to the Pelicans’ need for backcourt scoring if he’s still on the board at No. 10, Clark adds in a separate story. Bouknight averaged 18.7 points per game as a sophomore and is reportedly moving up draft boards. Clark observes that the 20-year-old is comfortable shooting from just about anywhere on the court and has the ability to finish through contact at the rim.
Bucks Notes: Middleton, Giannis, Team Building, Portis
The Bucks may be in a difficult situation, trailing Phoenix 2-0 in the NBA Finals, but the mood was relaxed at today’s media session, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Giannis Antetokounmpo joked with reporters as he answered questions, explaining that the team has chosen this approach rather than being dragged down by the must-win game Sunday night.
Khris Middleton noted that Milwaukee was in the same predicament in the second round against the Nets. The Bucks were able to regroup and take that series after two lopsided losses in Brooklyn.
“A lot of people thought our season was done,” he said. “We still believed in ourselves. We came back and had an ugly grind-it-out game that we found a way to win. Sometimes it’s not going to be pretty. Sometimes it’s going to be ugly. We just got to find a way to win one game at a time from here on out.”
There’s more from Milwaukee:
- An impassioned speech that Antetokounmpo delivered late in the first half of Game 2 shows how much he has grown in a leadership role, observes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Although he prefers to avoid the spotlight, Giannis has become the team’s on-court leader, a status he cemented when he agreed to a contract extension in December. “He’s grown as a leader vocally. He always had that, you know, workman-type attitude and he always put as much time in the gym as anybody,” Pat Connaughton said. “But even when he got hurt (in the East finals), he was vocal. He was with us. He was present. He was in the locker room. He was on the bench during games. He was pulling people aside individually. He was pulling the team aside collectively and I think he’s done a phenomenal job in his growth as a leader vocally.”
- It took eight years for the Bucks to build a Finals team around Antetokounmpo and Middleton, who have been with the team since 2013, and Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN looks back at nine significant events in that process.
- In an article for The Players’ Tribune, Bobby Portis talks about the challenge facing the Bucks and how it relates to his own journey to become an NBA player.
NBA Announces 88 Early Entrants Withdrawing From Draft
The NBA issued a press release today announcing that 88 prospects who declared for the 2021 draft as early entrants earlier this year have withdrawn their names from the draft pool.
We’ve passed along updates on most of these players in recent weeks, but the following names on today’s list are ones that we hadn’t written about yet. They’ve pulled out of the 2021 NBA draft and will retain their NCAA eligibility for at least one more year:
- Josiah Agnew, G, Denmark Technical College (SC) (freshman)
- Dalonte Brown, F, Miami (Ohio) (senior)
- D.J. Burns Jr., F, Winthrop (sophomore)
- Lydell Elmore, F, High Point (senior)
- Patrick Greene Jr., G, National Park College (AR) (sophomore)
- Ron Harper Jr., G/F, Rutgers (junior)
- Trevor Hudgins, G, NW Missouri State (junior)
- David Jean-Baptiste, G, Chattanooga (senior)
- Jalen Johnson, F, Mississippi State (senior)
- Jaizec Lottie, G, Flagler (FL) (senior)
- Loudon Love, F, Wright State (senior)
- Issa Muhammad, F, Daytona State (FL) (sophomore)
- Jordan Phillips, G/F, UT Arlington (junior)
- Antonio Reeves, G, Illinois State (sophomore)
- Shawn Royal Jr., G/F, Victory Rock Prep (FL) (post-graduate)
- Maleek Taylor, F, Allen University (SC) (senior)
- Alonzo Verge Jr., G, Arizona State (senior)
- Richard Washington Jr., G/F, San Jose State (senior)
- Keith Williams, G, Cincinnati (senior)
Our unofficial list of early entrants is now up to date, to the best of our knowledge. While the NCAA’s early entrant withdrawal deadline came and went this past Wednesday, the NBA’s own deadline is on July 19, so there will still be a number of early entrants removing their names from the draft in the next nine days — especially international prospects, since the NCAA deadline didn’t apply to them at all.
We’ll continue updating our list of early entrants through the NBA’s withdrawal deadline on July 19, and will eventually provide an official list of this year’s draft-eligible early entrants.