Southeast Notes: Hawks, Sheppard, Hornets, Magic
Following a disappointing 4-1 first-round playoff loss to the Heat, the Hawks could undergo significant roster overhaul, predicts Chris Kirshner of The Athletic. In a new piece, Kirshner assesses who among Atlanta’s current personnel may not return for the 2022/23 NBA season.
“Yes, I think we should have tried to get better rather than bring back what we had,” team owner Tony Ressler recently said of the Hawks’ 2021 offseason team building. “That won’t happen again. It was a mistake, in my opinion at least.”
Among the priciest players, Kirshner considers forwards John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, and Danilo Gallinari, plus unrestricted free agents Gorgui Dieng and Lou Williams, unlikely to return to the Hawks next year.
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard had plenty of thoughts regarding the lottery-bound team’s preparation for the 2022 NBA draft, including the NBA Combine in Chicago this week, writes Jackson Filyo of Wizards.com. Washington will have the No. 10 pick this year. “The combine is a continuation of the work we have already done,” Sheppard said. “We have been evaluating some of these players since they were 14 or 15 years old… At the combine, you want to see their character, you want to see how they react, how they respond to coaching. You want to see how they respond to different environments.”
- Now that the Hornets know they will be drafting near the end of the 2022 lottery with the No. 13 pick, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer takes stock of four candidates worth considering: Duke center Mark Williams, Wisconsin small forward Johnny Davis, Memphis center Jalen Duren, and LSU forward Tari Eason. Boone adds that the Hornets will also have the No. 15 pick in the draft as a result of their sign-and-trade deal that landed Devonte’ Graham with the Pelicans. Boone notes that one or both of those selections could be bundled into a trade for a veteran.
- The Magic have landed the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft for the first time since 2004, and the fourth time in the franchise’s history. Orlando has an opportunity to add one of the top young prospects entering the draft this season, per Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel. “I’m so happy for our fans tonight,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. “They really stuck with us and nights like this help when you can show the fruits of why you go through these phases and cycles. Hopefully, they’re really excited by this. We’re going to add another good young player to our talent base.”
Full 2022 NBA Draft Order
Now that the NBA’s draft lottery results are in, the full 2022 draft order has been set.
We’ll likely see some of these picks change hands on June 23, or in the days leading up to draft night — we’ll be sure to update the list below if and when picks are traded.
Here’s the full 2022 NBA draft order:
First Round:
- Orlando Magic
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Houston Rockets
- Sacramento Kings
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Portland Trail Blazers
- New Orleans Pelicans (from Lakers)
- San Antonio Spurs
- Washington Wizards
- New York Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers)
- Charlotte Hornets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Charlotte Hornets (from Pelicans)
- Atlanta Hawks
- Houston Rockets (from Nets)
- Chicago Bulls
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- San Antonio Spurs (from Raptors)
- Denver Nuggets
- Memphis Grizzlies (from Jazz)
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Milwaukee Bucks
- San Antonio Spurs (from Celtics)
- Houston Rockets (from Mavericks)
- Miami Heat
- Golden State Warriors
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Denver Nuggets (from Suns via Thunder)
Second Round:
- Indiana Pacers (from Rockets)
- Orlando Magic
- Toronto Raptors (from Pistons)
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Los Angeles Lakers (from Pacers via Magic)
- Detroit Pistons (from Trail Blazers)
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs (from Lakers)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (from Spurs)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (from Wizards)
- New Orleans Pelicans
- New York Knicks
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Portland Trail Blazers (from Nets via Pistons)
- Memphis Grizzlies (from Cavaliers)
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Cleveland Cavaliers (from Bulls via Kings)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (from Nuggets)
- Golden State Warriors (from Raptors)
- New Orleans Pelicans (from Jazz)
- Boston Celtics
Milwaukee Bucks- Note: The Bucks forfeited their second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
Miami Heat (from Sixers)- Note: The Heat forfeited their second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
- Washington Wizards (from Mavericks)
- Golden State Warriors
- Cleveland Cavaliers (from Heat)
- Portland Trail Blazers (from Grizzlies)
- Indiana Pacers (from Suns)
Magic Win 2022 NBA Draft Lottery; Thunder, Rockets, Kings In Top Four
With Tuesday night’s lottery results now official, the top 14 slots for the 2022 NBA draft have been set. The lottery order is as follows:
Orlando Magic- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Houston Rockets
- Sacramento Kings
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Portland Trail Blazers
- New Orleans Pelicans (from Lakers)
- San Antonio Spurs
- Washington Wizards
- New York Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers)
- Charlotte Hornets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
It’s great news for the rebuilding Magic, who finished dead last in the Eastern Conference this season and had the NBA’s second-worst record (22-60). They entered the night tied for the best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick at 14.0%, and will be picking first in the draft for the first time since 2004, when they selected Dwight Howard.
This time around, the Magic appear likely to draft a big man once again. Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s Jabari Smith, and Duke’s Paolo Banchero, all power forwards or centers, are widely considered to be the top prospects in the 2022 class. Orlando could add one of them to a core that includes 2021 lottery picks Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs.
The Thunder are one of the night’s other big winners, moving up from fourth in the pre-lottery order to No. 2 overall. The rebuilding squad is loaded with first-round picks over the next five years, and will have the opportunity to draft a potential franchise player next month to complement guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. Oklahoma City is the only team with two picks in this year’s lottery, having acquired the No. 12 overall selection from the Clippers.
The Rockets will have a top-three pick for a second straight year after nabbing Jalen Green second overall in 2021. They’ll be followed by the Kings, who moved up from seventh in the pre-lottery order to No. 4 in the draft, making good on their 31.9% chance to jump into the top four.
It’s the fourth consecutive time that the seventh team in the lottery standings has moved into the top four. The Pelicans (Zion Williamson), Hornets (LaMelo Ball), and Raptors (Scottie Barnes) did it in 2019, 2020, and 2021 after the NBA revamped its lottery format ahead of the 2019 event.
The Pistons, Pacers, and Trail Blazers were among the biggest losers on lottery night. Detroit moved down two spots, from No. 3 to No. 5, while Indiana and Portland both dropped one spot from their place in the pre-lottery order, landing at No. 6 and No. 7, respectively.
Since the Lakers’ first-round pick stayed at No. 8, it will head to the Pelicans rather than the Grizzlies — Memphis would have received it if it had fallen out of the top 10.
The rest of the lottery played out as expected, with the Spurs, Wizards, Knicks, Thunder, Hornets, and Cavaliers rounding out the top 14.
California Notes: Porter, Warriors, Looney, A. Ranadive
Warriors reserve forward Otto Porter Jr. is “probable” to suit up for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said that Porter was a full practice participant on Tuesday, according to Andrews.
Porter missed Game 6 of the Warriors’ Western Conference Semifinals due to right foot soreness, a 110-96 Golden State victory. The 6’8″ veteran forward has proven to be a sharpshooting backup for the Warriors, and will reach free agency this summer.
There’s more out of California:
- The Warriors made a mint during the first two rounds of the playoffs. Golden State netted about $7MM in gross box office per home game en route to a Western Conference Finals return, according to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, who says that number will increase this round. This season marks the first time since the team’s 2019 Finals run that the Warriors have made the playoffs at Chase Center. The Warriors made the play-in tournament in 2021 but did not advance to the playoffs.
- It appears possible that the Warriors could start center Kevon Looney to begin the Western Conference Finals to counter Mavericks big man Dwight Powell, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “Loon will play a big role,” Kerr said. “He played well against Dallas in the regular season. We’ll see what that means in terms of combinations, starters, all that.”
- Kings owner Vivek Ranadive‘s daughter Anjali Ranadive will serve as the assistant GM for Sacramento’s NBAGL affiliate club, the Stockton Kings, per Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL in Sacramento (Twitter link). Cunningham notes (via Twitter) that the younger Ranadive has already been working with the team’s social responsibility department, and her new position will include player evaluations and development, as well as team strategy.
Marcus Smart, Al Horford To Miss Game 1 Of Eastern Finals
Celtics starting point guard Marcus Smart and big man Al Horford will miss the first game of their Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Heat tonight, Boston has announced (via Twitter).
Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, had previously been considered questionable with a right mid-foot sprain. Reserve guard Derrick White could get the starting nod in Smart’s absence.
The absence of Horford is a surprise. The Celtics have revealed that the 35-year-old veteran, a former five-time All-Star, has entered the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Horford was a crucial part of the Celtics’ interior attack against the Bucks during the Eastern Semifinals. Sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) that the Celtics are anticipating they will be without Horford at least through Game 2 of the series on Thursday.
Starting center Robert Williams, who has not played since Game 3 of the Conference Semifinals for Boston with a knee injury, will be available to play. Reserve forward Grant Williams turned in a stellar Game 7 in the place of Robert Williams, and could get the starting nod as Horford’s replacement tonight. Daniel Theis may also receive additional minutes. Wojnarowski tweets that Robert Williams underwent some encouraging team practices and will be able to log major minutes against the Heat.
Miami is not without its own injury issues heading into the series. The Heat will also be missing their starting point guard, former six-time All-Star Kyle Lowry, as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury. Guards Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin have all been listed as questionable ahead of tonight’s contest, as has starting power forward P.J. Tucker.
Kenny Atkinson To Receive Second Hornets Interview
Warriors assistant coach and former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson is set for a second interview with the Hornets as a candidate for their head coaching vacancy, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Atkinson and the Warriors will face the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals, set to tip off on Wednesday.
Prior to his Warriors tenure, Atkinson recorded a 118-190 record with Brooklyn from 2016-20. His middling record was largely due to the rebuilding team he coached prior to the free agency acquisitions of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 2019. Atkinson has also notched assistant stints with the Knicks, Hawks and Clippers.
Earlier today, it was revealed that Bucks assistant Darvin Ham would also receive a second interview, and ex-Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts would be a candidate for the gig as well.
Former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni, former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, current Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, Bucks assistant Charles Lee and Nets assistant David Vanterpool are also apparently in the running.
Following the 2021/22 season, Charlotte fired former head coach James Borrego. Borrego accrued a 138-163 record across four seasons with the Hornets. Led on the court by 2022 All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball, Charlotte qualified for the 2021 and 2022 play-in tournaments, but failed to advance to the playoffs either time.
Keep tabs on all the head coaching rumor mill chatter via our search tracker.
Warriors’ Bob Myers Talks Poole, Centers, Iguodala
Given the extent to which the Warriors‘ stars have been plagued by injuries since 2019, president of basketball operations Bob Myers admitted in a conversation with Mark Medina of NBA.com that he kept his expectations for this season in check, even though he liked the roster the team put together.
Now that the Warriors are once again in the Western Conference Finals and are just four wins away from appearing in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight years, Myers feels a sense of satisfaction about how far the team has come since its 15-50 season in 2019/20.
“What makes it most gratifying is how hard it is,” Myers told Medina. “Having a couple of years out of the playoffs was not fun. But I have a better appreciation for being here and where we are now.”
Myers’ discussion with Medina touched on a wide variety of topics, including Jordan Poole‘s emergence, the Warriors’ approach to the trade deadline, and Andre Iguodala‘s health. Here are a few highlights from the Q&A, which is worth checking out in full:
Myers on Poole’s breakout season and success in the playoffs:
“We saw the potential. But when we draft players (late in the first round), realistically it’s really hard to know where it’s going to go. We thought it was possible, but we didn’t know he would reach it. But credit to him and the coaching staff that put the time in to perfect his craft. I’m happy for him that he’s showcasing this on a big stage, showing his skill set and fitting in with guys that are leading him. He’s been great, and I don’t know if we’d be where we are without him. It’ll be interesting to see where it all keeps going.”
On the Warriors’ decision not to add another center prior to the trade deadline in February:
“The league is realizing that size is really important, but it’s more about positional size than size at the center spot. We didn’t have a great option available to us. Secondly, I was under the impression we would have James Wiseman. He was trending well. We thought he’d be back, ready to go and help us with that vertical space. That didn’t happen and his rehab hit a bump in the road post-deadline. That put us in a tough spot, and the (buyout) market was pretty dry. We had to march forward.
“Size still matters. But (Kevon) Looney’s been an unbelievable, steadfast guy that often gets overlooked. When we need to go bigger, Draymond (Green) and Looney have shown they can do it. They’re capable. They’re not seven feet tall, but they’re versatile, switchable and very smart. We found a way. We’ll see if it keeps working and if we continue to win.”
On Iguodala’s ongoing recovery from a neck injury:
“He’s frustrated. He wants to play. Frankly, he could help us. He’s trying to get back. Because he hasn’t been able to play, he’s used his voice and has been very vocal. He’s one of the most respected players in the league and is very, very bright. He communicates on the bench, whether it’s with our coaches, young players and our older players. That matters, especially as you go deeper in the playoffs.”
And-Ones: Musa, Scola, Mannion, Nigeria
Former Nets wing Dzanan Musa, a first-round pick in 2018, has been named the Most Valuable Player of Liga ACB, Spain’s top basketball league, for the 2021/22 season, per an official press release.
Fans, reporters, players, and coaches vote on the award, and Musa was the top pick among all four groups, earning the maximum 100 points. Ex-NBA forward Nikola Mirotic finished fourth with 30 points.
After appearing in just 49 games in his two seasons with Brooklyn from 2018-20, Musa returned to Europe and has played in Turkey and Spain over the last two years. He averaged 20.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 3.1 APG on .494/.381/.787 shooting in 29 Liga ACB games (32.0 MPG) for CB Breogan this season.
Former NBA forward Mirza Teletovic stated earlier this year that he’s confident Musa, who just turned 23 years old this month, will return stateside sooner or later.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Veteran forward Luis Scola, who played in the NBA from 2007-17, will exercise his option to assume majority ownership of the Italian team Pallacanestro Varese, the club announced in a press release. Once the paperwork is official, Scola will own 51% of the franchise’s shares.
- Former Warriors guard Nico Mannion is drawing some interest from NBA teams as a possible Summer League player, tweets George Zakkas of SDNA in Greece. Mannion remains under contract with Virtus Bologna in Italy for the time being.
- Having opened a league office in Lagos earlier this year, the NBA is on the lookout for the next Giannis Antetokounmpo in Nigeria, according to Lindsay du Plessis of ESPN, who spoke to NBA Africa VP Gbemisola Abudu about NBA Nigeria’s goals in the country.
- David Aldridge of The Athletic takes a look at what the offseason for the holds for the four teams eliminated in round two, examining the key areas for the Grizzlies, Bucks, Sixers, and Suns to address this summer.
Woj: Deandre Ayton “Is Going To Get A Max Contract”
Deandre Ayton‘s future in Phoenix is an open question after the disastrous end to the Suns‘ season Sunday night, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said plenty of teams are planning to target the young center in free agency (video link).
Ayton played just 17 minutes in the Game 7 loss to Dallas. He remained on the bench after being pulled early in the third quarter and had a heated exchange with coach Monty Williams that had to be broken up by assistant coaches. Ayton didn’t talk to the media after the game to answer questions about the incident.
According to Wojnarowski, Ayton has felt unappreciated since last offseason, when Phoenix decided against giving him a rookie-scale extension. He will be a restricted free agent this summer when the Suns extend a $16.4MM qualifying offer.
“Deandre Ayton did not feel valued by this Phoenix organization,” Wojnarowski said. “They were not able to come to an agreement on his rookie extension. He saw many of the top players in his class get extensions and he wanted a max deal, he would not move off that. So now he moves towards restricted free agency this summer where he’ll have some more options.”
The top pick in the 2018 draft, Ayton remains extremely valuable as a 23-year-old center who averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds this season while shooting a career-best 63.4% from the field. Wojnarowski doesn’t expect the Suns to let him leave with nothing in return, but suggests that they could be open to a sign-and-trade deal.
“Ultimately, Phoenix can still match an offer out there and keep him if he signs an offer sheet with another team,” Wojnarowski added. “… [He] is going to get a max contract in the marketplace, somewhere… There are a lot of teams lining up to figure out: how can we acquire him?”
The Suns already have nine players under contract for next season at a total salary of $128.3MM, which is above the projected cap of $122MM. They are less than $20MM below the projected luxury tax threshold of $149MM, so retaining Ayton and avoiding the tax would require some additional moves.
The Pistons are consider the betting favorites to land Ayton if he doesn’t return to Phoenix, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News, citing odds from BetOnline.ag. The online gambling site has Detroit at even odds, the Magic at 2-to-1, Spurs at 3-1, Pacers at 4-1, Trail Blazers at 6-1, Thunder at 8-1, Rockets at 10-1, and Bulls at 12-1.
Darvin Ham “Serious Candidate” For Hornets’ Coaching Job; Terry Stotts To Interview
Bucks assistant Darvin Ham will get a second interview with the Hornets for their head coaching vacancy and has become a serious candidate for the position, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts will also interview this week, sources tell Charania (Twitter link).
Ham, 48, has been an assistant in Milwaukee since 2018 and coached under Mike Budeholzer in Atlanta as well. He is a perennial candidate for open head coaching jobs and interviewed for the Kings’ position that ultimately went to Mike Brown.
Stotts, 64, spent 10 years in Portland before he and the organization reached a mutual agreement to part ways after the end of last season. He ranks second on the Blazers’ all-time wins list with 402.
A recent Substack report by Marc Stein indicates that Mike D’Antoni, currently serving as a coaching advisor with the Pelicans, is in “a strong position” to be Charlotte’s next head coach. Even though defensive lapses were one factor that led to James Borrego‘s dismissal, the front office is seeking a veteran head coach and is intrigued by what LaMelo Ball could do as the focal point of D’Antoni’s offense.
Stein notes that D’Antoni has a strong relationship with Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak, who previously hired him with the Lakers. Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com also identified D’Antoni as the frontrunner for the job last week.
Charlotte has cast a wide net in its search for Borrego’s replacement, with former Lakers coach Frank Vogel the most recent big name to interview. The team has also reportedly talked to Kenny Atkinson, Sean Sweeney, Charles Lee, and David Vanterpool.
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