Pistons Win 2021 Draft Lottery; Rockets, Cavs, Raptors In Top Four
With Tuesday night’s lottery results now official, the top 14 slots for the 2021 NBA draft have been set. The lottery order is as follows:
- Detroit Pistons
- Houston Rockets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Toronto Raptors
- Orlando Magic
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Golden State Warriors (from Timberwolves)
- Orlando Magic (from Bulls)
- Sacramento Kings
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Charlotte Hornets
- San Antonio Spurs
- Indiana Pacers
- Golden State Warriors
It’s a huge win for the Pistons and for general manager Troy Weaver, who had one of the best drafts of any NBA team in 2020, nabbing Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey, and Saben Lee. This time around, Detroit is in position to draft Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham, who is widely considered to be the No. 1 prospect in the 2021 draft class.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), the plan is for Cunningham to visit just one team before the July 29 draft: the Pistons.
The Rockets, like Detroit, entered the night with the best odds at landing a top-four pick (52.1%). And while they ended up at No. 2 rather than No. 1, it’s a major relief for the franchise, which would have had to send its pick to the Thunder in exchange for the No. 18 selection if it had landed outside of the top four.
Rather than falling out of the lottery, Houston is poised to take its pick from a top tier of prospects that includes Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs, Jalen Green, and Jonathan Kuminga. Whichever player the Rockets select figures to become the centerpiece of the team’s rebuild.
The Cavaliers and Raptors moved up in the lottery standings, from fifth and seventh respectively, into the top four. As we noted in our Cavs offseason preview earlier today, Cleveland hasn’t missed on any of its recent lottery picks, but also hasn’t landed a prospect who looks capable of being the club’s franchise player. The Cavs may get that opportunity in 2021.
As for the Raptors, after making the playoffs for seven straight seasons and winning a title in 2019, they had a disastrous 2020/21 campaign, displaced from their home in Toronto due to the coronavirus pandemic and dealing with constant COVID-19 and injury issues. They’re now in position to add an intriguing young player to a core that already includes Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby.
Although none of the teams that moved into the top four did so from the bottom half of the lottery, it’s worth noting that the No. 7 spot in the lottery standings has been especially lucky since the NBA revamped the format three years ago. The Pelicans moved up to No. 1 from that position in 2019, allowing them to draft Zion Williamson. In 2020, the Hornets moved from No. 7 to No. 3, putting them in position to select eventual Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball. Now the Raptors have moved up from that spot too.
The night’s biggest losers include the Timberwolves and Bulls, who would have held onto their lottery picks if they had moved into the top three and the top four, respectively. Instead, those picks will be sent to the Warriors and Magic at No. 7 and No. 8.
The Magic‘s own pick and the Thunder‘s selection slipped two spots as a result of the lottery — they’ll pick at No. 5 and No. 6.
It was still a good night for the Magic, who control two of the top eight picks in a strong draft, but the outcome wasn’t great for Oklahoma City. The Thunder entered the evening with the potential to come away with two top-five picks. Instead, they’ll have zero, having lost the ability to swap first-rounders with Houston.
The 9-14 picks in the draft lottery standings remained unchanged.
Community Shootaround: Clippers-Suns Game 2
The Clippers have faced adversity in each of the first two rounds during this year’s playoffs, and the Western Conference Finals seem to be shaping up no differently.
The Clippers rallied from down 0-2 to Luka Doncic and the Mavericks to win Game Seven, thanks to a well-rounded team effort in round one. In round two, they once again started out down 0-2 to the one-seed Jazz, only to win the next four games in a row, weathering the loss of star Kawhi Leonard to take the final two games in convincing fashion. In doing so, the Clippers became the only team to overcome a 2-0 deficit in multiple series during a single playoff run.
Much of the team’s recent success has been due to Paul George‘s stellar two-way play. The All Star wing has averaged 31.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 5.3 APG, and shot 43.6% from three over his last six games, while providing lock-down, versatile defense. George previously spoke of the feeling of getting “the monkey off the Clippers’ back” in regard to making it past the second round, and it seems that he’s feeling some of that same looseness personally.
Now, once again, the Clippers find themselves down heading into Game Two. Despite another strong game from George, in which he scored 34 points and defended Suns‘ star Devin Booker well all night, it wasn’t enough, as Booker managed to overcome the defense en route to a 40-point triple-double and a six-point victory. Booker became the third-youngest player to record a 40-point triple-double in the playoffs – only Doncic and Oscar Robertson accomplished the feat earlier – and the first Sun to do so since Charles Barkley in 1993.
The Suns are as hot as they’ve ever been. They haven’t lost a game since the third game of the playoffs, and Booker proved his ability to put the team on his back and be a play-maker in the absence of Chris Paul, at least for one game. The question will be if he can sustain that level of play should Paul’s absence continue.
Even if Booker drops off, though, the Suns have generally had a wide range of players they’ve been able to rely on. Third-year center Deandre Ayton has had a breakout playoffs, and has been a consistent source of two-way production. Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Torrey Craig have all provided scoring and shooting while forming a tight-knit defensive wing rotation, and Cameron Payne has been solid in his role, stepping up to score 11 points and dish out nine assists as he filled in for Paul.
On the other hand, the Clippers’ role players have been a little more sporadic in their contributions. Reggie Jackson has been a consistent source of offense, and Terance Mann has had moments of excellence, but if the Clippers want any hope at making it to the Finals, they’re going to need more from guys like Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, and Patrick Beverley, among others.
This is especially true because, while both players are still on unspecified timetables, it seems likely that Paul could be cleared for a return before Leonard.
All of that makes Game Two a crucial one for the Clippers, who want to avoid a third straight series down 2-0. If the Clippers can split the two road games, and get one while Paul is still out, it bodes well for their chances in the series. If not, they will still have a shot, but it certainly makes things tougher — especially if CP3 does return for the later games.
So the question of the day is: Who will win Game Two between the Clippers and Suns, and who will win the individual duel between George and Booker?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Nets Notes: Marks Presser, Dinwiddie, Harris, Offseason
The Nets‘ first season with their Big Three is over, and they now enter a period of reflection and planning. As BrooklynNets.com’s Chris Dowd details, GM Sean Marks held his end-of-season press conference on Monday, addressing the team’s Game Seven overtime loss to the Bucks and looking towards the future.
“It hurts. It should hurt, but life moves on,” Marks said of the series loss. “Nobody is feeling sorry for the Nets, and we’re not feeling sorry for ourselves. That’s pro sports.”
Marks touched on the fact that all three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden are extension-eligible this summer for deals that could run through the 2025/26 season and be worth a combined $540.4MM. While Marks declared it too early to discuss such matters, he reiterated the team’s commitment to building a sustainable winner around them.
He also addressed the question of Nets players participating in this summer’s Olympics, saying: “That’s a collective decision where we’ll sit down with the player and also with the performance team and map out, this is what it looks like.”
Finally, he addressed guard Spencer Dinwiddie‘s free agency: “We’ll deal with Spencer when the time comes. And, obviously Spencer has put himself in a position to secure his future long-term. We’d obviously love to play a role in that, whether that’s here or whether we can help them. But you know, we’ll focus on that at a later date.”
We have more from the Nets:
- Dinwiddie has been cleared to participate in all basketball activities, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The 28-year-old guard tore his ACL in December, and – before the Nets were eliminated – had been hoping to return for the Finals. Charania reports that Dinwiddie’s surgeon, Dr. Riley Williams, said that Dinwiddie “looks and feels and moves like the pre-injury Spencer Dinwiddie.” Dinwiddie will be a free agent this summer, and is one of the higher-profile point guards on the market.
- Joe Harris had a nightmare end to the Nets’ series with the Bucks, averaging 7.0 PPG on 24.2% shooting from three in almost 40 minutes a night over the final five games, but the Nets reaffirmed their support for the three-point champion, writes The New York Post’s Brian Lewis. “We have to be careful with what-have-you-done-for-me-lately,” Marks said. “He’s a huge part of this culture and driving it, and we owe a lot of that just to who Joe is as a person both on and off the court, how he’s developed, how he’s sacrificed, the work he’s put in.” However, Marks stopped short of confirming that Harris would be with the team long-term. “In terms of his future on the team, there’s no comment: Joe is a Brooklyn Net until otherwise, whether that’s his decision or mine.” Harris called the experience a motivating factor for him moving forward.
- Marks and head coach Steve Nash are optimistic about the future, but they have plenty of decisions to make, writes Alex Schiffer of The Athletic. One such decision will be how to handle the team’s many free agents — Brooklyn has nine of them, including Dinwiddie, breakout guard Bruce Brown, Blake Griffin, who started at center throughout the playoffs, and Jeff Green, another key contributor. With cap space so tight, the Nets may look at trades for center DeAndre Jordan, who is owed nearly $20MM over the next two seasons and lost his place in the rotation during the playoffs. The team also expects to lose one or more of its assistant coaches, as Mike D’Antoni, Jacque Vaughn and Ime Udoka are all candidates for head coaching positions.
Ishmail Wainright Expected To Make Move To NBA; Raptors Said To Be Interested
Ishmail Wainright is expected to come over to the NBA this offseason, writes Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
The 26-year-old played for Strasbourg in the French LNB Pro A League this season, and was the team’s third-leading scorer as Strasbourg went 25-10, tied for the third-best record in the league. He averaged 11.8PPG, 4.6 RPG and 2.5 APG in 28 minutes per night.
According to Carchia, the Raptors are the frontrunners to sign Wainright. Blake Murphy of The Athletic confirms (via Twitter) that Toronto has been interested in the 6’5, 250 pound guard/forward for a while, though they are not the only team with interest.
Wainright played for Baylor University for four seasons from 2013-17, averaging 3.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG and two APG. He also represented Uganda in this year’s FIBA Afrobasket qualifiers, leading the team to a 2-1 record with 36 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists in the team’s final game.
If Wainright does sign with the Raptors, he would give them a versatile defender capable of guarding multiple positions who has shown the ability to hit threes in big moments. With their development staff’s track record of helping players become more consistent shooters, the Raptors may be hopeful they can turn his outside shot into more of a weapon.
Warriors Rumors: Wiseman, Payroll, Oubre, Curry
There’s an expectation among league personnel that the Warriors will consider shopping one or both of their lottery picks if they receive the Timberwolves’ first-round selection in tonight’s lottery, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. However, Fischer says the club has had no serious internal talks about the possibility of trading young center James Wiseman.
Appearing on The TK Show with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, Warriors owner Joe Lacob confirmed that the Dubs aren’t looking to move Wiseman, stating that it’s “very unlikely” the club will entertain offers for the 20-year-old this offseason. While Lacob didn’t close the door entirely on the possibility, he said it would “take a lot” for Golden State to consider such a move, adding that the team would have to be blown away.
Discussing the decision to select Wiseman at No. 2 in last year’s draft over LaMelo Ball, among others, Lacob acknowledged that Ball had a great rookie season in Charlotte, but said that he remains confident Wiseman can be an “All-Star level player,” noting that nothing he saw in 2020/21 diminished that belief.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- In his interview with Kawakami, Lacob repeatedly mentioned the repeater tax penalties facing the Warriors going forward, stressing that it’s impractical for the team to continue increasing its payroll indefinitely. However, he didn’t rule out using Golden State’s taxpayer mid-level exception this offseason, and Fischer says there aren’t internal concerns about the club’s growing tax bill.
- The Warriors have interest in retaining Kelly Oubre, but a sign-and-trade remains a viable possibility, according to Fischer, who reports that multiple Spurs players seem eager to add Oubre. Fischer also identifies the Mavericks as a team that may have interest in the veteran forward, citing sources who say Dallas approached the Warriors prior to the trade deadline about a deal involving Oubre and Kristaps Porzingis. It’s unclear whether the Mavs’ front office shakeup would affect their level of interest in Oubre, Fischer adds.
- Asked by Kawakami about the possibility of a Stephen Curry extension this offseason, Lacob declined to speculate on whether a deal will get done, but stated that he expects the two-time MVP to spend the rest of his career with the Warriors, noting that both sides want that to happen.
2021 NBA Offseason Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers‘ 2020/21 season looked pretty similar to most of the team’s LeBron James-less seasons over the last two decades. After remaining in the play-in hunt during the first half, Cleveland went into a tailspin to finish the year — the team lost 23 of its final 28 games and ended up with a 22-50 record, tied for the fourth-work mark in the NBA.
The Cavs have had no shortage of lottery luck over the years, winning the No. 1 pick in 2003, 2011, 2013, and 2014. But the team hasn’t picked in the top four since its latest rebuild began, and as a result hasn’t landed a clear-cut franchise player to build around.
There are reasons to be optimistic about the backcourt duo of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, both of whom have made significant positive strides since entering the league, but neither player is a great defender or a lock to be a future All-Star. Isaac Okoro, meanwhile, is already a strong wing defender, but will need to show more on offense than he did as a rookie in order to become a reliable starter.
Inserting themselves into the four-team James Harden deal in order to land on Jarrett Allen was a nice move by the Cavs, adding a young center to the existing core. Getting back into the playoff mix in the East will likely require the team to make a few more savvy moves like that one.
The Cavaliers’ Offseason Plan:
Tonight’s lottery will be big for the Cavs, who will be looking to recapture some of the magic that helped them land the top pick so often in the past. With some luck, they could be in position to nab a future star like Jalen Suggs, Evan Mobley, or even Cade Cunningham. Even if they fall out of the top five, drafting a forward like Scottie Barnes wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize.
Following the draft, the Cavs figure to explore the free agent market for a veteran ball-handler who could be signed with the mid-level exception. Cleveland may also be active on the trade market, with Larry Nance Jr. and Cedi Osman among those who could be shopped. And a trade or buyout are in play for Kevin Love. However, the team’s top priority this summer may be negotiating a pair of contracts with its own players.
First and foremost, Allen will be a restricted free agent, and after surrendering a first-round pick for him, the Cavs will want to make sure he’s locked up long-term. The size of Allen’s payday may ultimately hinge on whether another team makes a push to sign him to an offer sheet, which would increase his value, but he’ll likely be in line for a salary of at least $15-20MM per year either way.
One wild card in the Allen contract talks would be a scenario where the Cavs draft Mobley. Doing so wouldn’t make Cleveland decide to let Allen walk, but it would reduce his leverage, given the positional overlap between the two players.
The Cavs’ other big contract negotiation will be with Sexton, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension before the 2021/22 season begins. Given his ascendant offensive game – he averaged 24.3 points per game in 2020/21 – Sexton will likely be seeking the max or something close to it. The club figures to have some reservations about that sort of investment, given the guard’s defensive shortcomings and his limited ability to facilitate for teammates. The Cavs have been better with him off the court than on it in each of his three seasons to date.
As is the case with Allen and Mobley, if the Cavs end up drafting a guard like Cunningham or Suggs, it may diminish their enthusiasm to rush into a lucrative long-term deal with Sexton.
Salary Cap Situation
Note: Our salary cap projections are based on a presumed 3% increase, which would result in a $112.4MM cap for 2021/22.
Guaranteed Salary
Kevin Love ($31,258,256)- Taurean Prince ($13,000,000)
- Larry Nance Jr. ($10,690,909)
- Cedi Osman ($8,133,334)
- Darius Garland ($7,040,880)
- Isaac Okoro ($6,720,720)
- Collin Sexton ($6,349,671)
- Dylan Windler ($2,239,200)
- J.R. Smith ($1,456,667) — Waived via stretch provision.
- Total: $86,889,637
Player Options
- Isaiah Hartenstein ($1,762,796): Non-Bird rights 1
- Total: $1,762,796
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Damyean Dotson ($2,000,000)
- Dean Wade ($1,782,621)
- Mfiondu Kabengele ($1,701,593)
- Lamar Stevens ($1,517,981)
- Total: $7,002,195
Restricted Free Agents
- Jarrett Allen ($7,705,447 qualifying offer / $11,729,706 cap hold): Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $11,729,706
Two-Way Free Agents
Draft Picks
- No. 3 overall pick ($8,075,160)
Extension-Eligible Players
- Collin Sexton (rookie scale)
- Kevin Love (veteran)
- Larry Nance Jr. (veteran)
- Cedi Osman (veteran)
- Taurean Prince (veteran)
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Matthew Dellavedova ($1,669,178): Bird rights
- Total: $1,669,178
Offseason Cap Outlook
Although the Cavaliers have a little less than $87MM in guaranteed money on their books for 2021/22 at the moment, the cap holds for Allen and the No. 3 overall pick will push them well over the $100MM threshold. That will make it an easy choice to operate as an over-the-cap team unless the club makes a cost-cutting move or two.
Even after accounting for new deals for Allen and possibly Hartenstein, the Cavs should have plenty of breathing room below the luxury-tax line, so they could make use of their full mid-level exception this offseason.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Mid-level exception: $9,536,000 2
- Bi-annual exception: $3,732,000 2
- Trade exception: $4,200,000
- Trade exception: $1,717,981
Footnotes
- Hartenstein will be eligible for restricted free agency if he opts out.
- These are projected values.
Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Middleton, Love, Holiday Expected To Play For U.S. Olympic Team
2:22pm: Paul won’t play for Team USA after all, according to Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the Suns point guard has declined an invitation to join the squad for the Tokyo games.
However, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has committed to Team USA, per Wojnarowski (via Twitter). He’ll take the backcourt spot that CP3 would’ve occupied, leaving one open spot on the tentative roster.
11:39am: USA Basketball continues to secure commitments for the Tokyo Olympics, according to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Bucks guard/forward Khris Middleton and Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love have committed to play for Team USA in Tokyo, their agents at Excel Basketball tell Wojnarowski. Meanwhile, sources inform Charania that Suns point guard Chris Paul plans to commit to the team as well.
The new series of additions means Team USA’s Olympic roster is now up to 11 tentative commitments, as follows:
- Guards: Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, James Harden, Devin Booker, Paul
- Forwards: Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Middleton
- Bigs: Bam Adebayo, Draymond Green, Love
Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell turned down an invite from USA Basketball, opting to use the offseason for recovery and rehab following his right ankle injury, tweets Wojnarowski. After a few weeks of deliberation, Warriors star Stephen Curry has also decided not to represent Team USA in Tokyo, Charania notes (via Twitter). So neither Mitchell nor Curry will fill the 12th and final spot on the squad.
That 12th spot may be reserved for Paul George, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Before CP3’s commitment was reported, Vardon wrote that the Suns guard and the Clippers forward would be the favorites to get spots on Team USA if they’re willing to play.
Of course, the Suns and Clippers remain alive in the postseason, and at least one of them will be playing in the NBA Finals until at least mid-July. As Vardon relays, Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo said that Booker intends to play in Tokyo even if the Suns make it to the Finals and have to play a seven-game series. It’s unclear if Paul – and George, if he commits – will take a similar position.
NBA Plans New Rules Regarding “Non-Basketball” Moves
The NBA plans to adopt new rules for next season that would limit “non-basketball” moves used to draw fouls on defenders, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic. The changes still must go through the final discussion phase and receive approval from the competition committee and the league’s board of governors.
The rules were discussed Monday at a meeting of all 30 general managers in Chicago and they could be in place for the Las Vegas Summer League in August, sources tell Charania. The proposed changes stem from “serious discussions” throughout the NBA about minimizing some of the advantages that have been given to shooters.
According to Charania, referees will be trained to identify moves that are designed solely to draw contact, such as:
- A shooter who launches or leans into a defender at an abnormal angle.
- A shooter who kicks his leg at an abnormal angle.
- An offensive player who purposely veers sideways or backward into a defender.
The new rules mandate that these actions will be no-calls if they’re considered marginal or offensive fouls in more serious cases.
Daryl Morey Offers No Hints On Ben Simmons’ Future
Sixers president Daryl Morey met with reporters today for the first time since his team was bounced from the playoffs Sunday night and it didn’t take long for the conversation to turn to Ben Simmons, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Morey was asked several times during the virtual press conference if he expects the former No. 1 pick to be on the roster next season. He didn’t make a definite commitment on Simmons’ future and said, “I think it’s pretty straightforward what certain players need to improve.”
That statement echoes comments Simmons made Sunday night about his poor free throw shooting and lack of offense in general. He shot 34.7% from the foul line in the playoffs and scored a combined 19 points in the final three games of the conference semifinals.
Coach Doc Rivers has said the team plans intensive offseason shooting work for Simmons, who disappeared offensively in the fourth quarter throughout the Atlanta series.
Morey didn’t tip his hand on his plans for Simmons.
“We have a very strong group we believe in,” he said. “None of us can predict the future of what’s going to happen in any, in any place. We love what Ben brings, we love what Joel (Embiid) brings, we love what Tobias (Harris) brings, in terms of what’s next we’re gonna do what’s best for the 76ers to give us the best chance to win the championship with every single player on the roster.”
Morey attributed the second-round loss to issues with the offense and said the team needs to become more efficient on that end of the floor. He said he’s still processing the unexpected defeat and admits the Sixers are a long way from where he wants them to be.
“I think if you replay that Game 7 a bunch of times and, you know, we execute better, then we win,” Morey said. “But look, reality is reality. We didn’t do it and, and frankly if we’re squeaking by the second round that just tells me we’re not, we’re unfortunately not good enough, probably to win the title so we need to get better. But, you know, the game, that series, is still incredibly painful.”
He singled out the effort by Embiid, who played the entire semifinal series with a small meniscus tear in his right knee. Even though he admitted being limited by the injury, Embiid averaged 30.4 points and 12.7 rebounds in the seven games.
Morey added that Embiid will receive a full medical review from the team’s doctors before any decision is made about offseason surgery.
Morey also addressed the negative stories that have been written about the team since Sunday’s loss, contending the dire public perception of the organization isn’t deserved.
“People (are) saying the Sixers are in a bad situation,” he said. “I don’t choose to come here, (Rivers) doesn’t choose to come here if this is a bad situation. I mean, really 25 or 26 teams in this league would love to be in our situation with an MVP-caliber top player and All-Star, near All-Star, great young players who are signed for the long term, good veterans. So, we’ve got a good foundation. We just have to do better, I have to do better, everyone has to do better.”
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 6/22/2021
Hoops Rumors’ live chat took place today at noon central time (1:00pm ET).
Click here for the transcript.