Central Notes: Bulls, Pacers, Cavaliers’ Offseason
The Bulls hosted a pre-draft workout on Tuesday featuring Keaton Wagler (Illinois), Kingston Flemings (Houston), Nate Ament (Tennessee) and Morez Johnson (Michigan), league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports.
Chicago currently controls the fourth, 15th, 38th and 56th picks in this year’s draft, which will take place on June 23 and June 24. Wagler, Flemings and Ament are all projected lottery picks, while Johnson has been moving up draft boards and could go in the top 14 as well.
Since none of those prospects are expected to go in the top four, rival teams are curious whether the Bulls might be open to moving down from No. 4 or possibly move up from No. 15 to add a second lottery pick, O’Connor writes.
We have more from around the Central:
- Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times examines the forwards who are under currently under contract with the Bulls, including the impending free agents, writing that Leonard Miller deserves to have his $2.4MM team option exercised after he flashed some intriguing tools down the stretch last season. While Chicago would probably be happy to part Patrick Williams, the $54MM he’s owed over the next three seasons makes his contact “unmovable,” in Cowley’s view.
- The Pacers were originally planning to host Purdue point guard Braden Smith and California forward Chris Bell as part of Friday’s group workout, but they will be replaced by UMBC guard DJ Armstrong and Kansas guard Tre White, the team announced (via Twitter). No reason for the change was given. The Pacers don’t currently control a draft pick, though it’s possible the team could acquire one (or more). Smith, an Indiana native, was a consensus All-America selection each of the past two seasons and is ranked No. 38 on ESPN’s big board.
- The Cavaliers have some difficult decisions to make this summer after a somewhat disappointing 2025/26 campaign, Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron (Substack link) writes in his offseason preview. Cleveland was the only team to finish over the second tax apron in ’25/26, Gozlan observes, which means the team’s 2033 first-round pick will be “frozen” (unable to be traded) for multiple seasons. Moving below the second apron figures to be a high priority for the Cavaliers, likely with the assistance of a lower cap hit for James Harden, Gozlan adds. Operating over the first but under the second apron would allow Cleveland to aggregate salaries in trades, among other eased restrictions.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Sabonis, Warriors, Suns
The Kings are hosting a pre-draft workout on Friday featuring Boopie Miller (SMU), Nick Boyd (Wisconsin), Lamar Wilkerson (Indiana), Anthony Roy (Oklahoma State), Izaiyah Nelson (South Florida) and Ugonna Onyenso (Virginia), tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat.
Sacramento controls three picks (Nos. 7, 34 and 45) in the upcoming draft. Big men Onyenso (No. 43) and Nelson (No. 47) are the top-ranked prospects in that group on ESPN’s big board.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- After Evan Sidery claimed (via Twitter) that the Hornets and Kings discussed a possible trade involving Domantas Sabonis during the 2025/26 season, Ham shot down that rumor (Twitter link). “Not accurate,” a league source told Ham. Sabonis, a three-time All-Star center, is owed $94.1MM over the next two seasons.
- Nick Avila of NBC Sports Bay Area rounds up seven mock drafts for the lottery picks controlled by the Kings (No. 7) and Warriors (No. 11). Four outlets have Sacramento selecting former Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings, while only one name appears multiple times (twice) for Golden State: Mexican forward Karim Lopez, who spent the last two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers in the National Basketball League.
- Although the Suns currently only control the 47th overall pick in this month’s draft, they have a recent history of moving both up and down, notes Gerald Bourguet of Sports360AZ.com. He acknowledges the odds of Phoenix being able to land a first-round pick seem fairly low given the limited assets at the team’s disposal, but Bourguet lists five prospects the Suns should consider if they’re able to move into the first round, including Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie and Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson.
Bulls Adding Alex Kaufman, Jarrett Sutton To Front Office
The Bulls plan to hire Alex Kaufman to be the new general manager of their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Chicago also intends to make a second addition to its front office, according to Scotto, who hears Jarrett Sutton is joining the organization as a scout. Sutton himself confirmed the news via his Twitter page.
Kaufman spent the 2025/26 campaign as GM of the Pelicans‘ G League affiliate, which is now known as the Laketown Squadron. The New Orleans native was promoted at least three times during his tenure with the Pelicans, which spanned seven seasons.
A Kansas City native who played four years of college basketball at Missouri, Sutton is another longtime former Pelicans employee, most recently acting as a scout.
New Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham is familiar with both Kaufman and Sutton, Scotto notes, having worked with them for six years in New Orleans. Graham steadily worked his way up the ranks over the course of 15 seasons with the Pelicans prior to joining the Hawks’ front office in the 2025 offseason.
Thunder Notes: Holmgren, Giannis, J-Dub, Wiggins, Joe, More
The Thunder aren’t going to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and they aren’t going to trade away Chet Holmgren, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (subscriber link).
As Mussatto explains, while head of basketball operations Sam Presti isn’t afraid to pull the trigger on major trades, he doesn’t act impulsively. The Spurs deserved to beat the Thunder in the Western Conference finals, Mussatto writes, but Oklahoma City came very close to winning despite missing Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell for most of the series and Holmgren playing some of his worst basketball.
Pursuing Antetokounmpo would be a major risk, according to Mussatto, as he hasn’t been able to stay healthy in the playoffs, is multiple years older than Oklahoma City’s top players, and would make the roster more expensive than it already projects to be both next season and going forward.
Including Jalen Williams in a deal for Antetokounmpo would be a “non-starter” for the Thunder, Mussatto states, and trading Holmgren would disrupt the team’s “chemistry, competitive timeline and financial flexibility.” Mussatto expects Oklahoma City to make moves this offseason, but nothing on that magnitude after nearly making a second straight trip to the NBA Finals despite the untimely injuries.
Here’s more from Oklahoma City:
- Head coach Mark Daigneault and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were among the key members of the Thunder who publicly backed both Williams and particularly Holmgren during exit interviews on Sunday, according to Rylan Stiles of SI.com, who says the team should retain both players with their maximum-salary rookie scale extensions set to kick in next season. Like Mussatto, Stiles acknowledges Holmgren’s performance vs. San Antonio was “dreadful,” but says he’s the “hardest worker” on the team and will use the series as motivation going forward. “Before Chet was here, we weren’t who we are today. We couldn’t have the success we have today. When he’s the best version of himself, we’re the best version of ourself, and it’s no secret,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “… Both those guys (Williams and Holmgren) are the same caliber. We need them to be the best version of themselves for us to be the best version of ourselves. And I have confidence that they will be that. Those guys work way too hard for them and love the game way too much for that not to be the case. I don’t think for a second they won’t be that. Those guys, they’re a big part of the success we’ve built.”
- Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe have been cited as potential trade candidates due to the Thunder’s financial and roster crunch. Wiggins talked about his reduced postseason role on Sunday, tweets Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. “Nothing is permanent,” Wiggins said. “A lot of things change from day to day, and obviously year to year. At the end of the season and that last stretch, I wasn’t my best self, and I obviously wasn’t seeing the minutes that I might be capable of seeing. But from a team perspective, it’s still being a professional, buying into the team and being around guys who I love supporting and being with. It makes it easy to come in and embrace the togetherness of the team first. I wouldn’t say it was overly difficult to look past whatever my individual circumstance looked like, especially when you’re competing for something big.”
- Joe also saw his minutes cut back significantly in the playoffs and discussed it on Sunday, according to Martinez (Twitter link). “As a player or competitor, it’s frustrating. But in the moment, it’s more of what I can do to help the team win. … You’re just trying to bring energy to the guys,” Joe said. “Obviously with this organization, sometimes you play when you think you’re not going to play. And then you don’t play when you think you’re going to play. You just never know. That’s just one thing that we’ve been really good at, just the ability to stay ready. Those are moments where you don’t know if your number is going to get called, but you’ve still got to find ways to bring energy or bring life to the team and help them win.”
- Martinez, Mussatto and Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman (subscriber link) pass along several more noteworthy quotes from Oklahoma City’s end-of-season exit interviews. “I learned a lot about myself,” said Nikola Topic said, who overcame testicular cancer in 2025/26. “I didn’t know how tough I was, honestly. It wasn’t the best, but I’m grateful that I went through those experiences. I grew from those experiences as well and it made me a better person today, and I wouldn’t be here if those things didn’t happen. I’m looking forward to getting ready to play.”
Wes Unseld Jr. To Be Finalist For Bulls’ Head Coaching Job?
The Bulls are casting in a wide net in their search for a new head coach, reportedly talking to at least a dozen names about the position. One of those candidates is no longer available after Spurs top assistant Sean Sweeney was hired to be the Magic‘s new top coach.
League sources tell Jake Fischer and Marc Stein Line (Substack link) that Sweeney ranked highly on Chicago’s initial list of candidates, and Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints has heard similarly (Twitter link).
Chicago is expected to have a list of finalists for the job by “early next week at the latest,” according to Fischer and Stein, who report that current assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. is on track to be part of that group.
Unseld, 50, has been the Bulls’ top assistant for the past two seasons under Billy Donovan, who decided to part ways with the organization about a week after the 2025/26 season ended. Unseld was previously the Wizards’ head coach for two-and-a-half seasons and was an assistant for 16 years before that.
In addition to Unseld, Siegel states that Chris Quinn (Heat) and Micah Nori (Timberwolves) are still candidates for Chicago’s head coaching job. Fischer and Stein also mentioned Nori — a finalist in Portland’s search — in connection to the Bulls’ opening.
The Bulls’ search is being led by new head of basketball operations Bryson Graham, but former top executive John Paxson, who is now a senior advisor, has also been part of the interview process, per Fischer and Stein.
Pelicans’ G League Affiliate Hires Thomas Scott As GM
The Pelicans‘ G League affiliate, the Laketown Squadron, has named Thomas Scott as its new general manager, the team announced (via Twitter).
Scott has held a variety of positions in professional basketball over the years, per the statement, working in player development, basketball operations, coaching, and talent evaluation. He was most recently director of basketball operations for the BIG3 league and an assistant coach with the now-defunct G League Ignite.
Scott got his NBA start as an assistant video coordinator with the New Orleans Hornets and was also a player development coach with the Cavaliers and Lakers. He has extensive coaching experience at the NBAGL level, including stops with five different organizations.
The Laketown Squadron recently rebranded because the team is relocating from Birmingham, Alabama (over 300 miles from New Orleans) to Kenner, Louisiana (about 13 miles from New Orleans) ahead of the 2026/27 season. The Squadron released a Q&A with Scott, whose father is former NBA player and head coach Byron Scott.
“I’m incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity. This is very sentimental to me because this is where my basketball journey began,” the younger Scott said. “I attended college here and started my NBA career working in the Hornets’ video room. My goal is to create something special for the fans of New Orleans, and it’s truly difficult to put into words how much this opportunity means to me.”
Latest On Giannis Antetokounmpo
Discussing the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market during the latest episode of the Milwaukee Bucks Point Forward podcast, Bucks beat writer Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel suggested that the lack of concrete updates recently may, paradoxically, suggest that talks are getting more serious.
“I’m not reporting anything, but the quiet is eerie,” Owczarski said (Twitter audio link). “And what I mean by that is that means something’s happening. And that’s just being on the beat for six years. That’s how (Bucks general manager) Jon Horst operates. Jrue Holiday appeared out of thin air. Damian Lillard appeared out of thin air. Trading Giannis Antetokounmpo is not something that is going to be leaked and sort of bread-crumbed out in public. That’s just not how this is going.
“I think the lack of news…and the quiet on a story that’s been pursued nationally for so many years indicates that all of the parties involved have gone omertà. The code of silence. You generally don’t do that unless you’re trying to get something done.”
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam stated about four weeks ago that the team hopes to have resolution one way or the other on the Antetokounmpo saga by the draft, and there’s no indication that timeline has changed. As Owczarski notes, if Milwaukee does trade the star forward, the team would like to be able to add at least one pick in a loaded 2026 draft.
Of course, Haslam didn’t say that a trade must happen by the draft — it’s also possible that Antetokounmpo could make a long-term commitment to the Bucks and tell the front office he plans to sign a new contract when he becomes extension-eligible in October. However, Owczarski says he’s not sure how much the team has explored the possibility of trying to acquire another star player to pair with Giannis.
Here are a few more Giannis-related items of interest:
- Later in the Point Forward podcast, Owczarski discussed what a package from the Heat for Antetokounmpo might look like and speculated about what the Magic would have to offer to get Milwaukee’s attention (video link via The Journal Sentinel).
- The Heat‘s interest in acquiring Antetokounmpo remains just as strong as it was before February’s trade deadline, league sources tell Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who says Bam Adebayo is the only Miami player “off limits” in the team’s trade talks with the Bucks. The Heat already have a good idea of which of their players Milwaukee likes, Jackson writes, noting that it’s “doubtful” Miami would draw the line on any specific role player. Jackson says that any trade is more likely to happen sometime after the NBA Finals end, in case more suitors emerge in the coming weeks, and adds that the Heat aren’t concerned about the offensive fit of a potential Adebayo/Antetokounmpo pairing.
- While the Celtics loom as a potential wild card in the Giannis sweepstakes, Jay King of The Athletic considers whether taking that sort of swing would be in Boston’s best interest, pointing out that president of basketball operations Brad Stevens could aggressively reshape his roster this summer without targeting Antetokounmpo.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, who has been putting together several hypothetical trade packages for Antetokounmpo in recent weeks, ranks those hypothetical returns for the Bucks, suggesting that the Cavaliers would be well positioned to win the bidding if they change their stance on Evan Mobley and become more willing to discuss the big man with the Bucks.
Mavericks Notes: Finley, Nori, Pre-Draft Workouts
After the Mavericks hired Masai Ujiri as their new president and Mike Schmitz to be their general manager, word broke that Matt Riccardi, who served as the team’s co-interim GM during the 2025/26 season, would be leaving the organization. There have been no such updates on Michael Finley, who was the Mavs’ other co-interim GM following Nico Harrison‘s dismissal in the fall.
Finley spent nearly nine years in Dallas as a player and has been part of the club’s front office since 2017. Minority stakeholder Mark Cuban, the majority owner of the team when Finley was originally hired, hopes the former guard’s stint in the basketball operations department continues — and has said as much to Ujiri.
“(Finley) is our legacy guy,” Cuban said during a special episode of the House of Haymaker show with Ben Rogers and Jeff “Skin” Wade. “You need somebody there that’s a connection to the past and knows everybody, that has been there a while. … My strong recommendation (to Ujiri) is that you keep Michael Finley.”
According to Cuban, Ujiri didn’t commit one way or the other to his plans for Finley and the rest of the front office.
“(He) just said, ‘Thank you,’ and that was it,” Cuban said.
Cuban also spoke during his House of Haymaker appearance about the Luka Doncic trade – which he said Finley called “the wrong thing to do” – and the fact that Dirk Nowitzki “didn’t agree with” the 2021 hiring of Harrison, among other topics.
We have more on the Mavericks:
- Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Tuesday, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori said he hadn’t “heard anything really” from the Mavericks about their head coaching opening so far, but had engaged in “a few conversations here and there” with the Trail Blazers and Bulls, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays. Although Nori added that his discussions with those teams hadn’t gotten “too serious” at that point, one report today suggested he’s a finalist for Portland’s head coaching job and that Dallas also has interest in interviewing him.
- Obi Agbim (Baylor), Michael Ajayi (Butler), Christian Anderson (Texas Tech), Tucker DeVries (Indiana), and Wyatt Fricks (Marshall) were in town on Wednesday to work out for the Mavericks, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Of those five players, Anderson is the most noteworthy — he’s a projected first-round pick who ranks 18th overall on ESPN’s big board.
- The Mavericks are currently armed with the ninth, 30th, and 48th overall picks in this month’s draft. In an effort to get a better sense for which players the team might be eyeing at those spots, Curtis (subscription required) takes a closer look at Ujiri’s draft history during his time in Denver and Toronto. Based on those past draft results, Curtis writes that Ujiri has shown a willingness to take a shot on versatile wings who can score and defend, as well as international prospects and score-first guards.
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Blazers Down To Three Head Coaching Finalists?
The Trail Blazers are still considering three candidates for their head coaching vacancy, according to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The finalists who remain in the running, per Fischer and Stein, are Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook, and Portland’s own interim coach Tiago Splitter.
Those coaches were identified last month as three of the five finalists for the Blazers’ job, along with Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy and Jazz assistant Mike Williams. Sources tell The Stein Line that Van Gundy and Williams didn’t advance to the final stage of Portland’s head coaching search.
Assuming another finalist isn’t added to the mix at the 11th hour, it sounds like one of Nori, Lashbrook, or Splitter will become the Trail Blazers’ permanent head coach. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean a decision is imminent.
As Fischer and Stein explain, Portland’s process has been slowed to some extent by the Carolina Hurricanes’ run to the NHL’s Stanley Cup finals. Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon also owns the Hurricanes, who will be looking to get on the board in their series against Las Vegas on Thursday after losing Game 1 on Tuesday.
The Trail Blazers’ coaching search began before their season was over, with Dundon reaching out to candidates while Splitter was attempting to get his team past San Antonio in the first round. Portland technically still hasn’t formally parted ways with Chauncey Billups, who opened the 2025/26 season on the team’s bench, but he was arrested in October in connection with an illegal gambling investigation and isn’t expected to ever coach another game for the Blazers.
Splitter, initially an assistant under Billups, took over one game into the regular season and led the Blazers to a 42-39 record the rest of the way. The team earned the No. 7 seed with a play-in win over Phoenix and then fell to the Spurs in five games in the Western Conference quarterfinals.
Dundon’s decision to look for Splitter’s potential replacement before the season ended reportedly rubbed some potential targets the wrong way, and rumors that the new Blazers owner was looking to pay his new coach a salary well below the going rate likely didn’t help matters, though the team pushed back on those reports.
For what it’s worth, neither Nori nor Lashbrook has NBA head coaching experience, and Splitter’s stint filling in for Billups this season represented his first NBA head coaching job. In other words, it’s unlikely that any of those three candidates would have the leverage to negotiate a high-end salary.