Central Notes: Caruso, Pacers Workout, Haliburton, Bucks
The Bulls have fielded numerous inquiries and proposals regarding guard Alex Caruso, says Will Gottlieb of AllCHGO.com. According to Gottlieb, Chicago was offered multiple protected first-round picks ahead of this year’s trade deadline, with the Warriors among the teams who made a strong offer for Caruso. One of those proposed deals included a 2024 pick that ended up being a top-10 selection, per Gottlieb.
However, the Bulls have thus far resisted moving Caruso, with ownership pushing the front office to continue competing for the postseason rather than undergoing a major rebuild. Caruso is extension-eligible this summer.
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Pacers are holding a pre-draft workout on Tuesday with some potential second-round picks in the mix. They’ll host Nikola Djurisic (Serbia), Allen Flanigan (Mississippi), Isaac Jones (Washington State), Tristen Newton (Connecticut), Donta Scott (Maryland), and Santiago Vescovi (Tennessee). Shooting guard Djurisic is ranked No. 41 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list, with forward Jones (No. 57) and Newton (No. 68), point guard for national champion UConn, also among the top 75.
- Coming off their run to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers now must focus on taking the next step, star guard Tyrese Haliburton told Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. “It was a great year for us as a team, me individually, of course, but we know there’s another step for us to go, and obviously not satisfied with just Eastern Conference Finals. We want to do a lot more,” he said.
- The Bucks currently hold the No. 23 and 33 picks in the draft. What type of players should they target? The Athletic’s Eric Nehm and Sam Vecenie explore that topic, with Vecenie suggesting Indiana’s Kel’el Ware, Purdue’s Zach Edey and Dayton’s DaRon Holmes could get a long look with one of their selections as the club seeks a long-term option at the center spot. Vecenie also mentions numerous prospects at other positions.
Hawks GM Fields Expects To Keep Top Pick
The Hawks are expected to hold onto the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Charles Odum of The Associated Press reports.
Hawks general manager Landry Fields said during a Monday press conference that while he won’t stop fielding offers for the pick, he’s inclined to keep it.
“I think we’re really excited by the draft,” Fields said. “And the more that we uncover, like we go, ‘Great, I’m glad we have No. 1.’ I keep joking around like, ‘I’m not giving it back.’ So, I think we’re in a really good position here. I’m excited about it, frankly.”
Fields wasn’t expecting to be in this position before the lottery but Atlanta had the winning combination and zoomed up from the No. 10 spot.
If the front office has settled on a player, Fields isn’t tipping his hand. He did indicate the staff had narrowed down the list in recent days.
“I would say a week ago it was wider than it is now,” he said. “The board is definitely shaping up, tearing itself out.”
Most mock drafts have the Hawks going the international route and selecting either small forward Zaccharie Risacher or power forward Alexandre Sarr. If they decide on a domestic prospect, UConn center Donovan Clingan or Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard could be the surprise top pick on June 26.
There are apparently a number of teams willing to move up, if the Hawks are willing to part with the top selection.
“I got a little time off (Sunday) because it was Father’s Day,” Fields said, per The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Lauren Williams. “But for the most part, it continuously rings and we make outgoing calls as well, just to see what the rest of the landscape is looking like.”
According to Fields, he’ll make the final decision, not team owner Tony Ressler. Atlanta doesn’t currently own any other picks in the draft. Its second-rounder was dealt to Portland as part of a trade that allowed the Hawks to acquire Saddiq Bey.
Fields said the Hawks are looking for “a great fit for us, not just for the next day, but for the future as well.” He’s already certain they won’t have to worry about character issues.
“They’re just really good guys (and) good people in this draft and that doesn’t mean like it’s always like that,” Fields said. “But it really has been neat to kind of see especially the guys that are all projected to be at the top and guys that we’ve had in. Taking them to dinner and speaking with him, whether it’s in Chicago here in the building, on Zoom or elsewhere I mean, like we’ve had so many different mediums to do this. And just to get to know them more and more outside of just the intel that you gather around them. It’s just some really good guys.”
The Hawks would seemingly have a greater need in the frontcourt, though there’s been plenty of speculation that Fields may opt to break up his high-scoring backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
Kristaps Porzingis Available To Play In Game 5
6:15pm: Mazzulla indicated during his pregame press conference that Porzingis will see action tonight, Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets. “Expecting to see him tonight,” the Celtics’ head coach said.
5:40pm: Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis is listed as available to play in Game 5 of the Finals tonight, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets.
Porzingis went through a pregame workout before the team announced he could suit up.
Whether Porzingis actually gets into the game remains to be seen. Porzingis was available to play in Game 4 but coach Joe Mazzulla, with his team leading the series 3-0, opted to keep his usual starting center on the bench.
Porzingis hasn’t played since Game 2 of the Finals. He’s dealing with a torn medial retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. The injury is unrelated to the calf strain that kept him out of action for over a month during the postseason.
Porzingis made a sparkling return in Game 1, contributing 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes. He also played well in Game 2, supplying 12 points, four rebounds and two blocks in 23 minutes.
Draft Notes: Jelavic, Lewis, De Ridder, Ndiaye, Darlan, Cui, Green Room Invites
Croatian big man Andrija Jelavic is withdrawing from the draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony tweets. He had been considered a fringe second-round prospect, ranked No. 77 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list.
A trio of other international prospects — Timotej Malovec, Luka Bogavac and Bogoljub Markovic — are also pulling their names from draft consideration. The deadline for international prospects to withdraw came on Sunday afternoon.
We have more draft-related news:
- Trinidad and Tobago wing Malique Lewis, ranked No. 76 by ESPN, has also decided to pass on the draft, Givony tweets.
- Forward Thijs De Ridder will withdraw from the draft, Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com tweets. He’ll look to build upon a strong ACB and FIBA Europe Cup season with Bilbao Basket and will be automatically eligible for next year’s draft.
- Senegalese big man Eli Ndiaye and Central African Republic guard Thierry Darlan (G League Ignite) are also pulling out of the draft, according to Givony (Twitter links). Darlan was ranked N0. 84 overall by ESPN.
- Chinese wing Yongxi Cui kept his name in the draft, Chepkevich tweets. Cui participated in the G League Elite Camp.
- There have been 21 green room invitations extended to first-round prospects thus far. There will be four more green room invites made this week, according to Givony (Twitter link). The only player to decline an invitation is two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey, who will watch from Purdue with family, friends and coaches.
Mavericks Notes: Irving, Doncic, Lively
Kyrie Irving had a pair of rough outings during the first two games of the Finals in Boston. With the series shifting back to the Celtics’ home court for Game 5 on Monday, the Mavericks guard says he must block out all “self-doubt” with the Mavericks trying to stay alive, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon writes.
Irving shot 13-for-37 from the field in Games 1 and 2.
“Let’s call it what it is, when the fans are chanting ‘Kyrie sucks’ or anything, they feel like they have a psychological edge — and that’s fair,” he said. “If I’m not making shots or turning the ball over, that makes it even more of a pressing issue that they can stay on me for. So I think in order to silence even the self doubt, let alone the crowd doubt, but the self-doubt when you make or miss shots, that’s just as important.”
Irving will switch up his mental approach in Game 5, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
“Be prepared for what I’m getting myself into,” Irving said. “Most importantly, not making this about me or getting into the energy with anyone else other than my teammates. That’s about it.”
We have more on the Mavs:
- Head coach Jason Kidd was a top assistant with the Lakers before getting the top job with the Mavericks. Kidd says Luka Doncic and LeBron James have a very comparable mental approach. “They’re very similar,” Kidd told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “They’re very similar, IQ-wise. Both just off the charts. Luka doesn’t have athleticism like LeBron has. But they do a lot of things similar and they both really know the game.”
- The Mavericks are trying to make history by erasing a 3-0 deficit and Doncic says it’s all about faith in themselves. “I think the most important thing is to show that we believe,” he said, per MacMahon. “I think we showed in Game 4. If not, if we wouldn’t believe, we probably wouldn’t have won that game. So I think obviously the talk is easy to talk about it, but then showing it is another thing. I think we showed it.”
- Rookie big man Dereck Lively is still amazed how far he’s come in one year, according to Schuyler Dixon of The Associated Press. ”I wouldn’t have expected myself to be in this spot whenever I looked at the draft a year ago,” he said. ”The draft is a week away. Last year, a week away from the draft, my heart was pumping because I didn’t know what was going to happen. And now I’m playing in the NBA Finals.’‘
Kristaps Porzingis Listed As Questionable For Game 5
Kristaps Porzingis is listed as questionable to play in Game 5 of the Finals on Monday, Jared Weiss of The Athletic tweets.
Porzingis hasn’t played since Game 2 of the Finals. He’s dealing with a torn medial retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. The injury is unrelated to the calf strain that kept him out of action for over a month during the postseason.
Porzingis made a sparkling return in Game 1, contributing 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes. He made more solid contributions in Game 2, supplying 12 points, four rebounds and two blocks in 23 minutes.
After being ruled out for Game 3, he was technically available for Game 4. But with the Celtics leading the series 3-0, coach Joe Mazzulla chose not to use his starting center in what turned out to be a blowout loss.
With the series shifting back to Boston, Porzingis’ status remains up in the air. More clarity could come during the morning shootaround and in Mazzulla’s pregame press conference.
On Sunday, Mazzulla said of Porzingis, “He’s trying and doing everything he can to try to put himself in position to be out there. I know that for sure,” according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
Mavs Notes: Doncic, Officiating, Defense, Lively
Luka Doncic has a long history of officiating complaints and Game 3 of the Finals on Wednesday was no different. The Mavericks superstar fouled out with 4:12 remaining and felt he was victimized by unfriendly whistles, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
“We couldn’t play physical,” Doncic said. “I don’t know. I don’t want to say nothing. You know, six fouls in the NBA Finals, basically I’m like this (motioning with his palms up). Come on, man. Be better than that.”
The sixth foul, in which Jaylen Brown tripped over Doncic’s knee, was challenged by coach Jason Kidd. However, Kidd knew it wouldn’t be overturned, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes.
“I was stuck. I had to challenge it,” Kidd said.
All but two of the fouls whistled against Doncic occurred in the fourth quarter.
We have more on the Mavs:
- Doncic is feeling the burden of being a superstar on the NBA’s biggest stage, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic opines. Doncic simply hasn’t excelled at both ends of the floor, which is why his team is staring at a 3-0 deficit in the series. Thompson adds that the All-NBA guard will eventually will join the ranks of the ring bearers once he learns how to elevate his game in these situations.
- Doncic’s defensive shortcomings are the elephant in the room, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports notes. That’s been a major obstacle for the team to try to overcome. “He’s got to be able to guard and understand that we’re there to protect him and help him if he does get beat,” Kidd said.
- The team’s belated rally was sparked by rookie Dereck Lively, who implored his teammates to keep their heads up even as they fell behind by as many as 21 points. “He rallied us tonight, Came to the bench and just told us to keep believing,” Kyrie Irving said, per Tim Cato of The Athletic. Irving and the veterans are impressed by Lively’s maturity. The big man struggled during the first two games and was quick to take the blame. “For him to take accountability like that after Game 2, to be 20 years old, that’s a big step,” Irving said. “The journey is the reward. I always told him this mission is bigger than us. It’s just not solely focused on this year. We have a future together where we’re going to continue to grow as teammates.”
Lakers To Interview Redick This Weekend For Head Coaching Job
The Lakers, still recovering from Dan Hurley‘s decision to stay at UConn, have turned back to J.J. Redick in their search for a head coach.
They will formally interview Redick for the position this weekend. If it goes well, Redick is expected to become the frontrunner to replace Darvin Ham, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Prior to their courtship of Hurley, in which they offered him a six-year deal, the Lakers seemed to be zeroing in on Redick, who has been serving as a color commentator for ABC and ESPN during the Finals.
According to Wojnarowski, Redick spoke with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka last month for approximately 90 minutes at the Chicago draft combine. They have also been in contact in recent days, with Pelinka explaining to Redick why the franchise chose to pursue Hurley.
Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss, as well as other front office personnel, will now hold a lengthy meeting with Redick to discuss the position in greater detail.
Several reports in recent weeks had pegged the longtime NBA guard as the Lakers’ top choice despite his lack of coaching experience. Redick also hosts a podcast with LeBron James, who must decide this month whether to opt in to the final year of his contract or become a free agent.
The only other candidate who has been prominently mentioned is Pelicans assistant James Borrego, who interviewed for the Cavaliers’ head coaching job on Tuesday.
One of the reasons why the Lakers were enamored with Hurley was an increased focus on player development. Pelinka still views that as a priority for the next coaching staff, per Wojnarowski. The GM is also seeking an innovative coach who can design schemes to maximize Anthony Davis at both ends of the floor.
Risacher, Sarr, Clingan, Nine Others Receive Green Room Invitations
Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr, the projected top two picks in the draft, were among 12 players who received green room invites on Tuesday, Jonathan Givony of ESPN reports.
Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle of national champion UConn were also extended green room invitations along with Reed Sheppard, Matas Buzelis, Dalton Knecht, Tidjane Salaun, Ron Holland, Cody Williams, Devin Carter and Ja’Kobe Walter.
All of those players are projected lottery picks, according to ESPN’s latest mock draft. The only omissions were Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham and Serbian point guard Nikola Topic.
Dillingham still hasn’t completed all the qualifications to be eligible for the draft. He didn’t undergo athletic testing and shooting drills at the draft combine in Chicago last month due to an ankle injury. He hasn’t been able to attend private workouts with NBA teams for the same reasons but he plans to fulfill those requirements at the Lakers’ practice facility on Friday.
Topic’s status as a lottery pick is in jeopardy due to a partially torn ACL. Topic has until June 16 to decide whether or not he wants to keep his name in the draft pool. Topic will be evaluated in the coming days by NBA team doctors to determine his recovery process.
Both Willingham and Topic could still wind up in the green room, as another 11-12 invites are expected to be sent out starting next week, Givony adds.
The fact that the draft is now a two-day event beginning on June 26 could lead to additional scrutiny over the final players invited to the green room. The league doesn’t want players to be forced to wait around an extra day to hear their names called.
New York Notes: Schröder, Hurley, Knicks’ Targets, Lowry, Morris, Irving
Dennis Schröder would like to stay put for a change.
After playing his first five seasons with Atlanta, Schröder has worn six different uniforms since the 2018/19 season. Schröder has one year left on his contract at $13MM but he could be packaged by the Nets in a trade. He hopes that won’t happen, NetsDaily.com relays via an interview with Germany outlet Braunschweig Zeitung.
“Brooklyn is a really cool, great organization, quite family-oriented,” he said. “I’d definitely like to stick around for the long haul — My agent and I feel like the Nets liked how I contributed. I’ve brought in more defense, teamwork and displayed leadership, but if someone as exceptional as Giannis Antetokounmpo or another superstar wants to join Brooklyn, the Nets could make deals to acquire that player … and that’s why nothing is certain in the NBA.”
There’s no evidence that the Bucks superstar wants to be dealt, but Schröder’s $13MM expiring contract could be a useful salary-matching piece in a major trade.
We have more from the New York teams:
- Dan Hurley spurned the Lakers but he could eventually accept an NBA job closer to home, East Coast-based Adam Zagoria tweets. According to Zagoria, there’s plenty of speculation that the UConn coach will one day coach the Knicks or Nets.
- The Knicks could have access to the $12.9MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the $5.2MM taxpayer exception, depending on how things shake out over the next few weeks. What players might they look at? The Athletic’s Fred Katz explores that topic, listing 10 potential targets such as Kyle Anderson, Tyus Jones and Monte Morris. He also notes that Kyle Lowry was on the Knicks’ radar after his buyout with the Hornets last winter before the 38-year-old guard signed with Philadelphia.
- Markieff Morris was part of the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks last season. The Mavericks forward said Irving wanted out of Brooklyn for a simple reason — he wanted to get paid, and the Nets weren’t willing to give him the sort of deal he wanted. “It was time for his contract extension, the two sides didn’t meet up, business got involved, and that’s what happened. That’s how it goes,” Morris told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “I think Kyrie was averaging about 27 [points per game] at the time. I think we won 18 out of 20 and all of a sudden the business got involved. That’s how it goes sometimes. A guy of Kyrie’s stature, I wouldn’t be standing for that either. Get me up out of there.”