2024 NBA Draft Early Entrants List
Early entrants who wish to declare for the 2024 NBA draft have until the end of the day on Saturday, April 27 to make that decision official.
Players who declare for the draft this year will have to withdraw by the end of the day on May 29 if they wish to retain their NCAA eligibility. The NBA’s withdrawal deadline, which is more relevant for international prospects, is on June 16 at 5:00 pm Eastern time. The 2024 draft, which will be extended to two days for the first time, will take place on June 26-27.
Since 2021, the annual list of “early” entrants has become even bigger than usual because the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That means seniors who would’ve typically become automatically eligible for the draft now have the option of either declaring or remaining in college for an extra year.
Last year, 242 prospects initially declared as early entrants, with 92 of those players ultimately keeping their names in the draft and going pro. Those totals have been even higher in some recent years, so we’re expecting them to end up at least in the same neighborhood this time around.
We’ll use this post to keep track of reports and announcements on early entrant prospects and their decisions. We’ll archive them all here in a running list, which will be accessible anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” page found in our mobile menu.
The players below are listed in alphabetical order. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.
Last updated 6-18-24 (1:14pm CT)
College Underclassmen
Remaining in draft:
- Trey Alexander, G, Creighton (junior)
- Mark Armstrong, G, Villanova (sophomore)
- Adem Bona, F/C, UCLA (sophomore)
- Carlton Carrington, G, Pitt (freshman)
- Devin Carter, G, Providence (junior)
- Stephon Castle, G, UConn (freshman)
- Cam Christie, G, Minnesota (freshman)
- Donovan Clingan, C, UConn (sophomore)
- Isaiah Collier, G, USC (freshman)
- Mohamed Diarra, F, North Carolina State (junior)
- Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Ryan Dunn, F, Virginia (sophomore)
- Justin Edwards, G/F, Kentucky (freshman)
- Kyle Filipowski, F/C, Duke (sophomore)
- Johnny Furphy, G/F, Kansas (freshman)
- Kyshawn George, G/F, Miami (FL) (freshman)
- DaRon Holmes II, F, Dayton (junior)
- Harrison Ingram, F, UNC (junior)
- Bronny James, G, USC (freshman)
- Jared McCain, G, Duke (freshman)
- Judah Mintz, G, Syracuse (sophomore)
- Yves Missi, C, Baylor (freshman)
- Ajay Mitchell, G, UC Santa Barbara (junior)
- Carlos Nichols, G, Southern Crescent Tech (GA) (freshman)
- Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky (freshman)
- KJ Simpson, G, Colorado (junior)
- Jaylon Tyson, G, California (junior)
- Ja’Kobe Walter, G, Baylor (freshman)
- Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana (sophomore)
- Deshawndre Washington, G/F, New Mexico State (junior)
- Jaylen Wells, F, Washington State (junior)
- Cody Williams, F, Colorado (freshman)
- JZ Zaher, G, Bowling Green State (sophomore)
Withdrew from draft after testing waters:
Note: Some of these players are also transferring to new schools.
- Jonas Aidoo, F/C, Tennessee (junior)
- Michael Ajayi, F, Pepperdine (junior)
- Adama-Alpha Bal, G/F, Santa Clara (junior)
- Brooks Barnhizer, G/F, Northwestern (junior)
- Jalen Blackmon, G, Stetson (junior)
- Jaden Bradley, G, Arizona (sophomore)
- Trevon Brazile, F, Arkansas (sophomore)
- Dion Brown, G, UMBC (sophomore)
- Nimari Burnett, G, Michigan (junior)
- Markus Burton, G, Notre Dame (freshman)
- Wesley Cardet, G/F, Chicago State (junior)
- Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida (junior)
- Cedric Coward, G/F, Eastern Washington (junior)
- Anthony Dell’Orso, G/F, Campbell (sophomore)
- Malik Dia, F, Belmont (sophomore)
- Garwey Dual, G, Providence (freshman)
- RJ Felton, G, East Carolina (junior)
- Frankie Fidler, F, Omaha (junior)
- Rasheer Fleming, F, St. Joseph’s (sophomore)
- Keyshawn Hall, G, George Mason (sophomore)
- Tyler Harris, G/F, Portland (freshman)
- Arthur Kaluma, F, Kansas State (junior)
- Alex Karaban, F, UConn (sophomore)
- Miles Kelly, G, Georgia Tech (junior)
- Toibu Lawal, F, VCU (sophomore)
- Xaivian Lee, G, Princeton (sophomore)
- KJ Lewis, G, Arizona (freshman)
- Kino Lilly Jr., G, Brown (junior)
- Javian McCollum, G, Oklahoma (junior)
- Robert McCray, G, Jacksonville (sophomore)
- Scotty Middleton, G/F, Ohio State (freshman)
- Igor Milicic Jr., F, Charlotte (junior)
- Baba Miller, F, Florida State (sophomore)
- Jalon Moore, F, Oklahoma (junior)
- Shahid Muhammad, C, Southern Idaho (sophomore)
- Baye Ndongo, F, Georgia Tech (freshman)
- Ugonna Onyenso, C, Kentucky (sophomore)
- Great Osobor, F, Utah State (junior)
- Wooga Poplar, G, Miami (FL) (junior)
- Will Richard, G, Florida (junior)
- Jordan Riley, G, Temple (junior)
- Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest (junior)
- Payton Sandfort, G/F, Iowa (junior)
- A.J. Staton-McCray, G, Samford (junior)
- Jarin Stevenson, F, Alabama (freshman)
- AJ Storr, G/F, Wisconsin (sophomore)
- Saint Thomas, F, Northern Colorado (junior)
- JT Toppin, F, New Mexico (freshman)
- Milos Uzan, G, Oklahoma (sophomore)
- Jamir Watkins, G/F, Florida State (junior)
College Seniors
Remaining in draft:
- Reece Beekman, G, Virginia
- Jesse Bingham II, G/F, Indianapolis
- Jack Brestel, F, Roanoke College
- Jalen Bridges, F, Baylor
- Jalen Cook, G, LSU
- Isaiah Crawford, G/F, Louisiana Tech
- Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado
- Zach Edey, C, Purdue
- Eric Gaines, G, UAB
- PJ Hall, C, Clemson
- Oso Ighodaro, F, Marquette
- David Jones, F, Memphis
- Dillon Jones, F, Weber State
- Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette
- Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona
- Jonathan Mogbo, F/C, San Francisco
- Tiras Morton, G/F, Lubbock Christian
- Jamal Shead, G, Houston
- Jason Spurgin, C, Bowling Green State
- Jaykwon Walton, G/F, Memphis
Withdrew from draft after testing waters:
Note: Some of these players are also transferring to new schools.
- Achor Achor, F, Samford
- Chibuzo Agbo, G/F, Boise State
- Posh Alexander, G, Butler
- Joe Bamisile, G, VCU
- Aziz Bandaogo, C, Cincinnati
- Koby Brea, G, Dayton
- Lamont Butler, G, San Diego State
- Andrew Carr, F, Wake Forest
- Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State
- DJ Davis, G, Butler
- Johnell Davis, G, Florida Atlantic
- Eric Dixon, F, Villanova
- Xavier DuSell, G, Fresno State
- Noah Farrakhan, G, West Virginia
- Tyon Grant-Foster, G, Grand Canyon
- Coleman Hawkins, F, Illinois
- A.J. Hoggard, G, Michigan State
- Ben Humrichous, F, Evansville
- Chase Hunter, G, Clemson
- CJ Huntley, F, Appalachian State
- Andrej Jakimovski, F, Washington State
- Sion James, G, Tulane
- Meechie Johnson, G, South Carolina
- Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton
- Chaz Lanier, G, North Florida
- Caleb Love, G, Arizona
- Matthew Murrell, G, Mississippi
- Zarique Nutter, G/F, Northern Illinois
- Toby Okani, G/F, UIC
- Norchad Omier, F, Miami (FL)
- Kasean Pryor, F, South Florida
- Jeremy Roach, G, Duke
- Jaxson Robinson, G/F, BYU
- Mark Sears, G, Alabama
- Max Shulga, G, VCU
- Jahmyl Telfort, G/F, Butler
- Yacine Toumi, F, Evansville
- Trey Townsend, G/F, Oakland
- Marques Warrick, G, Northern Kentucky
- Amari Williams, F/C, Drexel
- Terrance Williams II, F, Michigan
International players
Note: The country indicates where the player had been playing, not necessarily where he was born.
Remaining in draft:
- Melvin Ajinca, G/F, France (born 2004)
- Ulrich Chomche, C, NBA Academy Africa (born 2005)
- Yongxi Cui, G/F, China (born 2003)
- Pacome Dadiet, G/F, Germany (born 2005)
- Nikola Djurisic, G/F, Serbia (born 2004)
- Lucas Dufeal, F, France (born 2003)
- Quinn Ellis, G, Italy (born 2003)
- Trentyn Flowers, G/F, Australia (born 2005)
- A.J. Johnson, G, Australia (born 2004)
- Bobi Klintman, F, Australia (born 2003)
- Gustav Knudsen, G/F, Denmark (born 2003)
- Juan Nunez, G, Germany (born 2004)
- Zaccharie Risacher, F, France (born 2005)
- Tidjane Salaun, F, France (born 2005)
- Alexandre Sarr, F/C, Australia (born 2005)
- Nikola Topic, G, Serbia (born 2005)
- Armel Traore, F, France (born 2003)
- Cezar Unitu, G, Romania (born 2005)
Withdrew from draft after testing waters:
- Miguel Allen, F, Spain (born 2003)
- Roberts Blums, G, Latvia (born 2005)
- Luka Bogavac, G, Montenegro (born 2003)
- Gael Bonilla, F, Spain (born 2003)
- Malik Bowman, F, Portugal (born 2004)
- Michael Caicedo, G/F, Spain (born 2003)
- Milhan Charles, F, Holland (born 2004)
- Thijs De Ridder, F, Spain (born 2003)
- Brice Dessert, C, France (born 2003)
- Mohamed Diawara, F, France (born 2005)
- Ruben Dominguez, G, Spain (born 2003)
- Ugo Doumbia, G, France (born 2003)
- Mouhamed Faye, C, Italy (born 2005)
- Andrija Jelavic, F, Serbia (born 2004)
- Ilias Kamardine, G, France (born 2003)
- Konstantin Kostadinov, F, Spain (born 2003)
- Liutauras Lelevicius, G/F, Lithuania (born 2003)
- Timotej Malovec, F, Serbia (born 2004)
- Bogoljub Markovic, F, Serbia (born 2005)
- Eli Ndiaye, F/C, Spain (born 2004)
- Ousmane Ndiaye, C, Spain (born 2004)
- Noah Penda, G/F, France (born 2005)
- Zacharie Perrin, F, France (born 2004)
- Musa Sagnia, F/C, Spain (born 2003)
- Fedor Zugic, G, Germany (born 2003)
Other players
Remaining in draft:
- Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite (born 2004)
- Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite (born 2005)
- Jalen Lewis, F/C, Overtime Elite (born 2005)
- Babacar Sane, F, G League Ignite (born 2003)
- Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite (born 2004)
- Bryson Warren, G, Sioux Falls Skyforce (born 2004)
Withdrew from draft after testing waters:
- Abdullah Ahmed, C, Westchester Knicks (born 2003)
- Izan Almansa, F, G League Ignite (born 2005)
- Somto Cyril, C, Overtime Elite (born 2005)
- Thierry Darlan, G, G League Ignite (born 2004)
- Reynan Dos Santos, G, Overtime Elite (born 2004)
- Jahzare Jackson, C, Overtime Elite (born 2004)
- Djordjije Jovanovic, F, Ontario Clippers (born 2003)
- Malique Lewis, F, Mexico City Capitanes (born 2004)
Florida State’s Baba Miller Among Prospects Testing Draft Waters
Florida State forward Baba Miller has decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal while also testing the NBA draft waters, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).
Miller, who was born and raised in Spain, played for Real Madrid in 2021/22 before coming stateside and joining the Seminoles in 2022.
The 6’11” forward was limited to 15 games as a freshman due to a suspension over a $3,000 payment he received to attend a training camp back in 2020, even though his family paid that money back. He was available for his entire sophomore season in 2023/24, averaging 7.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 24.8 minutes per game across 33 appearances (32 starts).
Miller is currently the No. 59 prospect on Givony’s draft board at ESPN, so he’s not a lock to be drafted in 2024. The feedback he receives during the pre-draft process could influence his decision on whether to keep his name in the draft and remain in school for his junior year.
The following college players also indicated in recent weeks that they would enter the NCAA transfer portal while testing the NBA draft waters:
- Mikeal Brown-Jones, F, UNC Greensboro (senior) (Twitter link via Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress)
- Malik Dia, F, Belmont (sophomore) (Twitter link via Joe Tipton of On3 Sports)
- BJ Freeman, G, Milwaukee (junior) (Twitter link via Tipton)
- Dominick Harris, G, Loyola Marymount (junior) (Twitter link via Tipton)
- Chaz Lanier, G, North Florida (senior) (Twitter link via Tipton)
- Note: Lanier is testing the draft waters but did not enter the transfer portal.
- Zeke Mayo, G, South Dakota State (junior) (Twitter link via Tipton)
- Kylen Milton, G, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (senior) (Twitter link via Tipton)
- Toby Okani, G/F, UIC (senior) (Twitter link via Chepkevich)
- Adou Thiero, G, Kentucky (sophomore) (link via Ben Roberts of Kentucky.com)
Southwest Notes: Thompson, Sochan, Jones, Mavs
While Jalen Green has been the breakout star of the Rockets‘ recent hot streak, the contributions of Amen Thompson during the team’s 11 straight wins shouldn’t be overlooked, Tim MacMahon of ESPN said on the latest Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link).
After spending most of his rookie season coming off the bench, Thompson has started the past nine games and is averaging 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 30.2 minutes per game during that stretch. While he has provided secondary scoring and play-making for the Rockets, it’s Thompson’s defensive ability that excites the team the most, according to MacMahon.
“The Rockets believe – and have data to back up – that he can be the best non-big defender in the NBA really soon,” MacMahon said.
The primary knock against Thompson is that he has yet to develop an outside shot — he has made just 8-of-55 three-point attempts this season, for an ugly conversion rate of 14.5%. If he can eventually add that facet to his game, his ceiling would only grow higher.
“He’s a jump shot away from being an All-Star for sure, and possibly higher than that,” ESPN’s Tim Bontemps added.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan suffered a left ankle impingement during Friday’s win over New York, jeopardizing his availability for the rest of this season, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. As Orsborn notes, Sochan hasn’t missed a game this season and had expressed a desire to play in all 82, but he has been ruled out for Sunday’s contest against Golden State and figures to miss more time beyond that.
- Pelicans forward Herbert Jones met the 65-game criteria for end-of-season award consideration on Saturday night, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. It was technically Jones’ 68th game of the season, but he played between 15 and 20 minutes in five of them, and only two of those outings could count toward his 65-game minimum. Jones is considered a strong candidate for one of the 10 All-Defensive spots and could earn Defensive Player of the Year consideration as well.
- The Mavericks‘ backcourt duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have come a long way over the past 13-plus months, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). As Townsend observes, the two stars first played together against Sacramento last February, so this week’s back-to-back victories over the Kings, which extended Dallas’ win streak to six games, represented an encouraging full-circle moment. “I always said, this training camp, when got some practices in together, it would be way easier for us to function better,” Doncic said. “And I think it shows, especially now. I think we’re both happy and we’re both doing some good things on the floor. And we have great teammates. So I think this team is special.”
Northwest Notes: Murray, SGA, Sharpe, Wolves, Jazz
Jamal Murray continues to deal with a sprained left ankle and swollen right knee, having missed a fourth consecutive game on Friday vs. Minnesota. According to a report from ESPN, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone told reporters before Friday’s game that Murray is improving, but said he’s “not ready to go out there and compete at the level that we need him to” and hinted that the star guard may remain out for Sunday’s game vs. Cleveland.
Still, Malone isn’t worried at this point that Murray’s health issues will extend into the postseason, adding, “I do think he will be back on the court before the playoffs start.”
It should be an eventful spring and summer for Murray, assuming he gets – and stays – healthy. After seeking a second straight NBA championship with the Nuggets, the 27-year-old hopes to suit up for the Canadian national team at the Olympics in Paris, he confirmed to Eurohoops.
“I’m excited to be there,” he said. “We have a great squad, (it) was great to see them win a medal (at the 2023 World Cup). Hopefully, we can go our way and win gold this summer.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a second consecutive game on Friday vs. Phoenix due to his right quad contusion. Head coach Mark Daigneault said that Gilgeous-Alexander will continue to be considered day-to-day, so there’s no indication at this point that the injury will result in an extended absence (Twitter link via Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman).
- Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe, who is recovering from core muscle surgery, is with the team on its current seven-game road trip and will continue to be evaluated after participating in non-contact and conditioning drills in the G League earlier this week, per the club (Twitter link). Sharpe hasn’t played since January 11, but there’s still hope that he’ll return in the season’s final two weeks.
- Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said on Friday that he has great relationships with Glen Taylor, Marc Lore, and Alex Rodriguez, so he won’t be taking sides in the franchise’s ownership struggle and doesn’t expect the situation to affect his team at “troop level,” tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “If there was ever a definition of ‘above your pay grade,’ this is it,” Finch added.
- After expressing some concern in mid-February about the frustration level in the Jazz‘s locker room, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune says the locker room vibes in Utah are “way better” now. However, that comes with an important caveat — according to Larsen, since the Jazz have fallen out of the postseason race, they’re no longer as stressed about winning games, as “the sting of losing is absolutely gone.”
Southwest Notes: Daniels, Ingram, Jones, Whitmore, Wemby
Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels, who has been sidelined since February 9 due to knee surgery, has been cleared to return for Saturday’s game vs. Boston, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com.
Daniels wasn’t a major part of the Pelicans’ offensive attack earlier in the season, averaging a modest 5.5 points per game on 43.8% shooting (29.1% on threes). However, he started 15 of his 52 games and played 21.9 minutes per contest, in large part due to his defensive prowess. Assuming he’s not slowed by his knee at all, Daniels figures to reclaim a rotation role down the stretch.
There’s also good news out of New Orleans on injured forward Brandon Ingram, who was able to do some on-court work on Friday in what William Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link) describes as a positive step in his recovery from a knee contusion. Ingram will reportedly remain sidelined until at least Friday, but perhaps by next weekend he’ll be nearing a return.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans will be without guard Jose Alvarado on Saturday for a second straight game due to a right oblique strain, per the NBA’s official injury report. It’s unclear how much more time – if any – Alvarado might miss as a result of that injury.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Christian Clark of NOLA.com makes the case for Herbert Jones to claim a spot on this season’s All-Defensive first team, explaining why the player that Pelicans teammates describe as “our defensive leader” deserves the honor.
- After missing the past nine games due to a sprained right knee, Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore believes he’s on the verge of returning to action. According to Whitmore, he’s working on getting his conditioning back to 100% and hopes to be cleared in time to suit up against Dallas on Sunday, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “I feel fine. There’s no pain (in the knee),” he said. “No tweaks, no issues, no nothing. I feel back to normal. I just have to feel better moving around laterally.”
- Now that he has appeared in the requisite 65 games, Victor Wembanyama deserves serious consideration for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, writes Mike Monroe of The Athletic. “If you just watch the game you see how (Wembanyama) affects the game defensively,” Spurs guard Tre Jones said. “It’s tough because of our record, but I think most people know he’s already the best defender in the league. He’s already leading the league in blocks; leads in blocks and steals combined, more than previous NBA Defensive Player of the Year winners.”
- Count Jalen Brunson among Wembanyama’s fans. After the Spurs‘ No. 1 overall pick racked up 40 points and 20 rebounds en route to an overtime win against the Knicks on Friday, Brunson – who scored 61 points in the losing effort – predicted that Wembanyama will be “one of the greatest players this game has seen,” tweets Paul Garcia of Project Spurs. “Just the way he’s built and what he’s been able to do so far,” Brunson said. “Got a lot of respect for him and it’s definitely tough to get a shot up and in over him.”
LeBron, Wemby, Maxey Now Eligible For 2023/24 Awards
Lakers forward LeBron James, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, and Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey all reached the 65-game benchmark on Friday, making them eligible to win end-of-season awards, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (all Twitter links).
James has technically appeared in just 64 regular season games, but the in-season tournament final in December counts toward the 65-game requirement despite not counting toward the Lakers’ regular season record. That will also be the case for players like Anthony Davis – who surpassed the 65-game threshold earlier this month – and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is three games away.
James is no longer a perennial MVP candidate like he was earlier in his career, but he has a legitimate case for an All-NBA spot, having averaged 25.2 points, 8.1 assists, and 7.3 rebounds in 35.2 minutes per game across his 64 starts, with a shooting line (.530/.401/.751) well above his career norm. If LeBron earns one of those 15 berths this season, he’d extend his record for career All-NBA nods to 20, five more than any other player in league history.
Reaching the 65-game threshold is perhaps less crucial for Wembanyama, since it’s not required to qualify for Rookie of the Year or an All-Rookie team. However, it’s necessary to earn votes for Defensive Player of the Year, and while Rudy Gobert is the frontrunner for that award, Wembanyama has a shot at it. The rookie phenom has averaged a double-double (21.0 PPG, 10.5 RPG) and led the NBA in blocks per game (3.4) at age 20.
Wembanyama fell just short of the 20-minute minimum in one of his 65 appearances this season, but he logged over 19 minutes in that contest. A player is permitted to count up to two sub-20 minute games toward his 65-game total if he played at least 15 minutes in those games.
As for Maxey, he’s a leading contender for this season’s Most Improved Player award, having increased his averages to 25.6 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 3.7 RPG in his fourth NBA season. His shooting percentages (.445 FG%, .374 3PT%) are down from last year, but he has been tasked with more offensive responsibilities in Philadelphia following James Harden‘s departure and Joel Embiid‘s knee injury.
Maxey also has a case for All-NBA honors, which could have an impact on his restricted free agency this summer. As Marks notes (via Twitter), claiming an All-NBA spot would make the Sixers guard eligible for a Rose Rule contract starting at up to 30% of the cap (instead of 25%). Such a deal would be worth up to a projected $245.3MM over five years instead of $204.5MM.
Grizzlies’ Derrick Rose, Ziaire Williams Unlikely To Return This Season
Injured Grizzlies point guard Derrick Rose and forward Ziaire Williams aren’t expected to return to action this season, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Rose, who last played on February 28, has been sidelined due to right groin issue and lower back recovery. Williams hasn’t suited up since March 2 due to a lower back injury of his own, as well as a hip flexor strain.
“They’re doing well,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said on Friday. “Most likely they’re not going to be coming back by the end of the season. We’re just kind of taking it day to day.”
As Cole notes, Ja Morant is the only Grizzlies player who has officially been ruled out for the rest of the season. There also has been no indication that Marcus Smart (finger) is on track to play again this spring. However, the team isn’t simply shutting down all of its injured players despite its 24-49 record.
Brandon Clarke made his season debut on Wednesday after spending more than a year recovering from an Achilles tear. Memphis also remains hopeful that Vince Williams (knee) and John Konchar (heel) will play again before the regular season concludes on April 14, says Cole.
The banged-up Grizzlies have qualified for multiple hardship exceptions in recent weeks due to all their injuries. If Morant, Rose, Williams, and Smart are the only four players they don’t expect back in the season’s final two weeks, they’ll only qualify for a single hardship exception going forward, giving them the ability to carry one extra player rather than two.
Kevin Huerter To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery
Kevin Huerter‘s 2023/24 season will come to an early end due to his left shoulder injury, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The Kings‘ wing will undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Wojnarowski.
The expectation is that Huerter will make a full recovery this offseason and will be ready for the start of the 2024/25 season, Woj adds.
Huerter spent the first four seasons of his career in Atlanta before being traded to Sacramento during the 2022 offseason in exchange for a protected first-round pick. The 25-year-old set new career highs in points per game (15.2) and three-point percentage (40.2%) during his first season as a King, but saw his role and his numbers dip this season as head coach Mike Brown made defense a greater priority.
Huerter averaged just 10.2 PPG on .443/.361/.766 shooting in 64 contests (24.4 MPG) this season before suffering his shoulder injury on March 18 vs. Memphis. The Kings announced last Thursday that he had been diagnosed with a left shoulder dislocation and a labral tear and that treatment options were still being evaluated.
In Huerter’s absence, Keon Ellis has moved into Sacramento’s starting lineup for the past five games and is averaging 27.0 minutes per contest, a significant step up from his season average. Davion Mitchell and Chris Duarte have also both seen more consistent playing time since Huerter went down.
The Kings are in the midst of a competitive race for playoff positioning in the Western Conference. They’re currently at No. 8 with a 42-30 record, though they’re only one game back of the No. 6 Mavericks. Finishing in the top six would assure the club of a playoff berth without having to win one ore more play-in games.
Latest On Timberwolves’ Ownership Situation
Current Timberwolves majority owner Glen Taylor and the Marc Lore/Alex Rodriguez-led group that expected to take over control of the team have a difference of opinion over whether the prospective owners should have been granted an extension on Wednesday’s deadline to finalize the sale, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.
[RELATED: Glen Taylor Announces He’ll Retain Majority Stake In Timberwolves]
[RELATED: Lore, A-Rod Dispute Taylor’s Claim To Wolves Ownership]
As Hine explains, language in the sale agreement indicated that the March 27 deadline could have been extended by 90 days if the two sides were awaiting NBA approval to complete the deal. A source tells The Star Tribune that Lore and Rodriguez submitted paperwork to the league last week to complete the agreement and believed a 90-day extension should have been granted in order to give the NBA time to make its decision.
However, Taylor stated that an agreement between him and the Lore/Rodriguez group needed to be completed before the league could approve it, and he believes no such deal was in place.
“They didn’t meet our obligations, so we’re just saying the deal is off,” Taylor said. “But even if we said, ‘OK, we think we have a deal with you,’ they have to start all over and go to the league and the league has to approve of them. … That’s no guarantee.”
According to Patrick Reusse of The Star Tribune, Taylor also pushed back on reports claiming that his relationship with Lore and Rodriguez has “deteriorated” over the past couple years.
“I don’t know if that’s accurate,” he told Reusse. “Lore told me he has been busy 24/7 with other projects. And A-Rod — he has a lot of people to meet when he’s at a game. The deadline had been pushed back, and they missed it. That’s what led to this.”
Taylor also acknowledged that litigation is a possibility if Lore and Rodriguez want to pursue their claim to ownership: “Everyone has the right to bring in the lawyers.”
Here’s more on the Timberwolves’ ownership drama:
- According to Reusse, Taylor dismissed the idea that an increase in NBA franchise valuations over the past two to three years led to his decision to strictly enforce Wednesday’s deadline and nix the sale. “Not for me,” said Taylor, who initially agreed to sell the Wolves for a $1.5 billion valuation. “My money’s going to the Taylor Foundation, not in my pocket. But my limited (partners), they might be happy if the Timberwolves are sold later for a higher price.”
- On the other hand, a statement Taylor gave to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) didn’t exactly put to bed the idea that the longtime Wolves owner is experiencing seller’s remorse. “I just think (we) built this team,” Taylor said in explaining why he’s not putting the team back on the market. “We’ve got the players now. And it appears to me that we should have a very positive run for a number of years, and I want to be a part of that.”
- Reusse’s Star Tribune column on the situation includes several more tidbits of note, including Taylor specifying that the Lore/Rodriguez group currently owns 36% of the team. “I will work with them, as I do with my other limited (partners),” Taylor said. The 82-year-old also repeated a point he’s made before, telling Reusse that if he was concerned about maximizing his payout, he could’ve agreed to sell the Wolves to an owner that wasn’t committed to keeping the franchise in Minnesota. “We could’ve gotten $2.5 billion paid upfront, but that person was going to try to move the team to Las Vegas,” Taylor said.
- Josh Kosman and Ryan Glasspiegel of The New York Post take an in-depth look at why the deal didn’t go through, suggesting that Lore was “laser-focused” in recent months on his gourmet food delivery-company Wonder and left the final stage of the process largely to Rodriguez. According to The Post’s sources, Lore put more money in during the group’s first two rounds of payments and wanted Rodriguez to invest more this time around to “catch up,” so it was left to A-Rod to raise capital.
- Sources tell Kosman and Glasspiegel that Rodriguez was trying to sell interests at a valuation of over $2 billion, rather than his $1.5 billion valuation, which diminished enthusiasm among potential investors to some extent, especially since those investors would be playing “second fiddle” within the ownership hierarchy. While A-Rod eventually raised the money necessary – the equity fund Blue Owl HomeCourt made an investment, per Hine, after the NBA rejected The Carlyle Group, per The Post – “the whole process was delayed” and went down to the wire, according to Kosman and Glasspiegel.
- Mike Conley said today that the ownership situation doesn’t have much of an impact at this time on the Timberwolves’ players, who are focused on their Friday matchup with the rival Nuggets, tweets Hine. “Maybe it affects the image of the team, the aura of the team around a little bit,” Conley said. “But as far as the players are concerned, I think we just are like, ‘Damn, that’s crazy.’ Then we got back to watching film and worrying about (Nikola) Jokic, Jamal Murray, and (Michael) Porter and those guys.”
Southwest Notes: Green, Rockets, Mavs, Kidd, Clarke, V. Williams
Jalen Green‘s in-season turnaround in Houston has been remarkable, according to Mark Deeks of HoopsHype. As Deeks writes, after looking like a potential trade candidate at last month’s deadline, the Rockets guard is now making a legitimate case for a maximum-salary rookie scale extension this offseason.
Green led the Rockets to their 10th straight victory on Wednesday in Oklahoma City, putting up an eye-popping line of 37 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Houston is now one game back of Golden State for the No. 10 spot in the West and Green is confident the club will finish in the top 10.
“We’re going to get a play-in game,” Green said after Wednesday’s win, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “We’re going to keep going.”
Whether or not the Rockets pass the Warriors – or another Western Conference team – in the standings before the end of the regular season, head coach Ime Udoka is pleased that his young squad is getting the opportunity to play meaningful games this late in the year after winning no more than 22 games in each of the previous three seasons.
“I think it’s invaluable for our young guys to go through this,” Udoka said. “And obviously making the playoffs or play-in will be another step, but just going through what they are now and coming on the other side of .500 is huge for them.”
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Although many of Green’s best performances – and the Rockets‘ recent winning streak – have come since Alperen Sengun went down with ankle and knee injuries, Udoka expressed confidence that the two rising stars will be able to excel alongside one another when both are healthy. “I think that they can complement each other very well,” Udoka said during an appearance on The Matt Thomas Show (Twitter audio link).
- Within a detailed story exploring the Western Conference playoff race, Sam Amick of The Athletic outlines how the Mavericks‘ play on defense has keyed the team’s recent hot streak, which includes nine wins in 10 games. Amick also cites sources who say that head coach Jason Kidd hopes to sign a contract extension with the franchise this offseason. Kidd is under contract for one more season beyond this one, notes Amick.
- After a long recovery from an Achilles injury, Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke made his season debut on Wednesday vs. the Lakers. Clarke was effective in his return, with a +15 mark in 21 minutes of action in a 12-point loss. The team intends to take a cautious approach to his playing time in the season’s final weeks, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “We’re definitely going to be smart with his minutes after the long layoff,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said. “We’ll take it week by week. It’s not going to be a game by game thing.”
- While Clarke is back in action, the Grizzlies still have no recovery timeline for injured shooting guard Vince Williams, who has been out since March 8 due to left patellar tendonitis, tweets Cole.