2022 NBA Offseason Preview: Sacramento Kings
The Kings‘ 2021/22 season got off to a rough start and didn’t get any better from there. Sacramento became the first and only team to make an in-season coaching change in ’21/22, and Alvin Gentry‘s winning percentage (.369) after replacing Luke Walton was barely an improvement on Walton’s mark (.353).
The Kings made a major splash at the trade deadline when they sent 2020 first-round pick Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana in a six-player deal that landed two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis in Sacramento, and there was some brief hope that the acquisition of Sabonis could help push the team into play-in territory during the home stretch of the season.
However, the Kings continued to lose games after the trade and ultimately shut down Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox, neither of whom played in the final three weeks of the season due to injuries. The end result? Sacramento is now the holder of an ignominious NBA record, having missed the playoffs for a 16th consecutive season.
The Kings’ Offseason Plan:
The Kings will be laser-focused on ending their postseason drought in 2022/23 and general manager Monte McNair will certainly be feeling some pressure to make it happen, since he’s reportedly entering the final year of his contract.
Sacramento’s desire to be a playoff team raises some interesting questions about the No. 4 overall pick in the draft. With Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, and Paolo Banchero likely to come off the board in the top three, would the Kings target an older prospect who is considered more NBA-ready, such as forward Keegan Murray? Are they interested in rolling the dice on guard Jaden Ivey to create an electric offensive backcourt, even if it creates more questions about how their defense would hold up? Would they be willing to put that fourth overall pick in a trade for an impact veteran?
It’s a tricky spot for McNair. There’s certainly no guarantee that the Kings will be able to add a franchise player at No. 4, but it’s still such a valuable asset that they’d want to acquire a legitimate star if they were to trade it. Will a player of that caliber be out there this summer? If not, could the Kings consider a deal where they move down a few spots in the draft and acquire a starter-caliber veteran rather than a potential All-Star?
Whether they keep it or trade it, that No. 4 pick will be the Kings’ best bet to acquire impact talent, since they won’t have cap room available to make waves in free agency. Re-signing restricted free agent Donte DiVincenzo and using their mid-level exception on a rotation player could be the extent of Sacramento’s free agent moves.
If they do hang onto their lottery pick, there are some other ways the Kings could get involved in trade discussions.
Center Richaun Holmes looks like the most obvious trade chip on the roster — the four-year, $46.5MM contract he signed last summer seemed pretty team-friendly at the time, but Holmes struggled to find his niche following the acquisition of Sabonis and his stock has dipped a little over the last year. Still, he’s in his prime at age 28 and he should draw interest from teams in need of help at center.
The Kings will also have to decide whether they consider forward Harrison Barnes part of their long-term future. Barnes is a solid – but not spectacular – scorer and defender who is entering a contract year. His expiring $18.4MM deal would have positive value, but he’s also the sort of player who should fit well alongside Fox and Sabonis, so a possible contract extension shouldn’t be ruled out either.
Other non-core pieces on expiring contracts include Justin Holiday, Terence Davis, Maurice Harkless, and Alex Len. While there shouldn’t be any urgency to move any of those four, I imagine the Kings would be open to discussing any of them if rival teams inquire.
Of course, Sacramento has already made one of its biggest offseason decisions, announcing earlier this month that Warriors assistant Mike Brown will be the team’s next head coach. The Kings wanted a coach who had experience turning a lottery team into a playoff club. Brown technically fits that bill, having done so in Cleveland, but he had plenty of help from LeBron James in that instance — he’ll face a more significant challenge trying to repeat that feat in Sacramento without one of the NBA’s all-time greats on his roster.
Salary Cap Situation
Note: Our salary cap figures are based on the league’s latest projection ($122MM) for 2022/23.
Guaranteed Salary
De’Aaron Fox ($30,351,780)- Domantas Sabonis ($18,500,000)
- Harrison Barnes ($18,352,273)
- Richaun Holmes ($11,215,260)
- Justin Holiday ($6,292,440)
- Davion Mitchell ($4,833,600)
- Maurice Harkless ($4,564,980)
- Terence Davis ($4,000,000)
- Alex Len ($3,918,000)
- Total: $102,028,333
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- Trey Lyles ($2,625,000): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $2,625,000
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Chimezie Metu ($1,910,680) 1
- Total: $1,910,680
Restricted Free Agents
- Donte DiVincenzo ($6,602,272 qualifying offer / $14,027,490 cap hold): Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $14,027,490
Two-Way Free Agents
- Neemias Queta ($1,616,044 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $1,616,044
Draft Picks
- No. 4 overall pick ($7,901,280)
- No. 37 overall pick (no cap hold)
- No. 49 overall pick (no cap hold)
- Total: $7,901,280
Extension-Eligible Players
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2022/23 season begins.
- Harrison Barnes (veteran)
- Justin Holiday (veteran)
- Domantas Sabonis (veteran)
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Jeremy Lamb ($15,750,000 cap hold): Bird rights
- Josh Jackson ($6,506,955 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Damian Jones ($1,811,516 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Corey Brewer ($1,811,516 cap hold): Early Bird rights 2
- Total: $25,879,987
Offseason Cap Outlook
Accounting for their guaranteed salaries and the cap hold for their first-round pick, the Kings will have about $110MM on their books, putting them in position to be an over-the-cap team. They should be able to re-sign DiVincenzo to a fair contract and use their full $10MM+ mid-level exception without going into luxury-tax territory, if they so choose.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Mid-level exception: $10,349,000 3
- Bi-annual exception: $4,050,000 3
- Trade exception: $4,023,600
- Trade exception: $1,630,934
Footnotes
- Metu’s salary will become fully guaranteed after June 29.
- The cap hold for Brewer remain on the Kings’ books from a prior season because he hasn’t been renounced. He can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
- These are projected values.
Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
And-Ones: Mirotic, In-Season Tourney, Transition Take Fouls
Nikola Mirotic finished only fourth in Spanish League MVP voting this season, but he has been named the Most Valuable Player for the EuroLeague, per an official release.
The former NBA forward had a terrific year for FC Barcelona, averaging 16.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG with a shooting line of .566/.455/.875 in just 24.2 MPG (36 games) in EuroLeague play. Mirotic ranked second in the league in points per game, behind only Thunder draft-and-stash prospect Vasilije Micic, and was among the league leaders in total three-pointers made.
Mirotic, who appeared in 319 NBA games from 2014-19, has been back in Europe for the last three seasons after making the surprising decision to turn down lucrative NBA offers at age 28. His Barcelona squad is set to face Real Madrid at the EuroLeague Final Four on Thursday.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA continues to discuss a possible in-season tournament and could implement it as soon as the 2023/24 season, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The league has been encouraged by the success of the play-in tournament and is ramping up its planning on a mid-season tourney, Charania adds.
- According to Charania (Twitter links), the NBA is strongly considering tweaking the rules on take fouls in transition by awarding the offensive team a free throw and the ball. The proposal, which will be voted on in July at the Board of Governors meeting, had “widespread support” at this week’s GM meeting, per Charania.
- During an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, commissioner Adam Silver floated the idea of requiring a minimum number of games played for end-of-season award eligibility, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. There’s no indication the NBA is seriously considering implementing such a rule, but the fact that Silver even mentioned it is interesting.
- FIBA continues not to allow the national teams from Russia and Belarus to participate in international competitions, announcing in a press release that the countries have been withdrawn from a series of upcoming events, including the 2023 World Cup qualifiers. FIBA first banned the two countries from international play on March 1 following their invasion of Ukraine, and shows no signs of reversing the decision.
Central Notes: Pistons, Pacers, Cavaliers, Draft
Although there’s a consensus among most draft experts that the top tier in the 2022 class consists of only three – or maybe four – prospects, Pistons general manager Troy Weaver, whose team will be selecting fifth overall, said on Tuesday night that he doesn’t agree with that assessment.
“I don’t see it as a ‘big three,'” Weaver said, according to Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. “I think there’s tremendous players all along the board. Length — everyone wants to add length and size. We’re gonna pick the best player for us. Length, size, speed, it really doesn’t matter. We’ll pick the best player for the Pistons. We’re very comfortable with the guys that are all along the board in the lottery.”
Weaver said he considers the 2022 draft class to be about as strong as last year’s, especially in the top half of the lottery. He also confirmed that fit will be a consideration when the Pistons make their pick at No. 5 and expressed confidence that the incoming rookie will have no problem fitting in with the culture the team has established over the last couple years.
“There’s a certain culture here. Working hard, being selfless. Coach (Dwane) Casey‘s coaching staff has done that,” Weaver said, per Bianchi. “We’re confident because the last two drafts, we’ve had three players make All-Rookie, so we’re very comfortable with our culture here and what our coaches have been able to do with these young players.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said on Tuesday that he isn’t worried about having slipped to No. 6 as a result of the lottery, writes James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. “I would’ve much rather have the first pick because we want the shot,” Pritchard said. “You want to take the shot, but historically there’s seven really good players in every draft. If we make the right pick, we’re gonna be just fine.”
- Pritchard is excited about the flexibility that the Pacers will have this summer as they consider roster moves, Boyd adds in the same story. “We’ve got cap space. We’ve got a good pick,” Pritchard said. “… The gamut of what we can do is wide and wider than I’ve ever seen ever in my time in this league, and I like that because now we get to get on the board and look at every scenario. There won’t be one. There won’t be two. There might 50 things we’ll look (at) up on the board, and that’s when you can be aggressive.”
- Adding wings and play-makers will be a top priority for the Cavaliers this offseason, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who explores which prospects the team might target with the 14th overall pick. Malaki Branham (Ohio State), Dyson Daniels (G League Ignite), Tari Eason (LSU), and Jeremy Sochan (Baylor) are among the prospects the Cavs like, says Fedor, though it’s possible not all of them will still be available at No. 14.
Celtics Notes: Horford, Smart, Udoka, Tatum
The Celtics aren’t counting on big man Al Horford clearing the NBA’s health and safety protocols in time to return for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Horford entered the COVID-19 protocols just hours ahead of Game 1 on Tuesday. While there’s a chance he could register the negative tests necessary to exit the protocols prior to tip-off on Thursday, Haynes classifies those odds as “minuscule,” with sources telling him it’s highly unlikely.
If Horford registered a positive COVID-19 test, he’ll have to remain in the protocols for at least five days unless he records two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart. A five-day absence would sideline him for Game 3 as well.
The Celtics missed the presence of Horford and starting point guard Marcus Smart on Tuesday, surrendering 118 points and allowing Miami to shoot nearly 49% from the field in the Game 1 loss.
“Obviously, we weren’t prepared to be without Al,” Jaylen Brown told reporters after the game. “We definitely weren’t prepared to be without Al and Smart. So, it’s not an excuse. We got to be better.”
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- Smart, who was unavailable for Game 1 due to a right mid-foot sprain, is aiming to return on Thursday, according to Haynes. However, his status will hinge on how his foot responds to treatment today and tomorrow.
- Several Celtics staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 during the last few days, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during an appearance on Get Up on Wednesday morning (video link). The team also announced that head coach Ime Udoka is dealing with an illness, though it’s said to be a non-COVID ailment (Twitter link via Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press).
- The Celtics don’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft, but last night’s lottery results could still have an indirect impact on the team going forward. Brian Robb of MassLive.com explains how.
- Christopher L. Gasper of The Boston Globe praises Jayson Tatum‘s growth as a leader this season, but says the star forward will have to show more mental toughness in order for the Celtics to to win their series vs. Miami.
Rockets Notes: No. 3 Pick, Lottery, Hornacek, Weaver
Having snagged the third overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, the Rockets are in good position to add one of the best prospects in this year’s class without having to worry too much about that player’s fit alongside last year’s No. 2 pick Jalen Green.
As Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes, big men Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero are widely considered to be this year’s top three prospects and don’t overlap positionally at all with Green. All three have been mentioned in the conversation for the No. 1 pick and are different from the frontcourt players on Houston’s current roster, Feigen adds.
Still, general manager Rafael Stone isn’t closing the door on the possibility that the Rockets could make a trade involving that No. 3 pick.
“There’s going to be a really good player available at three,” Stone said, per Feigen. “It’s on us to make sure we pick him, assuming we pick it. Nobody ever believes me, but that’s always in the cards: that it might make more sense for us to trade it.”
Here’s more out of Houston:
- Within that same Houston Chronicle story, Feigen also takes a behind-the-scenes look at the experience Rockets general counsel Clay Allen had in the lottery drawing room on Tuesday. Allen was pleased with the end result, expressing relief that the team didn’t slip to No. 4 or No. 5. “The whole day was nerve-wracking,” he said.
- Rockets assistant coaches Jeff Hornacek and Will Weaver won’t be returning to the coaching staff for the 2022/23 season, reports Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston (Twitter link). Both Hornacek and Weaver were hired as part of Stephen Silas‘ initial group of assistants in the fall of 2020.
- According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, “early intel” points to the Rockets hanging onto the No. 17 pick, even though it’s their second first-round pick this year and their sixth in the last two years. However, Iko expects that selection to draw interest from rival teams.
- Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Josh Christopher were among the players in attendance last week when the Rockets held an informal workout at their facility, only about a month after their season ended, Iko writes in the same story.
2022 NBA Draft Picks By Team
Not only did the Thunder move up in Tuesday’s draft lottery to claim this year’s No. 2 overall pick, but they’re also one of just three teams with four picks in the 2022 draft. No team’s 2022 selections are more valuable than Oklahoma City’s — in addition to the second overall pick, the Thunder control No. 12, No. 30, and No. 34.
The Spurs and Timberwolves also each own four 2022 draft picks, with San Antonio controlling three first-rounders and No. 38, while Minnesota has No. 19 and three second-rounders.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, four clubs don’t currently own any 2022 draft picks. The Lakers, Suns, and Jazz are three of those teams, and either the Sixers or the Nets will be the fourth, depending on whether Brooklyn decides to acquire Philadelphia’s first-rounder or defer it to 2023.
To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2022 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 58 selections by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…
Teams with more than two picks:
- Oklahoma City Thunder (4): 2, 12, 30, 34
- San Antonio Spurs (4): 9, 20, 25, 38
- Minnesota Timberwolves (4): 19, 40, 48, 50
- Orlando Magic (3): 1, 32, 35
- Sacramento Kings (3): 4, 37, 49
- Indiana Pacers (3): 6, 31, 58
- Portland Trail Blazers (3): 7, 36, 57
- New Orleans Pelicans (3): 8, 41, 52
- Charlotte Hornets (3): 13, 15, 45
- Cleveland Cavaliers (3): 14, 39, 56
- Memphis Grizzlies (3): 22, 29, 47
- Golden State Warriors (3): 28, 51, 55
Teams with two picks:
- Houston Rockets: 3, 17
- Detroit Pistons: 5, 46
- Washington Wizards: 10, 54
- New York Knicks: 11, 42
- Atlanta Hawks: 16, 44
Teams with one pick:
- Chicago Bulls: 18
- Denver Nuggets: 21
- Philadelphia 76ers: 23
- Milwaukee Bucks: 24
- Dallas Mavericks: 26
- Miami Heat: 27
- Toronto Raptors: 33
- Los Angeles Clippers: 43
- Boston Celtics: 53
Teams with no picks:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
Full 2022 NBA Draft Order
Now that the NBA’s draft lottery results are in, the full 2022 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 2022 NBA draft order:
First Round:
- Orlando Magic
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Houston Rockets
- Sacramento Kings
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Portland Trail Blazers
- New Orleans Pelicans (from Lakers)
- San Antonio Spurs
- Washington Wizards
- New York Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers)
- Charlotte Hornets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Charlotte Hornets (from Pelicans)
- Atlanta Hawks
- Houston Rockets (from Nets)
- Chicago Bulls
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- San Antonio Spurs (from Raptors)
- Denver Nuggets
- Memphis Grizzlies (from Jazz)
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Milwaukee Bucks
- San Antonio Spurs (from Celtics)
- Houston Rockets (from Mavericks)
- Miami Heat
- Golden State Warriors
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Denver Nuggets (from Suns via Thunder)
Second Round:
- Indiana Pacers (from Rockets)
- Orlando Magic
- Toronto Raptors (from Pistons)
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Los Angeles Lakers (from Pacers via Magic)
- Detroit Pistons (from Trail Blazers)
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs (from Lakers)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (from Spurs)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (from Wizards)
- New Orleans Pelicans
- New York Knicks
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Portland Trail Blazers (from Nets via Pistons)
- Memphis Grizzlies (from Cavaliers)
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Cleveland Cavaliers (from Bulls via Kings)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (from Nuggets)
- Golden State Warriors (from Raptors)
- New Orleans Pelicans (from Jazz)
- Boston Celtics
Milwaukee Bucks- Note: The Bucks forfeited their second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
Miami Heat (from Sixers)- Note: The Heat forfeited their second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
- Washington Wizards (from Mavericks)
- Golden State Warriors
- Cleveland Cavaliers (from Heat)
- Portland Trail Blazers (from Grizzlies)
- Indiana Pacers (from Suns)
Magic Win 2022 NBA Draft Lottery; Thunder, Rockets, Kings In Top Four
With Tuesday night’s lottery results now official, the top 14 slots for the 2022 NBA draft have been set. The lottery order is as follows:
Orlando Magic- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Houston Rockets
- Sacramento Kings
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Portland Trail Blazers
- New Orleans Pelicans (from Lakers)
- San Antonio Spurs
- Washington Wizards
- New York Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers)
- Charlotte Hornets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
It’s great news for the rebuilding Magic, who finished dead last in the Eastern Conference this season and had the NBA’s second-worst record (22-60). They entered the night tied for the best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick at 14.0%, and will be picking first in the draft for the first time since 2004, when they selected Dwight Howard.
This time around, the Magic appear likely to draft a big man once again. Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s Jabari Smith, and Duke’s Paolo Banchero, all power forwards or centers, are widely considered to be the top prospects in the 2022 class. Orlando could add one of them to a core that includes 2021 lottery picks Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs.
The Thunder are one of the night’s other big winners, moving up from fourth in the pre-lottery order to No. 2 overall. The rebuilding squad is loaded with first-round picks over the next five years, and will have the opportunity to draft a potential franchise player next month to complement guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. Oklahoma City is the only team with two picks in this year’s lottery, having acquired the No. 12 overall selection from the Clippers.
The Rockets will have a top-three pick for a second straight year after nabbing Jalen Green second overall in 2021. They’ll be followed by the Kings, who moved up from seventh in the pre-lottery order to No. 4 in the draft, making good on their 31.9% chance to jump into the top four.
It’s the fourth consecutive time that the seventh team in the lottery standings has moved into the top four. The Pelicans (Zion Williamson), Hornets (LaMelo Ball), and Raptors (Scottie Barnes) did it in 2019, 2020, and 2021 after the NBA revamped its lottery format ahead of the 2019 event.
The Pistons, Pacers, and Trail Blazers were among the biggest losers on lottery night. Detroit moved down two spots, from No. 3 to No. 5, while Indiana and Portland both dropped one spot from their place in the pre-lottery order, landing at No. 6 and No. 7, respectively.
Since the Lakers’ first-round pick stayed at No. 8, it will head to the Pelicans rather than the Grizzlies — Memphis would have received it if it had fallen out of the top 10.
The rest of the lottery played out as expected, with the Spurs, Wizards, Knicks, Thunder, Hornets, and Cavaliers rounding out the top 14.
Warriors’ Bob Myers Talks Poole, Centers, Iguodala
Given the extent to which the Warriors‘ stars have been plagued by injuries since 2019, president of basketball operations Bob Myers admitted in a conversation with Mark Medina of NBA.com that he kept his expectations for this season in check, even though he liked the roster the team put together.
Now that the Warriors are once again in the Western Conference Finals and are just four wins away from appearing in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight years, Myers feels a sense of satisfaction about how far the team has come since its 15-50 season in 2019/20.
“What makes it most gratifying is how hard it is,” Myers told Medina. “Having a couple of years out of the playoffs was not fun. But I have a better appreciation for being here and where we are now.”
Myers’ discussion with Medina touched on a wide variety of topics, including Jordan Poole‘s emergence, the Warriors’ approach to the trade deadline, and Andre Iguodala‘s health. Here are a few highlights from the Q&A, which is worth checking out in full:
Myers on Poole’s breakout season and success in the playoffs:
“We saw the potential. But when we draft players (late in the first round), realistically it’s really hard to know where it’s going to go. We thought it was possible, but we didn’t know he would reach it. But credit to him and the coaching staff that put the time in to perfect his craft. I’m happy for him that he’s showcasing this on a big stage, showing his skill set and fitting in with guys that are leading him. He’s been great, and I don’t know if we’d be where we are without him. It’ll be interesting to see where it all keeps going.”
On the Warriors’ decision not to add another center prior to the trade deadline in February:
“The league is realizing that size is really important, but it’s more about positional size than size at the center spot. We didn’t have a great option available to us. Secondly, I was under the impression we would have James Wiseman. He was trending well. We thought he’d be back, ready to go and help us with that vertical space. That didn’t happen and his rehab hit a bump in the road post-deadline. That put us in a tough spot, and the (buyout) market was pretty dry. We had to march forward.
“Size still matters. But (Kevon) Looney’s been an unbelievable, steadfast guy that often gets overlooked. When we need to go bigger, Draymond (Green) and Looney have shown they can do it. They’re capable. They’re not seven feet tall, but they’re versatile, switchable and very smart. We found a way. We’ll see if it keeps working and if we continue to win.”
On Iguodala’s ongoing recovery from a neck injury:
“He’s frustrated. He wants to play. Frankly, he could help us. He’s trying to get back. Because he hasn’t been able to play, he’s used his voice and has been very vocal. He’s one of the most respected players in the league and is very, very bright. He communicates on the bench, whether it’s with our coaches, young players and our older players. That matters, especially as you go deeper in the playoffs.”
And-Ones: Musa, Scola, Mannion, Nigeria
Former Nets wing Dzanan Musa, a first-round pick in 2018, has been named the Most Valuable Player of Liga ACB, Spain’s top basketball league, for the 2021/22 season, per an official press release.
Fans, reporters, players, and coaches vote on the award, and Musa was the top pick among all four groups, earning the maximum 100 points. Ex-NBA forward Nikola Mirotic finished fourth with 30 points.
After appearing in just 49 games in his two seasons with Brooklyn from 2018-20, Musa returned to Europe and has played in Turkey and Spain over the last two years. He averaged 20.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 3.1 APG on .494/.381/.787 shooting in 29 Liga ACB games (32.0 MPG) for CB Breogan this season.
Former NBA forward Mirza Teletovic stated earlier this year that he’s confident Musa, who just turned 23 years old this month, will return stateside sooner or later.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Veteran forward Luis Scola, who played in the NBA from 2007-17, will exercise his option to assume majority ownership of the Italian team Pallacanestro Varese, the club announced in a press release. Once the paperwork is official, Scola will own 51% of the franchise’s shares.
- Former Warriors guard Nico Mannion is drawing some interest from NBA teams as a possible Summer League player, tweets George Zakkas of SDNA in Greece. Mannion remains under contract with Virtus Bologna in Italy for the time being.
- Having opened a league office in Lagos earlier this year, the NBA is on the lookout for the next Giannis Antetokounmpo in Nigeria, according to Lindsay du Plessis of ESPN, who spoke to NBA Africa VP Gbemisola Abudu about NBA Nigeria’s goals in the country.
- David Aldridge of The Athletic takes a look at what the offseason for the holds for the four teams eliminated in round two, examining the key areas for the Grizzlies, Bucks, Sixers, and Suns to address this summer.