Draft Rumors: Blazers, Mavericks, Pacers, Kings
While it’s safe to assume the Spurs will be hanging onto their No. 1 overall pick, a number of other first-round picks could be up for grabs following Tuesday’s lottery. Here are a few early reports on some selections that are worth keeping an eye on:
- The Trail Blazers‘ move to No. 3 “raised eyebrows all over the league,” according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com (Insider link), who says rival executives think Portland will explore the possibility of trading that pick for win-now help. The Blazers, who are expected to be in the market for wings and big men, may not get a difference-making veteran for the No. 3 pick on its own, but attaching a player like Anfernee Simons to it would make for an intriguing package, Lowe notes.
- Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports also touches on the possibility of the Trail Blazers making that third overall pick available via trade, pointing out that there’s a consensus on the top three prospects in this draft. In other words, Portland could hold a “bidding war” on either Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, depending on which of them is drafted second overall, Fischer writes.
- The Mavericks, who are eager to build a contender around Luka Doncic, are considered likely to gauge the trade value of the No. 10 overall pick, according to both Fischer and Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).
- The Pacers control five picks in this year’s draft, including three first-rounders and four in the top 32. They already explored the idea of trading for veteran talent prior to February’s deadline and may revisit that possibility this summer, says Fischer.
- According to Fischer, the Kings are another team to monitor for first-round trade possibilities. Sacramento holds the No. 24 overall selection.
Steve Kerr Talks Draymond, Myers, Poole, Contract
As Draymond Green considers whether or not to pick up his $27.6MM player option for 2023/24, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made it clear on Tuesday that he wants the veteran forward on Golden State’s roster next season, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com.
“Look, if Draymond is not back, we’re not a championship contender,” Kerr said. “We know that. He’s that important to winning and to who we are. I absolutely want him back.”
As Andrews relays, Kerr told reporters that he and Green haven’t spoken since the Warriors’ season ended last week, but he expects to talk to him soon and is confident that the 33-year-old will want to stay with the team.
While Kerr hopes Green will remain with the Warriors, the head coach also stressed that Draymond’s punch of Jordan Poole during training camp negatively impacted the level of trust and chemistry within the locker room entering this season. The club isn’t prepared to sweep that under the rug, according to Kerr, who said that rebuilding the organizational culture will be a top priority this offseason.
“He knows that he also compromised things by what happened back in October,” Kerr said. “So part of him coming back next year has to be about rebuilding some of that trust and respect that he’s earned here for a long period of time.”
Here’s more on the Warriors, including additional comments from Kerr:
- Kerr referred to Bob Myers‘ decision about whether or not to remain in his role of president of basketball operations as a crucial one for the future of the Warriors, per Andrews. “Bob is such an important part of our organization,” Kerr said. “I absolutely hope he comes back, but it’s also a case where I want what’s best for Bob, and if he decides that he’s going to leave, of course, I’m going to support him 100 percent. … I would miss him, but I support him regardless of what he does.”
- Reports last week indicated that the Warriors may not view Jordan Poole as a member of the team’s long-term core going forward. However, Kerr said on Tuesday that he believes Poole is a “foundational” member of the team whose growth will be a key factor in Golden State’s progress in the coming years, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “He helped us win a lot of games. He helped us win a championship a year ago,” Kerr said. “He would be the first to admit it wasn’t his best season. But that’s how these things go. That’s how careers go. As his coach, it’s my job to help him get better and help him really find his groove and find a good comfort zone next year.”
- Kerr, who has one year remaining on his contract with the Warriors, suggested on Tuesday that he hasn’t begun discussing a contract extension with the team (Twitter video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Kerr added that he’s in “no rush” to push for those talks, since he recognizes that the franchise needs resolution on Myers’ situation first. “Our organization has a lot to sort through this summer,” he said (link via Slater). “My contract situation is not, nor should it be, at the top of the list. Right now Bob’s contract situation is number one because that influences a lot of the player decisions that have to be made, contracts, draft, free agency.”
Full 2023 NBA Draft Order
Now that the NBA’s draft lottery results are in, the full 2023 draft order has been set.
We’ll likely see some of these picks change hands on June 23, or in the days leading up to draft night — we’ll be sure to update the list below if and when picks are traded.
Here’s the full 2023 NBA draft order:
First Round:
- San Antonio Spurs
- Charlotte Hornets
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Houston Rockets
- Detroit Pistons
- Orlando Magic
- Indiana Pacers
- Washington Wizards
- Utah Jazz
- Dallas Mavericks
- Orlando Magic (from Bulls)
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Toronto Raptors
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Atlanta Hawks
- Utah Jazz (from Timberwolves)
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Miami Heat
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets (from Clippers)
- Brooklyn Nets (from Suns)
- Brooklyn Nets
- Portland Trail Blazers (from Knicks)
- Sacramento Kings
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Note: This pick is reportedly being traded to the Celtics.
- Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers)
- Charlotte Hornets (from Nuggets)
- Utah Jazz (from Sixers)
- Indiana Pacers (from Celtics)
- Note: This pick is reportedly being traded to the Nuggets.
- Los Angeles Clippers (from Bucks)
Second Round:
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers (from Rockets)
- Note: This pick is reportedly being traded to the Nuggets.
- San Antonio Spurs
- Charlotte Hornets
- Boston Celtics (from Trail Blazers)
- Note: This pick is reportedly being traded to the Wizards.
- Orlando Magic
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Wizards)
- Note: This pick is reportedly being traded to the Nuggets.
- Sacramento Kings (from Pacers)
- Charlotte Hornets (from Jazz)
- Denver Nuggets (from Mavericks)
- Note: This pick is reportedly being traded to the Lakers (via the Pacers).
- Note: This pick is reportedly being traded to the Lakers (via the Pacers).
- Charlotte Hornets (from Thunder)
- Washington Wizards (from Bulls)
- Portland Trail Blazers (from Hawks)
- San Antonio Spurs (from Raptors)
- Memphis Grizzlies (from Timberwolves)
- Atlanta Hawks (from Pelicans)
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Note: This pick is reportedly being traded to the Pacers.
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Cleveland Cavaliers (from Warriors)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Heat)
- Brooklyn Nets
- Phoenix Suns
- Minnesota Timberwolves (from Knicks)
- Sacramento Kings
- Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers)
- Memphis Grizzlies
Chicago Bulls (from Nuggets)- Note: The Bulls forfeited this second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
Philadelphia 76ers- Note: The Sixers forfeited this second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
- Washington Wizards (from Celtics)
- Milwaukee Bucks
Spurs Win 2023 NBA Draft Lottery; Hornets, Blazers, Rockets In Top Four
The Spurs have won the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
San Antonio claimed the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday night’s draft lottery, putting the club in position to select Wembanyama, a 7’5″ French phenom who is widely considered the top NBA prospect since LeBron James.
The top 14 slots for the 2023 draft have officially been set. The lottery order is as follows:
- San Antonio Spurs
- Charlotte Hornets
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Houston Rockets
- Detroit Pistons
- Orlando Magic
- Indiana Pacers
- Washington Wizards
- Utah Jazz
- Dallas Mavericks
- Orlando Magic (from Bulls)
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Toronto Raptors
- New Orleans Pelicans
It’s the third time in franchise history that the Spurs have won a draft lottery and earned the right to add a generational big man to their roster. San Antonio drafted David Robinson with the No. 1 overall pick in 1987 and Tim Duncan with the top pick in 1997.
The Spurs entered the night third in the lottery standings, but had a 14.0% chance at the No. 1 pick, the same odds as Detroit and Houston, the top two teams in the lottery standings.
The Pistons are the biggest loser of the night, slipping all the way out of the top four after finishing the season with the NBA’s worst record at 17-65. It also wasn’t an ideal outcome for the Rockets, who slipped from second to fourth in a draft widely considered to have a consensus top three prospects.
The Hornets, who had a 12.5% chance at the No. 1 pick and a 48.1% chance to end up in the top four, move up two spots to No. 2 and will likely decide between G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson and Alabama wing Brandon Miller, who are viewed as the next-best prospects behind Wembanyama.
Henderson was once considered a lock for the No. 2 spot, but had an up-and-down year in the G League while Miller had a big freshman season for the Crimson Tide.
At No. 3, the Trail Blazers also moved up two spots and are the night’s other big winner — they’ll be in position to draft either Henderson or Miller, whichever one the Hornets pass on. Of course, Portland badly wants to build a roster around Damian Lillard that’s capable of contending sooner rather than later, so it’s possible the team will listen to offers for its lottery pick, but the price would presumably be extremely high.
Outside of the top five, the remaining lottery picks remain unchanged from the pre-lottery order. That means the Mavericks will keep their first-round pick, which would have been sent to the Knicks if it had slipped out of the top 10. Dallas will instead owe New York its 2024 first-rounder with top-10 protection.
The Bulls, meanwhile, would have hung onto their lottery pick if it had moved into the top four, but it will be sent to the Magic since it fell outside of its protected range. That pick was the last asset that Chicago owed to Orlando as part of the 2021 Nikola Vucevic trade.
Tuesday’s lottery results also shook up the order of the second round. Because San Antonio will be picking ahead of Houston in the first round, the Rockets’ second-round pick has moved up from No. 33 to No. 32, which means it will be sent to the Pacers instead of the Celtics.
That’s great news for the Pacers, who move up 18 spots from No. 50 as a result of that lottery outcome and a convoluted set of trade criteria involving multiple second-rounders. Rather than getting Houston’s pick, Boston will receive Portland’s second-rounder at No. 35, while the Thunder – who had been in position to get No. 35, will instead pick at No. 50.
Southeast Notes: Herro, Wizards, DSJ, Magic
An unlikely run to the Eastern Conference Finals for the Heat has increased the likelihood of Tyler Herro playing again this season. However, he still hasn’t begun to shoot or dribble as he recovers from a fractured right hand, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
After Herro broke his hand in Game 1 of the Heat’s first round series vs. Milwaukee, reports indicated that he likely wouldn’t be able to return unless Miami made the NBA Finals. When he underwent surgery on April 21, the sharpshooter was ruled out for six weeks.
At the time, it seemed safe to conclude Herro’s season was over, but the No. 8 Heat have since won two series, giving him a chance to make it back this spring. Still, as Jackson observes, that six-week timeline would mean Herro will be sidelined until at least Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, so Miami will still need to win a few more games to have any hope of seeing him again this postseason.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Wizards owner Ted Leonsis will be asking the questions when he interviews candidates for the team’s top front office job, but six high-ranking executives around the NBA who spoke to Josh Robbins and David Aldridge of The Athletic said they’d have questions of their own they’d want Leonsis to answer if they met with the Wizards. “The biggest one would be: ‘Are you willing to start over and build from the bottom up?'” one exec said. “‘Can you stomach three to four years of struggle in the win column in order to position the team to win (at) a high level in the long run?'”
- Within a mailbag for The Charlotte Observer, Roderick Boone says he expects the Hornets to re-sign Dennis Smith Jr. in free agency this offseason, referring to the union between Charlotte and the veteran guard as a “perfect marriage.”
- The Magic are working with the City of Orlando on a bid to host the 2027 NBA All-Star Game, according to Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link), who confirms reporting from Richard Bilbao of The Orlando Business Journal. The team last hosted the All-Star Game in 2012.
Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane Undergoes Toe Surgery
Grizzlies wing Desmond Bane underwent surgery on Tuesday to address a fracture of the medial sesamoid bone in his right big toe, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link). The expectation is that Bane will be fully recovered before the 2023/24 season begins.
Bane sustained the injury, which was initially diagnosed as a sprain rather than a break, on November 11. He missed Memphis’ next 17 games before returning to action on December 23.
Although Bane played through the injury for most of the year, he acknowledged in January during a podcast appearance that he’d probably have to get it “taken care of” during the offseason. “You never know how much you need to use your big toe until you can’t use it,” the 24-year-old said at the time.
Bane averaged a career-high 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game in 58 appearances (31.7 MPG) during his third NBA season in 2022/23, making over 40% of his three-pointers for a third consecutive year. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason and appears to be in line for a significant payday.
With Ja Morant possibly facing a lengthy suspension to begin the 2023/24 season, Bane will be in position to take on a larger role on the court for the Grizzlies this fall as long as he’s back to full health. He’ll also likely be counted on to assume more leadership responsibilities in the locker room, given that Morant – Memphis’ ostensible franchise player – continues to make negative headlines off the court.
Lowe’s Latest: Player Movement, Harden, Ayton, Paul
There could be a significant amount of star player movement in the NBA within the next year, Zach Lowe of ESPN said in the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast (YouTube link). Lowe pointed to a number of volatile situations around the league and the potential impact of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement as reasons why we could see more notable trades and free agency moves than usual in the not-too-distant future.
“I think the next year in the NBA could be an unbelievable period of superstar and star player movement because you’ve just got a lot of sort of roiling situations,” Lowe explained (hat tip to RealGM). “You have one year left before the really harsh trade rules kick into place, after the 2023/24 season, where teams over the second apron, like the Clippers for instance, cannot even aggregate salaries. They can’t add up money to bring in a big money player. That’s starting after next season.
“I think we could see a ton of movement in the offseason and up to the (trade) deadline. And a ton of big names moving. That’s not to say (Joel) Embiid, but I think this going to be a hot and heavy offseason and people should buckle up.”
Lowe’s prediction followed a conversation about Embiid’s future with the Sixers. Lowe stressed that the 2023 MVP has always been loyal to Philadelphia and expressed skepticism that Embiid would ask for a trade anytime soon, but noted that teams around the NBA have an eye on that situation following another disappointing playoff exit.
Pointing to the Knicks, in particular, Lowe said he’d be surprised if New York gave up significant assets for a player like Damian Lillard or Karl-Anthony Towns, arguing that clubs in the Knicks’ position would be better off waiting to see if a higher-level star like Embiid eventually becomes available.
Here’s more from Lowe’s most recent podcast, which featured fellow ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon:
- James Harden‘s future in Philadelphia is much less certain than Embiid’s. During a discussion about the future of the Sixers guard, both Lowe and MacMahon stated that the Rockets “think he’s coming.” Harden can become a free agent this summer by declining his player option for 2023/24, and rumors about a return to Houston continue to percolate.
- Monty Williams‘ ouster in Phoenix doesn’t necessarily mean the Suns will be more inclined to hang onto center Deandre Ayton, who had an up-and-down relationship with Williams. Lowe says the Ayton situation has “spun totally out of control,” adding that many people within the organization are “tired” of the Suns’ center. MacMahon agrees that the two sides needs to move on and says he’s “pretty confident” Ayton will be dealt this offseason.
- While he makes it clear that he doesn’t have any inside info and isn’t explicitly reporting anything, Lowe views the Clippers as a logical trade partner for the Suns if they want to move Chris Paul. As Lowe explains, Los Angeles has been seeking an answer at point guard throughout the Paul George/Kawhi Leonard era and Phoenix would like to add reliable depth, which the Clippers could provide.
Sixers Dismiss Head Coach Doc Rivers
10:51am: The Sixers have issued a press release confirming the dismissal of Rivers.
“Doc is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, a future Hall of Famer, and someone I respect immensely,” Morey said in a statement. “We’re grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise. After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship.””
10:16am: The Sixers are parting ways with head coach Doc Rivers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Rivers’ hold on his job was considered shaky after Philadelphia lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to Boston on Sunday. A tight game at halftime turned into a blowout Celtics victory after Boston outscored the 76ers by a 33-10 margin in the third quarter.
The loss resulted in the Sixers’ third consecutive second-round playoff exit since Rivers was hired in 2020. During that time, the veteran coach led the club to a 154-82 (.653) regular season record but failed to make a deep playoff run. Philadelphia was eliminated by Atlanta in 2021 and Miami in 2022, losing the final game of the series at home in both instances.
Rivers is one of several accomplished head coaches to be let go this spring, joining recent champions and/or Coaches of the Year like Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams, and Nick Nurse.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN observes (via Twitter), Phoenix, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia lead the NBA in regular season victories since the start of the 2020/21 season, but all three clubs are making head coaching changes this offseason following disappointing postseason showings.
Previous reporting from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype indicated that Williams, Nurse, and Mike D’Antoni would likely be candidates to replace Rivers if the Sixers were to make a change. Wojnarowski confirms those names and adds a few more to Philadelphia’s list of potential candidates, tweeting that Budenholzer, Sam Cassell, and Frank Vogel are also expected to factor into the team’s search.
Of those six candidates, only Cassell – who is an assistant on Philadelphia’s staff – lacks head coaching experience. D’Antoni, Williams, Vogel are all former Sixers assistants, while D’Antoni has a long-standing relationship with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, having coached the Rockets during Morey’s time in Houston.
The decision to dismiss Rivers is the first one in a big offseason for the Sixers. While MVP center Joel Embiid is on a long-term contract, his co-star James Harden will reach free agency if he turns down his 2023/24 player option and has been repeatedly linked to the Rockets. Harden offered Rivers a very lukewarm endorsement following Sunday’s loss, so it’s possible the 10-time All-Star will be more inclined to remain in Philadelphia under a new head coach.
As for Rivers, it’s unclear at this point whether he’ll immediately emerge as a candidate to take over as the head coach for another NBA team. There are four clubs besides the Sixers with head coaching vacancies: Milwaukee, Phoenix, Toronto, and Detroit.
Coaching Rumors: Rivers, Sixers, Rockets, Nets, Vogel, More
As the Sixers enter the offseason, there’s a sense that James Harden‘s and Doc Rivers‘ futures are linked, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne explained during an appearance on NBA Today (podcast link). The star guard will become a free agent if he declines his 2023/24 player option, while the head coach finds himself on the hot seat after another second-round playoff exit for Philadelphia.
“James Harden can become a free agent, which means you have to decide if you want to give him a four-year contract. Do you want to lock this in for the next four years?” Shelburne said (hat tip to RealGM). “That decision, from what I understand talking to people around the (Sixers), also now becomes tied to the decision about Doc Rivers. Because James Harden was not all that supportive of Doc Rivers in his press conference (on Sunday). I think behind the scenes, from what I’m told, one person said, ‘It would be hard for me to see James wanting to come back and play for Doc again.’
“This is going to be a situation where those two decisions are linked. As we go forward into this offseason and you have another second round exit, you have to decide if you want to lock in your future around (Joel Embiid and Harden). And then, if you’re doing that, what does that mean for Doc Rivers? Because the decisions seem to be linked.”
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype spoke to a handful of NBA executives and scouts at this week’s draft combine to get an idea of which head coaching candidates the Sixers might look at if they do decide to move on from Rivers.
Multiple execs identified Nick Nurse as a logical fit, according to Scotto, who says there’s also been a sense for some time that Mike D’Antoni would be an option due to his longtime relationship with Philadelphia president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. A couple sources named Monty Williams as a possible target too, but he’s drawing interest from multiple teams and may have a more favorable opportunity available, Scotto notes.
Here are a few more coaching-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- As the Rockets look to fill Ime Udoka‘s coaching staff, it’s worth keeping an eye on Celtics assistants Aaron Miles and Ben Sullivan and Nets assistant Royal Ivey as potential targets, league sources tell Scotto.
- The Nets are hiring Jay Hernandez as an assistant coach, according to Scotto. Hernandez worked in recent years as an assistant in Charlotte and was previously a member of Jacque Vaughn‘s staff in Orlando.
- Will Weaver, a former NBA assistant who is currently coaching Paris Basketball, has drawn interest from multiple NBA teams this offseason, including the Nets and Raptors, reports Scotto.
- If veteran coach Frank Vogel doesn’t get a head coaching opportunity this spring, he’ll be a popular target for teams seeking an experienced assistant. He has received interest from the Mavericks, according to Scotto, who adds that Vogel and Stephen Silas could be targets for the Celtics.
Poll: Which Team Will Win Eastern Conference Finals?
For the second season in a row and the third time in the last four years, the Celtics and the Heat will face one another in the Eastern Conference Finals, battling for the right to play in the NBA Finals. The series will tip off on Wednesday night in Boston.
[RELATED: Which team will win Western Conference Finals?]
The odds of the Heat making it back to the Eastern Finals appeared slim when the postseason began. After finishing the regular season seventh in the conference, Miami needed two play-in games to secure its playoff berth, then saw one of its top scorers – sharpshooter Tyler Herro – break his hand during the first half of Game 1 against the top-seeded Bucks.
Despite injuries to Herro and reserve guard Victor Oladipo, as well as the history of futility for No. 8 seeds in the NBA playoffs, the Heat pulled off an impressive five-game upset of Milwaukee, then defeated the No. 5 Knicks in the second round to advance to the third round.
Jimmy Butler, who has been the Heat’s leading scorer in every single game he has played during the playoffs (he missed Game 2 of the Knicks series due to an ankle sprain), has been the difference-maker for the franchise. After averaging 22.9 points per game during the season, “Playoff Jimmy” has bumped that number to 31.1 PPG in the postseason, chipping in 6.6 RPG, 5.4 APG, and 1.7 SPG with an impressive .527/.361/.792 shooting line.
Butler and Bam Adebayo, who is anchoring the defense and providing secondary scoring, have been buoyed by a supporting cast featuring Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Caleb Martin, and a resurgent Kyle Lowry, leading the Heat to an improbably deep run. Miami will be looking to become the first No. 8 seed in NBA history to win a title — if they can get past Boston, the Heat will become just the second eighth seed in league history to even make the NBA Finals, joining the 1999 Knicks.
To advance to the Finals though, the Heat will have to defeat a Celtics team that held the East’s top seed for much of the season and ultimately ended up No. 2 with 57 wins.
Boston had a league-best +6.7 net rating during the regular season, posting the NBA’s second-best offensive rating (117.3) and finishing second in defensive rating (110.6) too. The offense has been even better (118.1) during the postseason and the defense (111.0) has shown no sign of slipping.
This is a talented, well-rounded team led by a pair of star wings – Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown – and featuring strong defenders all over the court, including guards Marcus Smart and Derrick White and big men Robert Williams and Al Horford.
While Miami should have the head coaching advantage in the series, which pits long-tenured Heat coach Erik Spoelstra against Celtics first-timer Joe Mazzulla, there’s little question that Boston has the talent edge on the court. Currently, BetOnline.ag lists the Celtics as significant betting favorites — Boston is -550 to advance to the NBA Finals, while the Heat are +430 underdogs.
But the Heat have defied the odds to even make it this far. Can they do it again? We want to know what you think. Which team will represent the East in this year’s NBA Finals?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Which team will win the Eastern Conference Finals?
-
Boston Celtics in 6-7 games 49% (666)
-
Miami Heat in 6-7 games 25% (344)
-
Boston Celtics in 4-5 games 22% (295)
-
Miami Heat in 4-5 games 4% (60)
Total votes: 1,365