Draft Notes: Butler, Duarte, Knicks, Rockets
Baylor guard Jared Butler has received medical clearance from the NBA’s Fitness to Play panel, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic. Butler, the Most Outstanding Player in this year’s Final Four, had been considered a possible mid first-round pick when the draft process began, but he was sidelined in June due to a heart condition.
Butler hasn’t been permitted to do anything on the court for the past three weeks, but he was still allowed to meet with teams and go through off-court activities such as interviews and medical exams. He met this week with executives from the Kings, who hold the ninth and 39th picks in the draft.
“I am fully healthy and cleared to play in the NBA!” Butler wrote on Twitter. “Out of an abundance of care, the NBA is incredibly thorough in vetting the health of every player during the pre-Draft process and throughout our careers. I am forever grateful that their comprehensive and strict health analysis has unanimously confirmed my fitness to play in the NBA. Now, my focus is entirely on the Draft and working daily to prepare myself to fulfill my lifelong dream !!”
There’s more draft news to pass along:
- Oregon’s Chris Duarte was happy with the results of Friday’s workout for the Warriors, per James Crepea of The Oregonian. Duarte, who is expected to be selected around the middle of the first round, has also visited the Wizards, Hornets, Thunder, Pelicans and Spurs. “It went great,” Duarte said of Friday’s session. “I really love it, enjoying this time here.”
- Butler and Duarte may be possibilities for the Knicks if they hold onto the 19th and 21st picks, ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla tells Steve Serby of The New York Post. Fraschilla also mentions Kentucky center Isaiah Jackson and international prospect Usman Garuba.
- The Rockets‘ interest in trading up for the No. 1 pick is legitimate, but they don’t have any really strong future draft choices to offer the Pistons, Zach Harper of the Athletic writes in his latest mock draft. Harper expects Detroit to hang on to the No. 1 selection and take Cade Cunningham, leaving Houston to decide between keeping the No. 2 choice or trading down for extra assets. Jalen Green is the expected pick, but Harper cites “people within the Rockets’ decision-making process” who are in favor of drafting Jalen Suggs.
Will Barton To Decline Player Option
Nuggets swingman Will Barton will opt out of his $14.7MM salary for next season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Both sides hope a new deal can be reached in free agency, Charania adds.
Today was the deadline for a decision from Barton, who has been in Denver since being acquired in a trade with Portland midway through the 2014/15 season. He is the longest-tenured player on the Nuggets’ roster and will be an offseason priority for president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Denver owns Bird rights on Barton and will be able to exceed the cap to re-sign him, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Even without Barton on the books, the Nuggets project to be over the cap for next season when taking into account the team’s first-round draft pick and a possible $7.6MM salary for JaMychal Green, whose player option decision is due by July 26.
[RELATED: 2021 NBA Offseason Preview: Denver Nuggets]
Barton, 30, suffered a late-season hamstring injury that limited his availability in the playoffs. He appeared in 56 regular season games and averaged 12.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting a career best 38.1% from three-point range.
Keep up with all the offseason decisions on player options here.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo In Health and Safety Protocols
Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo will miss tonight’s Game 5 of the NBA Finals after being placed in the league’s health and safety protocols, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Antetokounmpo is listed as out on the team’s injury report submitted this afternoon, adds Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).
The news should have little impact on the outcome, as Antetokounmpo has played a combined two minutes during the first four games of the series. He has been used sparingly throughout the playoffs after appearing in 57 regular season games and averaging 2.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per night.
The 28-year-old is in his second season with Milwaukee after coming to the NBA from Greece in 2019. He also was with the Knicks briefly during the 2015/16 season.
JaVale McGee, Keldon Johnson Added To Team USA Roster
6:05pm: Those additions are now official, USA Basketball tweets.
11:58am: Nuggets center JaVale McGee has been added to the U.S. Olympic team, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Spurs forward Keldon Johnson will fill the other open roster spot, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
They will take the place of Bradley Beal, who isn’t able to play after being placed in health and safety protocols, and Kevin Love, who withdrew from the team earlier today over concerns about the calf injury that forced him to miss most of the season.
McGee, 33, is a 13-year veteran and a three-time NBA champion. He will provide frontcourt depth for an American team that is loaded with guards and wing players, but is short on rebounders and rim protectors.
Johnson, 21, is coming off a breakthrough season after appearing just 17 games as a rookie. He averaged 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists for San Antonio this year while starting 67 of the 69 games he played.
A member of the U.S. Select team that has scrimmaged against the Olympians, Johnson has the advantage of being very familiar with the system run by head coach Gregg Popovich. He had become a favorite of USA Basketball decision makers and staff, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Team USA was down to just six active players before today’s additions as Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton won’t join the team until after the NBA Finals. The Americans will open Olympic play July 25 against France.
Knicks Notes: Sexton, Knox, Barrett, Lillard, Oubre
Kevin Knox could be an important trade asset if the Knicks try to get Collin Sexton from the Cavaliers, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Knox hasn’t done much over the past two seasons, but Cleveland general manager Koby Altman was very interested in the forward heading into the 2018 draft, Berman notes. The Cavs opted for Sexton with the eighth pick, and New York took Knox at No. 9.
The Knicks have a couple of connections that could help in negotiations with Cleveland, Berman adds. Chief strategist Brock Aller was a front office executive with the Cavaliers when they drafted Sexton and he remains close with Altman and owner Dan Gilbert. Sexton has the same agent as Knicks rookie forward Obi Toppin, another candidate to be sent to Cleveland in a possible deal. They are both represented by Austin Brown of Creative Artists Agency, the firm that Leon Rose ran before becoming president of the Knicks.
There’s more from New York:
- Ian Begley of SNY.tv confirms the Knicks’ interest in Sexton, but cites sources who say the Cavs want a useful veteran in return. New York doesn’t have any veterans with a multi-year contract, so a third team might be necessary to get a deal done. Sexton will be eligible for an extension worth up to $168MM over five years, which would cut into the Knicks’ cap room.
- Begley adds in the same story that teams in contact with the Knicks have gotten the impression that the club has little interest in trading RJ Barrett. A previous report stated that Barrett isn’t untouchable, but would likely only be available in a deal for a superstar.
- One superstar who could end up being available this offseason is Damian Lillard. While it’s not clear if the Knicks would offer Barrett in a package for the Trail Blazers point guard, Berman says the team figures to be amenable to including at least three first-round picks in an offer. If Lillard does look to leave Portland, he’d likely be intrigued by the Knicks in part because assistant coach Johnny Bryant is one of his mentors from Oakland, Berman adds.
- If the Knicks are able to trade for a point guard, that frees up their considerable cap room to be used elsewhere, Berman adds in a separate story. One option is Warriors forward Kelly Oubre, who is expected to lose his starting job when Klay Thompson returns. The Spurs and Heat are reportedly also interested in Oubre.
- Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic identifies six free agents he believes the Knicks should consider, including point guards Goran Dragic and Spencer Dinwiddie and sharpshooters Duncan Robinson and Malik Monk.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Stein’s Latest: Paul, Holiday, Leonard, Harrison
The Bucks considered a trade for Chris Paul last offseason before deciding to make a run at Jrue Holiday, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column. Milwaukee wanted to add a veteran guard who could fill a leadership role after a disappointing playoff loss to the Heat, and Paul was an obvious name to consider.
The Bucks opted for a younger alternative in Holiday, who has helped them reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 50 years. Stein believes the addition of Holiday helped convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to commit to the franchise with a five-year, $228MM contract extension.
Holiday finds himself matched up in the Finals against Paul, whom the Thunder promised to trade to a contender last fall as they began rebuilding. Paul wanted to be closer to his son in Los Angeles, so the Bucks would have been at a disadvantage if he’d been their preferred choice.
Stein offers more news from around the league:
- There were rumors that Paul might be interested in opting out of his $44.2MM salary for next season and leaving Phoenix this summer, but that seems less likely after the Finals run. No matter what he decides on the option, Stein expects Paul to be back with the Suns next season, noting that he fits perfectly alongside Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and coach Monty Williams. Booker said recently that the team’s 8-0 record after the restart motivated management to pursue Paul.
- Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has a $36MM option decision to make, and the ACL surgery he had this week will likely influence his thinking. League sources expect him to remain in L.A., according to Stein, but several teams will be interested if he hits the open market. Stein states that the Mavericks are willing to sign Leonard even if the ACL prevents him from playing next season.
- New Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said he has received offers from other teams in the past, but he chose to remain with Nike until the opportunity with Dallas arose. League sources tell Stein that the Spurs and Lakers are among the franchises that have shown interest in Harrison.
Damian Lillard To Address Report About His Future
Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard plans to discuss rumors about his future with the organization after today’s practice with Team USA, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
A report this morning by Henry Abbott of TrueHoop states that Lillard plans to ask for a trade within the next few days, citing a source close to the player. Lillard will presumably address that report at his session with the media. He risks a fine from the league for making a public trade request, so anything less than a full denial would set off alarms in Portland.
This isn’t the first time that rumors have emerged that Lillard might want to move on. He has been with the Trail Blazers throughout his nine years in the NBA and has talked in the past about wanting to spend his entire career with one organization. But Portland has been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in four of the past five seasons, including a loss to an undermanned Nuggets team this years, and recently underwent a coaching change, with Chauncey Billups replacing Terry Stotts.
Lillard, who has called the 2020/21 season the most frustrating year of his career, discussed why this is such an important time in his career during an interview with Haynes.
“There are few reasons: One being I’m not getting any younger. Our environment has always been great,” Lillard said. “We’re not losing a lot, but we were eliminated by a shorthanded Denver team that I felt we should have beat. I just walked away from that really disappointed. I was like, ‘Man, this just isn’t going to work.’ We’re not winning the championship, but we’ve got a successful organization. We’re not a franchise that’s just out here losing every year and getting divided. We have positive seasons; we just don’t end up with a championship.
“So I feel like at this point, I basically made the decision that if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be where you’ve always been. Just like I hold myself accountable for a bad performance or hold myself accountable to make sure that I work my ass off when I’m training, I must be accountable for saying what needs to be said even if it’s not popular. And that just comes with age. When I was younger, I felt like maybe I’ll be out of place, but I feel like I’ve earned the right to say we must do better. We must do better if we want to win on that level.”
Besides suggesting that Lillard intends to request a trade, Abbott also says within his report that Blazers owner Jody Allen may be looking to sell the franchise. If one or both of those claims are true, an already-eventful offseason in Portland will get even more interesting.
Lillard is expected to be available to reporters at about 2:30 pm CT this afternoon, as Chris Mannix of SI.com tweets.
Draft Notes: Top Picks, Barnes, Mitchell, Green Room
With the draft less than two weeks away, more clarity is emerging about the top of the lottery, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Pistons are reportedly listening to offers involving the No. 1 selection, but league sources tell O’Connor the most likely scenario is that they will keep the pick and take Cade Cunningham. Even if a trade does happen, teams around the league expect Cunningham to be taken first.
The Rockets are leaning toward Jalen Green with the second pick, sources tell O’Connor. Green’s elite athleticism and ability to create his own shot could eventually make him the best player in the draft, O’Connor adds, and rival teams are preparing for him to go to Houston.
Evan Mobley, who ranks higher than Green on many teams’ draft boards, appears to be a good fit for the Cavaliers at No. 3. They may consider a guard if Collin Sexton is traded by draft night, but Mobley makes sense with the current roster. Jalen Suggs appears headed to the Raptors with the fourth pick and would be a young replacement for Kyle Lowry if he leaves in free agency.
O’Connor cites league sources who believe the Magic like Scottie Barnes with the fifth pick, while the Thunder at No. 6 will decide between James Bouknight and Barnes if he’s still on the board. Jonathan Kuminga, who was considered a top five selection early on, isn’t getting much interest from either Orlando or Oklahoma City, O’Connor adds.
There’s more on the draft:
- Many scouts and executives believe Barnes will be a top five pick, per Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Sources tell Wassmerman that the Magic are a good bet to take Barnes, but the Thunder will nab him if Orlando passes. Rival teams also believe the Raptors will consider him with the fourth pick if they’re determined to keep Lowry.
- Baylor point guard Davion Mitchell held an individual workout for the Warriors on Thursday, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Moses Moody, Jalen Johnson and Kai Jones also worked out for the team, but they were in a group session that was held after Mitchell’s workout and interview. Slater examines the arguments for and against drafting Mitchell, who is a strong defender and improved greatly as a three-point shooter last season.
- Kuminga is among the prospects who have received a Green Room invitation for draft night, Wasserman tweets. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that Jones (Twitter link) and Australian guard Josh Giddey (Twitter link) have also been invited to join the Green Room, which is reserved for prospects who are expected to be chosen early.
Kevin Love Won’t Play In Olympics
Cavaliers forward Kevin Love has decided to withdraw from Team USA and won’t travel to Japan for the Olympics, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“I am incredibly disappointed to not be heading to Tokyo with Team USA, but you need to be at absolute peak performance to compete at the Olympic level and I am just not there yet,” Love said in a statement released by his agent, Jeff Schwartz (Twitter link).
Love’s concerns about his physical condition stem from a right calf injury that caused him to miss much of this past season. The 32-year-old played in just 25 of the Cavs’ 72 games.
He sat out Monday’s loss to Australia, but Team USA coach Gregg Popovich said afterward that it wasn’t because of injury, notes Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link). He notes that Love and the Cavaliers were hoping the Olympics experience would help him return to form next season.
Love didn’t see much playing time in the other two exhibition games and “struggled mightily” during training camp, Vardon adds (Twitter link).
Love’s announcement adds to the last-minute chaos for the U.S. team, which lost Bradley Beal on Thursday and saw Jerami Grant placed into health and safety protocols. Team USA officials were already working to fill one roster opening and now will have to address another one.
Kostas Antetokounmpo Signs With French Team
JULY 16: Antetokounmpo has signed a two-year deal with Asvel in France, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando.
JULY 2: Lakers forward Kostas Antetokounmpo is nearing a five-year contract with Olympiacos in his native Greece, according to Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. The news was first reported by FOS Online, which adds that Antetokounmpo has agreed to accept the offer from Olympiacos.
At 23, Kostas is the youngest of the three Antetokounmpo brothers in the NBA. He appeared in 15 games for L.A. this season on a two-way contract and averaged just 3.7 minutes per night, scoring 0.8 points and collecting 1.3 rebounds. This was his second season with the Lakers after being claimed off waivers from the Mavericks in 2019.
Antetokounmpo was taken by the Sixers with the final pick in the 2018 draft and was traded to Dallas on draft night. He signed a two-way contract with the Mavs, but played in just two NBA games before being released.
He is currently representing Greece in this week’s Olympic qualifying tournaments.