Kings GM Perry Talks Draft, 2025 Rookies, Offseason, More
The Kings enter Sunday’s draft lottery with an 11.5% chance at landing the No. 1 overall pick and 45.2% odds of selecting in the top four. General manager Scott Perry, Sacramento’s on-stage representative for the lottery, tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he and the team are prepared for every outcome — the Kings could land anywhere between one and nine.
“There is a little excitement for the unknown,” Perry told Andscape. “But I always try to go into events like this level-headed because the lottery is all about a chance. There’s nothing necessarily strategic about it. It’s about how number combinations fall your way or not. That’s what you’ll find out sitting on that stage.
“Sitting on the stage, you won’t know the results until they announce the names and the number of pick they are. So, we’re going in at five and we’re going to start listening at nine, which is as far as we can drop off. You have to get your mind around not having to hear your team name until hopefully the very end.”
Here are a few more highlights from Perry’s interview with Spears:
On whether the Kings think there’s value in holding the ninth overall pick, their worst — and least likely — lottery outcome:
“This potentially is a really good draft, a deep draft, potentially. So you have to get comfortable with nine players. That is how I look at it. But it could be fine. You can stay where you’re at, because we’re coming in at five [fifth-best odds]. So, there’s a number of different outcomes that can happen.”
On the depth of the draft class:
“This is a deep draft. And I’m going into this thing confident that wherever we land, we’ll be able to find somebody that improves our talent base on this roster. That’s what we got to do. We’re in the early stages of building. And at this stage, you’re just trying to add more young talent to the roster. And then from that point, it’s incumbent upon us to develop that young talent. That’s the second part. … You need that player, whoever he is. Whether you’re drafting one or nine, you got to help that player get better, because he’s coming into a totally new environment for himself. And it’s incumbent upon us as an organization to develop them and get them better.”
On Perry’s selling point to players the Kings might select in 2026:
“We’re here to build a sustainable winner. And I think any player would be attracted to a place that has stable leadership, like I know that we will provide. And they will get an opportunity to achieve not only their team goals, but individual goals. We’re building this thing for the long run. We’re building this thing to become a very meaningful presence eventually in the Western Conference. But it does take time to get there. But the guys that want to be a part of that and establish something for themselves, it becomes a tremendous opportunity.”
On Sacramento’s 2025 rookie class, the first under Perry:
“I really liked our class from last season. All of those guys got needed experience. And that showed their daily approach to work, their commitment to wanting to get better and their maturity that they showed both on and off the court. They had a real willingness to not only listen and learn from the coaching staff, but also some of the veteran players that we have. That was impressive.
“What you look for in any class is: Did they get better over the course of the season? And the answers to that, when you talk about Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell, who was undrafted and on a two-way contract, who we converted his contract — each and every one of those players got better. Now, it can’t stop there, though. That’s reasonable for us to expect. And they have the same expectation as well, that they’d be better next year. So, they can’t live on whatever they were able to show this past season. You got to improve on it. If you don’t improve on it, then they’re not moving forward as players, and we’re not moving forward as an organization.”
Perry said he was looking for “six pillars” in players: “Competitive, tough, team-oriented, accountable professional, and disciplined.” He also discussed what moves could be in store this summer:
“There’s so many moving parts to that with the impending draft, offseason and free agency. One thing I’ve always preached is we’re going to be both prudent and opportunistic. So, my job and my position as general manager is to explore every avenue to improve this team this year. And we’ve got some work to do both on the financial front and also on the talent acquisition front. We’re going to be on parallel tracks.”
Nigerian National Team Hires David Fizdale As New Coach
Former NBA coach David Fizdale, who is currently an analyst for NBA TV, is the new head coach of Nigeria’s men’s national team, he tells Marc J. Spears of ESPN Andscape.
The 51-year-old will be looking to lead the Nigerians to the 2028 Olympic games in Fizdale’s hometown of Los Angeles.
“It will be fun and exciting calling timeouts and drawing plays up again as a head coach,” Fizdale told ESPN Andscape in a phone interview. “It will be good to get back in that mindset of preparation and motivation. That is going to be fun and exciting as well. But the biggest fact is the nostalgia and what is driving me to get to L.A. What is driving me the most is helping Nigeria not only qualify and medal, but to do that in front of my family. That would be the most special thing.”
Fizdale spent several years as an assistant in Miami prior to landing his first head coaching job with Memphis. He also had a stint as head coach of New York. Overall, Fizdale compiled a 71-134 (.346 win percentage) regular season record across parts of four seasons with the Grizzlies and Knicks from 2016-19. His most recent coaching job came as the top assistant in Phoenix from 2023-25.
According to Fizdale, current Knicks head coach Mike Brown — who previously led Nigeria’s national team — helped convince him to take the job. Nigeria will play in the African qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in early July, Spears notes.
If the Nigerian national team is able to qualify for the 2027 World Cup or 2028 Olympics, the roster could be loaded with NBA talent. A source tells Spears that Desmond Bane, OG Anunoby, Onyeka Okongwu, Gabe Vincent, Mark Williams, Zeke Nnaji, Precious Achiuwa, Josh Okogie, Adem Bona and Isaac Okoro are among the candidates to potentially suit up for those events.
Timberwolves’ Dosunmu, Edwards Available For Game 3
Timberwolves guards Ayo Dosunmu and Anthony Edwards have been upgraded to available for Friday’s Game 3 vs. the Spurs, the team announced (Twitter links).
Dosunmu, who is battling right heel soreness, and Edwards, who has a left knee bone bruise, were previously listed as questionable for tonight’s game.
Dosunmu sustained the right heel injury during Wednesday’s Game 2 loss in San Antonio. He was limited to 10 minutes played after missing the previous two contests (Game 6 vs. Denver and Game 1 vs. San Antonio) due to right calf soreness.
Edwards, meanwhile, suited up for the first two games of the second-round series after suffering the left knee injury in the Game 4 win vs. Denver on April 25. The four-time All-Star provided a major spark of the bench in the upset victory in Game 1 against the Spurs, but he and the rest of the team struggled during the lopsided loss on Wednesday.
The Wolves and Spurs are currently tied at one game apiece as they vie to make the Western Conference finals. Minnesota has reached that round each of the last two years, an unprecedented feat for the organization.
Western Notes: Kerr, Warriors, Schmitz, Mavs, Riccardi
The Warriors and Steve Kerr have continued to discuss the longtime head coach’s future this week, league sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
Kerr’s lucrative contract expired at the end of the season. He expressed uncertainty about his future in Golden State after the season ended and reportedly met with the front office and ownership on April 27, but his situation remains unresolved.
According to Stein, it’s hard to get a read on when Kerr and/or the Warriors decide if he’ll return for a 13th season. Owner Joe Lacob essentially confirmed as much on Wednesday, stating at a Sportico conference that an outcome on Kerr’s situation could be reached “today, tomorrow or in three weeks,” Stein adds (via Twitter).
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- If the Warriors decided to keep their 2026 lottery pick, it’s vital that they nail the selection, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Assistant general manager Larry Harris acknowledged the strength of the draft class on Friday and said the team is confident in the players available whether the pick moves into the top four or stays at No. 11 (or falls to No. 12) — but the Warriors are hoping for the former. “With the prep work we’ve done and leading into the (draft) combine that’s starting next week,” Harris said, “we feel very, very, very good about this draft and getting someone that we can add to our roster that will be young, exciting, and our fans can get behind.”
- The Trail Blazers‘ first major personnel change under new owner Tom Dundon wasn’t hiring a new head coach or making a trade, but rather assistant GM Mike Schmitz leaving his position for a GM job with the Mavericks, per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link). Highkin refers to Schmitz, widely respected for his scouting acumen and international networking, as a key member of Portland’s front office. Schmitz pushed to draft Shaedon Sharpe No. 7 overall in 2023 and lobbied for the Blazers to trade for Deni Avdija in 2024, according to Highkin, who says Schmitz was also tasked with building out the infrastructure for the Rip City Remix when the team’s G League affiliate launched a few years ago. Highkin views Schmitz’ departure as a “major loss” for the Blazers and a positive step forward for the Mavs.
- Trail Blazers GM Joe Cronin gave a brief statement to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian regarding Schmitz’s new job. “Today is a celebration,” Cronin told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “We’re very happy for Mike to get this great opportunity. It’s well deserved and we’re incredibly thankful for his contributions to the Trail Blazers organization.”
- Schmitz’s arrival could lead to further changes to the Mavericks‘ front office. However, Matt Riccardi — who had been acting as co-interim GM alongside Michael Finley since November — will continue to be Dallas’ drawing room representative at Sunday’s draft lottery, Stein confirms (via Twitter). That seems to suggest Riccardi has a good chance of staying with the Mavs, though what his exact role might be has yet to be reported.
OG Anunoby Ruled Out For Game 3; Joel Embiid Will Play
The Knicks have ruled out starting forward OG Anunoby ahead of Friday’s Game 3 matchup in Philadelphia, head coach Mike Brown told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).
For the Sixers, Joel Embiid has been upgraded from questionable to available, according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter links).
Head coach Nick Nurse gave a promising update on Embiid earlier on Friday when he suggested the former league MVP would attempt to suit up, Neubeck notes.
“He’s getting better all the time, he was a participant in (Friday’s) shootaround,” Nurse said of Embiid, who missed Game 2 due to ankle and hip injuries.
Anunoby was diagnosed with a right hamstring strain on Thursday after suffering the injury in Wednesday’s Game 2 victory. With the Knicks up 2-0, there was no urgency to rush Anunoby back, but multiple reports indicated the strain wasn’t serious and Brown continually referred to him as day-to-day on Friday, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).
Anunoby has been outstanding in eight playoff games, averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks in 35.3 minutes per contest, with a scorching hot shooting line of .619/.538/.811. The 28-year-old traveled with the Knicks to Philadelphia, Bondy notes (via Twitter).
Miles McBride will take Anunoby’s place in the starting lineup, per the team (Twitter link via Bondy).
Josh Hart, who sprained his thumb in Game 2 and was originally listed as questionable Friday before being updated to probable, will suit up again tonight, Brown confirmed (Twitter link via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps). Hart is among a handful of Knicks who could receive more shots and minutes with Anunoby out.
According to Bondy (Twitter link), Hart said he underwent an X-ray on his injured left thumb, which came back negative.
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans went 49-33 in 2023/24 and entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference after winning their second play-in game. However, they were swept by Oklahoma City in the first round, leading to questions about the direction of the roster.
A plethora of injuries derailed New Orleans' 2024/25 campaign, as the team went just 21-61, the second-worst win-loss percentage (.256) in franchise history. That led to the February 2025 trade of Brandon Ingram and the end-of-season dismissal of former head of basketball operations David Griffin, who had been with the team since 2019, when the Pelicans landed the No. 1 overall pick and selected Zion Williamson.
Instead of embarking on a full-fledged search for a new front office executive, owner Gayle Benson instead quickly hired Shreveport native Joe Dumars, who had been working in the league office since 2022. Dumars, a Hall of Fame shooting guard who spent his entire playing career with Detroit, was previously the Pistons' top basketball executive as well as an advisor in Sacramento.
Dumars' first major hire was a surprising one -- he added former Pistons GM Troy Weaver as his top lieutenant (Weaver holds dual titles of senior VP of basketball operations and general manager). Dumars' tenure in Detroit didn't overlap with Weaver's at all, but obviously they were familiar with one another.
The new front office regime in New Orleans, which also features Dumars' son Jordan Dumars, made some significant roster moves last summer, starting with trading CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a 2027 second-round pick to the Wizards for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey (who missed all of '24/25 due to a torn ACL) and the 2025 second-round pick that turned into Micah Peavy.
That trade was a mixed bag. Poole had a disappointing first season as a Pelican following a modest bounce-back year as a Wizard in '24/25. On the plus side, Bey vastly outplayed his team-friendly deal in his return from a major knee injury, and Peavy showed some flashes as a rookie.
The second deal was a major one, as the Pelicans sent last year's No. 23 overall pick and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder -- the most favorable of their own pick or the Bucks' -- to the Hawks to move up to No. 13 and select Derik Queen. The former Maryland big man had a promising rookie campaign, but obviously the opportunity cost was significant. We'll find out in two days at the draft lottery where the 2026 first-rounder will land, but there's a 90% chance it will be in the top eight and a 40% chance it'll be a top-four selection.
The Dumars-led front office filled out last season's roster with big men Kevon Looney (two years, $16MM including a team option) and DeAndre Jordan (minimum salary). They combined to play just 33 games in '25/26, but provided examples of veteran leadership to a relatively young group.
While the Pelicans had better health luck in '25/26 and their roster looked a little different, their on-court results were very similar. They finished just 25-56, registering the third-worst win percentage (.317) in franchise history and tying for the seventh-worst mark in the league. Now the big question is if New Orleans will prioritize continuity or consider retooling the roster again this summer.
The Pelicans' Offseason Plans
The first order of business for the Pelicans is finding a new permanent head coach. Rajon Rondo, Steve Hetzel, James Borrego and Darvin Ham are said to be the frontrunners for the job, but that was before the Magic fired Jamahl Mosley, whom the Pelicans are reportedly fans of. It's unclear if Mosley will factor into the search.
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Gordon, Watson, Adelman, More
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is the only untouchable player on the Nuggets‘ roster entering the offseason, according to team president Josh Kroenke (story via Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette).
As Benedetto observes, with Jokic off the table, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon will be monitored closely as potential trade candidates. Kroenke discussed Gordon’s status in particular during Friday’s end-of-season press conference.
“I love Aaron Gordon. I know that I think the world of him, just like the entire Nuggets nation does, but there are some things that we’re going to have to look at,” Kroenke said. “This team looks a lot different when Aaron Gordon is healthy. I think everybody can acknowledge that. We need a healthy Aaron Gordon, so we need to figure out how to make the most of him and get the most out of his body for the benefit of the team, that’s for sure.”
The Nuggets theoretically could bring back most of the same roster that won 54 games but was eliminated from the first round of the playoffs in 2025/26. That would almost certainly push the team over the second tax apron, Benedetto notes, but Kroenke said multiple times that it was an option that would be explored.
“Everything is on the table. … if we deem running it back the most competitive thing that we can do for the roster, that’s probably what we’re going to be doing,” Kroenke said. “The smartest teams can figure out how to stay competitive while having to make some of those cutthroat moves at different points in time.”
Here’s more from Friday’s press conference, which also featured top front office members Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace as well as head coach David Adelman:
- The reason Denver could be deep into the tax if the team decides to run it back is because restricted free agent Peyton Watson is expected to command a significant payday this summer. Tenzer and Wallace stopped short of saying the Nuggets would match any offer sheet for Watson, tweets Benedetto, though they said they “hope” the 23-year-old stays in Denver long term.
- Kroenke said he has “full faith” in Adelman and credited the Nuggets’ coaching staff and front office for helping the team have a good deal of regular season success amid multiple injuries to key players in ’25/26, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “While we’re very proud that we won 54 games, I’m most proud of that stretch (in January), the way that the coaching staff was without Nikola,” Kroenke said. “I think when Nikola is on your roster, you should be winning 50 games probably. So that’s a great accomplishment in most NBA circles, but for us, I think that’s where we expect to be. And we expect to be even higher. I thought that if this group was healthy, that this could be a 60-, 65-win team.”
- For his part, Adelman said the Nuggets could use more ball-handling and athleticism after those two facets of the game were exposed as weaknesses the past two playoff runs, per Benedetto (Twitter link).
Brandon Ingram Undergoes Right Heel Surgery
Raptors forward Brandon Ingram has undergone surgery to address ongoing pain in his right heel, the team announced today in a press release. Dr. Martin O’Malley, who performed the procedure in New York, removed a heel spur during the surgery.
According to the Raptors, Ingram is expected to make a full recovery and to be ready for the start of training camp in September.
That right heel was an issue for Ingram late in the season. He missed three regular season games in late March and early April due to what the club referred to as heel inflammation, then aggravated the injury in the playoffs. The All-Star forward had to sit out Games 6 and 7 of Toronto’s first-round series vs. Cleveland as a result of the injury, with head coach Darko Rajakovic telling reporters after the Raptors were eliminated that Ingram was visiting a specialist to determine a treatment plan.
Although Ingram’s season ended on a sour note, it was a successful bounce-back year overall for the 28-year-old. After being limited to just 18 games in 2024/25 due to an ankle injury, he made 77 appearances (all starts) in ’25/26, which was his highest single-season total since his rookie year in ’16/17. He led the Raptors with 21.5 points per game on .477/.382/.820 shooting while also contributing 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest.
As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.com notes (via Twitter), while Ingram figures to require a few weeks of rest and light rehab before he can ramp up his training, he should still get close to a full offseason of work in. That’s important, Lewenberg explains, since Rajakovic has spoken about a desire for Ingram to prioritize skill development this summer
Mavericks Hire Mike Schmitz As General Manager
Trail Blazers assistant general manager Mike Schmitz has left Portland for Dallas, according to the Mavericks, who announced today in a press release that they’ve hired Schmitz as their general manager under new president Masai Ujiri.
After working for ESPN as one of the network’s top draft analysts for five years beginning in 2017, Schmitz was hired by the Trail Blazers in 2022 to work under GM Joe Cronin. According to the Mavs, he was involved in player evaluation, scouting, roster strategy, and organizational planning during his time in Portland.
In Dallas, Schmitz will report to Ujiri and will “oversee the day-to-day management and strategic alignment” of the team’s basketball operations department.
“Mike is one of the most respected evaluators and basketball minds in the NBA,” Ujiri said in a statement. “He brings intelligence, discipline, humility and a relentless work ethic to everything he does. Just as importantly, he understands how to build an aligned, collaborative culture across every part of a basketball organization. We are building something special in Dallas, and Mike will be a major part of that vision.”
Schmitz has also been an assistant coach for the Ugandan national team since 2018 and was a video coordinator for the Bakersfield Jam in the G League in 2012/13 before he began doing scouting work for DraftExpress.
The Trail Blazers drafted Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan, and Yang Hansen, among others, during Schmitz’s tenure with the team. Schmitz and fellow assistant GM Sergi Oliva were suspended for two weeks without pay last month after the NBA determined that the Blazers had illegally contacted Yang in 2023, well before he was draft-eligible.
Blazers Interview Jared Dudley, Ben Sullivan
Nuggets assistant Jared Dudley and Rockets assistant Ben Sullivan are among the candidates who have interviewed for the Trail Blazers‘ head coaching job, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links).
A former NBA wing who spent 14 seasons in the league from 2007-21, Dudley transitioned into coaching after retiring, spending four seasons as an assistant coach in Dallas from 2021-25. He made the move to Denver to work under David Adelman last offseason.
Dudley has been linked to the Portland head coaching job by Bill Oram of The Oregonian and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line in recent weeks, though this is the first confirmation we’ve gotten that the team has formally interviewed him.
Sullivan, meanwhile, began his NBA coaching career on Mike Budenholzer‘s staffs in Atlanta (2014-18) and Milwaukee (2018-21) before spending two years with the Celtics from 2021-23. Having originally been hired under Ime Udoka in Boston, he joined Udoka in Houston in 2023 and has been with the Rockets for the past three seasons.
As Scotto points out, Sullivan has some local ties, having attended the University of Portland from 2004-07.
The Trail Blazers are casting a wide net as they seek a new permanent head coach following the arrest of Chauncey Billups last fall. Tiago Splitter did an admirable job stepping in and guiding the team to the playoffs, but he’s reportedly considered unlikely to the full-time role under new Blazers owner Tom Dundon.
Nets assistant Steve Hetzel, Lakers assistant Greg St. Jean, Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, St. Louis University head coach Josh Schertz, and Iowa head coach Ben McCollum are among the potential candidates that have been linked to Portland during the club’s search. Fischer also confirmed that the Blazers reached out to Tom Thibodeau and Michael Malone (before he was hired by UNC) but said they both declined to speak to the team while Splitter was still the coach.
There have been rumors suggesting that Dundon is looking to pay his next head coach a salary in the range of $1-1.5MM per year, which is believed to be below any coach’s current salary. However, sources connected to Dundon and the team have pushed back on those reports.