2022 NBA Draft Tiebreaker Results
The NBA conducted a series of random tiebreakers today to determine the 2022 draft order. These tiebreakers involved teams that finished the regular season with identical records.
The results are as follows, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link):
- Chicago Bulls (No. 18) over Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 19)
- San Antonio Spurs (No. 20) over Denver Nuggets (No. 21)
- Note: The Spurs are receiving this pick from the Raptors.
- Philadelphia 76ers (No. 23) over Milwaukee Bucks (No. 24) over San Antonio Spurs (No. 25)
- Note: The Nets have the option of acquiring this pick from the Sixers or passing on it and instead acquiring Philadelphia’s 2023 first-round pick.
- Note: The Spurs are receiving this pick from the Celtics.
- Note: The Nets have the option of acquiring this pick from the Sixers or passing on it and instead acquiring Philadelphia’s 2023 first-round pick.
- Miami Heat (No. 27) over Golden State Warriors (No. 28).
While the tiebreaker winner will pick ahead of the loser(s) in the first round, that order will be flipped in the second round. For instance, the Timberwolves’ second-round pick will be at No. 48, while the Bulls’ second-rounder (traded to Sacramento) will be No. 49.
Now that Philadelphia won the three-way tiebreaker for the No. 23 pick, Brooklyn will be faced with an interesting decision. If they decide to pass on receiving the Sixers’ 2022 first-rounder, the Nets would instead receive Philadelphia’s unprotected 2023 first-rounder.
With a full season of James Harden, the Sixers could be even better next year, pushing their pick later in the first round — but that’s certainly not a lock, and Brooklyn could decide to roll the dice by deferring the pick. The Nets have until June 1 to make that decision, per Marks (Twitter link).
Memphis’ Jalen Duren Entering 2022 NBA Draft
Memphis freshman center Jalen Duren will enter the 2022 NBA draft and will forgo his remaining college eligibility, signing with agent Chafie Fields of Wasserman, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Duren averaged 12.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 2.1 BPG in 29 games (25.3 MPG) during his first and only college season, earning AAC Freshman of the Year honors and making the All-AAC First Team. Givony currently has Duren ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect on ESPN’s big board and says the big man is the youngest college player projected to be drafted in 2022.
In his scouting report, Givony refers to Duren as a “major force inside the paint” on both ends of the floor, lauding his ability to protect the rim on defense and to finish at the basket on offense. The youngster also showed some promising signs as a passer and shooter, Givony adds, but even without taking major strides in those areas, he could be ready to step into a regular NBA role right away.
“A guy like Evan Mobley — he had a big impact defensively on the Cavs-bringing size, length, mobility. I want to be that kind of guy early on, have that same type of impact,” Duren told ESPN. “I also study guys like Bam Adebayo and Nikola Jokic. The ball runs through them and they can really pass. My game fits that. I can guard 1-5. Hedge and switch on ball-screens and read all the pick and rolls. I’ve developed all those things very well.”
Duren joins our ever-growing list of early entrants for the 2022 draft, which can be found right here.
NBA G League Announces 2021/22 All-NBAGL Teams
Rockets two-way player Trevelin Queen, who was named the NBA G League MVP and the G League Finals MVP this season, has added two more honors to his impressive 2021/22 résumé.
Queen headlined this year’s All-NBA G League First Team and also earned a spot on the NBAGL’s All-Defensive team, as the league announced today in a press release.
The complete list of the 2021/22 All-NBA G League teams, along with the All-Rookie and All-Defensive squads, is below. Players who finished the season on NBA contracts are noted with an asterisk (*), while those on two-way contracts are noted with a caret (^).
All-NBAGL First Team
- Trevelin Queen (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) ^
- Justin Anderson (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
- Mason Jones (South Bay Lakers) ^
- Justin Tillman (College Park Skyhawks)
- Moses Wright (Texas Legends) ^
All-NBAGL Second Team
- Cat Barber (College Park Skyhawks)
- Charles Bassey (Delaware Blue Coats) *
- Braxton Key (Delaware Blue Coats) ^
- Saben Lee (Motor City Cruise) *
- Reggie Perry (Raptors 905)
All-NBAGL Third Team
- Luka Garza (Motor City Cruise) *
- Jared Harper (Birmingham Squadron) ^
- Justin Jackson (Texas Legends)
- Carlik Jones (Texas Legends)
- Anthony Lamb (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) ^
NBAGL All-Rookie Team
- Charles Bassey (Delaware Blue Coats) *
- Luka Garza (Motor City Cruise) *
- Carlik Jones (Texas Legends)
- Mac McClung (South Bay Lakers) ^
- Micah Potter (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
NBAGL All-Defensive Team
- Charles Bassey (Delaware Blue Coats) *
- Braxton Key (Delaware Blue Coats) ^
- Tacko Fall (Cleveland Charge)
- Shaquille Harrison (Delaware Blue Coats)
- Trevelin Queen (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) ^
All 19 players who earned a spot on one of the G League’s All-NBAGL, All-Rookie, or All-Defensive teams this year were on some form of standard, two-way, or 10-day NBA contract during the 2021/22 season.
Of those 19, Tillman is the only player who has yet to make his NBA debut, as he didn’t appear in any games after signing a 10-day deal with Atlanta in December.
Poll: Who Should Win 2021/22 NBA Awards?
The NBA announced the 2021/22 finalists for its six major awards on Sunday, revealing the top three vote-getters for Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Improved Player.
Our writers already shared their picks for this year’s awards (though not all of them made the cut when the finalists were announced). Now we want to know what you think.
Select your winners for this year’s major NBA awards in the six polls below, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts.
Our polls only include the three finalists in each category, but if you think someone else deserves to win one of these awards, be sure to use the comment section to “write in” that pick and explain your reasoning.
Who should win Most Valuable Player?
-
Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) 42% (823)
-
Joel Embiid (Sixers) 40% (773)
-
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) 18% (355)
Total votes: 1,951
Who should win Rookie of the Year?
-
Evan Mobley (Cavaliers) 44% (813)
-
Scottie Barnes (Raptors) 37% (696)
-
Cade Cunningham (Pistons) 19% (354)
Total votes: 1,863
Who should win Sixth Man of the Year?
-
Tyler Herro (Heat) 68% (1,225)
-
Cameron Johnson (Suns) 16% (295)
-
Kevin Love (Cavaliers) 16% (285)
Total votes: 1,805
Who should win Coach of the Year?
-
Monty Williams (Suns) 46% (820)
-
Taylor Jenkins (Grizzlies) 43% (764)
-
Erik Spoelstra (Heat) 11% (190)
Total votes: 1,774
Who should win Defensive Player of the Year?
-
Marcus Smart (Celtics) 47% (751)
-
Mikal Bridges (Suns) 29% (471)
-
Rudy Gobert (Jazz) 24% (387)
Total votes: 1,609
Who should win Most Improved Player?
-
Ja Morant (Grizzlies) 38% (684)
-
Darius Garland (Cavaliers) 38% (673)
-
Dejounte Murray (Spurs) 24% (425)
Total votes: 1,782
L.A. Notes: Westbrook, Hayward, Lakers’ Coach, Clippers
After a disappointing first season in Los Angeles, it may seem like the Lakers would take whatever they can get in a trade this offseason for Russell Westbrook and his $47MM+ salary, but that’s not the case, Marc Stein writes at Substack.com. According to Stein, Los Angeles will have “more boundaries than advertised” when weighing potential Westbrook deals.
For one, the Lakers will seriously consider a player’s injury history as they explore the trade market for Westbrook. Given how costly injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis were in 2021/22, the team doesn’t want to bring on another high-priced veteran who has been unable to stay healthy in recent years.
In Stein’s view, that means the Lakers are unlikely to be very interested in a trade with the Hornets that includes Gordon Hayward, who has missed 61 of 154 regular season games in Charlotte over the last two years, plus both play-in games. If the Lakers and Hornets discuss Westbrook, it’s possible Hayward could be moved to a third team or Terry Rozier could be substituted as a headliner, but those scenarios would be less appealing from Charlotte’s perspective.
Here are a few more items on the NBA’s two L.A. teams:
- Outside of the previously-reported big-name targets who are currently coaching other teams – including Nick Nurse, Doc Rivers, and Quin Snyder – the Lakers may consider candidates such as Scott Brooks, Terry Stotts, former Lakers coach Mike Brown, and Jazz assistant Alex Jensen for their head coaching vacancy, per Dan Woike and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
- According to Woike and Turner, people with knowledge of coaching situations around the NBA believe the Lakers‘ open coaching position isn’t looked upon especially favorably, due to concerns about possible front office meddling and the roster/cap situation. “Is the Lakers’ job that attractive?” one coaching agent said. “I’m not so sure it is. But someone will take the job.”
- Getting Kawhi Leonard and Paul George back in their lineup next season will significantly increase the Clippers‘ ceiling, but there are still areas to improve if the team wants to ensure it’s a title contender, says Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group. Fortifying the point guard spot will be an offseason goal, and replacements will be necessary if key rotation players like Isaiah Hartenstein (UFA) and Nicolas Batum (player option) don’t return.
- While Leonard’s and George’s injuries limited the Clippers‘ potential in 2021/22, their absences allowed a handful of young players to step in and grow up fast, Swanson writes in a separate story. Luke Kennard, Terance Mann, Ivica Zubac, Hartenstein, Amir Coffey, and Brandon Boston Jr. – all of whom are 25 or younger – had bigger roles than they would have if the team had been healthier, which could pay off for the club down the road.
Raptors’ Scottie Barnes Out For Game 2
Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, who was officially diagnosed on Sunday with a left ankle sprain after leaving Game 1 on Saturday due to the injury, has been ruled out for Game 2 on Monday, head coach Nick Nurse told reporters, including Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link).
Barnes was wearing a walking boot on his left foot today, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. The Rookie of the Year finalist told reporters that he’s feeling better each day and is staying positive, but is unsure about when he might be able to return, per Lewenberg and Bontemps (Twitter link).
Losing Barnes is a major blow to a Raptors team that was defeated soundly by the Sixers in Game 1. No Raptor logged more minutes during the regular season than the No. 4 overall pick, who had an impressive playoff debut with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in 32 minutes before Joel Embiid stepped on his foot, ending his night.
While Barnes has been definitively ruled out for Game 2, the Raptors are still considering Gary Trent Jr. and Thaddeus Young doubtful, tweets Bontemps. Young and the training staff are working to see if he’ll be able to play through a thumb sprain, while Trent missed Monday’s shootaround due to a non-COVID illness.
As Lewenberg tweets, if one of Trent or Young is going to play tonight, it sounds more likely to be Young, but Toronto may be without both of them in addition to missing Barnes.
Draft Notes: Koloko, E. Williams, Welch, Mock
Arizona junior big man Christian Koloko has decided to enter the 2022 NBA draft, he tells Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic (video link).
Koloko doesn’t specify whether he plans to leave school or simply test the draft waters, but he doesn’t mention anything about maintaining his college eligibility, and Charania’s tweet indicates the young center intends to go pro.
Koloko enjoyed a breakout season for the Wildcats in 2021/22, averaging 12.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 2.8 BPG in 37 games (25.4 MPG). He was named both the Most Improved Player and the Defensive Player of the Year in the Pac-12, earning All Pac-12 First Team honors.
Jeff Goodman of Stadium, referring to Koloko as an “elite” defender, projects him to go in the 20-35 range of this year’s draft (Twitter link). Jonathan Givony places Koloko at No. 36 on ESPN’s big board, praising his mobility, quickness, and improved offensive game, but noting that some scouts may have concerns about his thin frame and “lack of physicality.”
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Oregon senior swingman Eric Williams Jr. will forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility and hire an agent as he enters the draft, he announced on Twitter. Williams spent his first two college seasons as Duquesne before transferring to the Ducks. He put up 8.4 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 33 games (26.8 MPG) in 2021/22.
- St. Bonaventure senior guard Dominick Welch will test the draft waters by putting his name in the 2022 pool while maintaining his final year of eligibility, he announced on Twitter. Welch, who has started 105 of his 110 games for the Bonnies across four seasons, averaged 12.3 PPG and 6.0 RPG with a .374 3PT% in 2021/22.
- With the odds for the draft lottery set, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his 2022 mock draft, projecting all 58 picks (two second-rounders have been forfeited), from Jabari Smith at No. 1 to Dereon Seabron at No. 60.
NBA Player Option Decisions For 2022/23
A number of NBA contracts include player options in the final year. Those option years give the player the opportunity to either opt into the last year of his deal and finish out his contract or to decline the option and hit the free agent market a year early.
Several factors play a part in a player’s option decision. The value of the option salary is obviously crucial, as is the player’s performance in the season leading up to his decision.
The state of the NBA’s salary cap also generally becomes a necessary consideration for players weighing their decisions. If the salary cap is projected to increase only modestly, or if not many teams around the league project to have cap room, a player may be more inclined to take the guaranteed money rather than trying his luck on the open market.
This year’s player options are listed below. This list – which can be found anytime under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar on our desktop site or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu – will be updated throughout the spring and early summer to note the latest decisions as they’re reported or announced.
While some players may face earlier deadlines, all option decisions must be finalized by June 29.
Brooklyn Nets
-
Kyrie Irving ($36,934,550): Opted in
- Patty Mills ($6,184,500): Opted out
Chicago Bulls
- Tony Bradley ($2,036,318): Opted in
Dallas Mavericks
- Trey Burke ($3,300,000): Opted in
Denver Nuggets
- JaMychal Green ($8,200,000): Opted in
- Jeff Green ($4,500,000): Opted in
Detroit Pistons
- Cory Joseph ($5,155,500): Opted in
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers
- Nicolas Batum ($3,328,530): Opted out
Los Angeles Lakers
- Russell Westbrook ($47,063,478): Opted in
- Kendrick Nunn ($5,250,000): Opted in
Miami Heat
- P.J. Tucker ($7,350,000): Opted out
Milwaukee Bucks
- Pat Connaughton ($5,728,393): Opted in
- Bobby Portis ($4,564,980): Opted out
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo ($1,878,720): Opted in
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Derrick Favors ($10,183,800): Opted in
Philadelphia 76ers
- James Harden ($47,366,760): Opted out
Toronto Raptors
- Svi Mykhailiuk ($1,878,720): Opted in
Washington Wizards
- Bradley Beal ($36,422,136): Opted out
2022 NBA Draft Lottery Odds
The NBA will be using its revamped lottery format for the fourth time this year. The new format, instituted in 2019, smoothed out the odds for top picks, reducing the league’s worst team’s chance of getting the No. 1 selection from 25.0% to 14.0%.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: NBA Draft Lottery]
The changes have had an immediate impact. In 2019, the Pelicans and Grizzlies were tied for the seventh-best lottery odds, but jumped up to No. 1 and 2, respectively, allowing them to land Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.
In 2020, the Bulls and Hornets landed picks in the top four despite entering lottery night with the seventh- and eighth-best odds, respectively. That stroke of luck significantly changed the long-term outlook in Charlotte, where the Hornets were able to land LaMelo Ball with the No. 3 pick.
2021 was the most by-the-numbers of the three lotteries under the new format, but the Cavaliers and Raptors moved into the top four after entering lottery night with the fifth- and seventh-best odds and each landed a player who looks like a long-term franchise cornerstone (and a potential Rookie of the Year winner): Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes.
This year’s draft lottery will take place on Tuesday, May 17.
With the help of data from Tankathon.com – which is worth checking out for all sorts of draft-related info – the draft lottery odds for 2022 are listed in the chart below.
The numbers in the chart indicate percentages, so the Rockets‘ pick, for instance, has a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 pick and a 47.9% chance of ending up at No. 5. If a team’s odds are listed as >0, that percentage is below 0.1%.
Here’s the full chart (if you’re on our mobile site or app and can’t see the whole thing, try turning your phone sideways):
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOU | 14 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12 | 47.9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| ORL | 14 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12 | 27.8 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| DET | 14 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12 | 14.8 | 26 | 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| OKC | 12.5 | 12.2 | 11.9 | 11.5 | 7.2 | 25.7 | 16.7 | 2.2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| IND | 10.5 | 10.5 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 2.2 | 19.6 | 26.7 | 8.7 | 0.6 | – | – | – | – | – |
| POR | 9 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.6 | – | 8.6 | 29.8 | 20.6 | 3.7 | 0.1 | – | – | – | – |
| SAC | 7.5 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 8.5 | – | – | 19.7 | 34.1 | 12.9 | 1.3 | >0 | – | – | – |
| LAL* | 6 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 7.2 | – | – | – | 34.5 | 32.1 | 6.7 | 0.4 | >0 | – | – |
| SAS | 4.5 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 5.7 | – | – | – | – | 50.7 | 25.9 | 3 | 0.1 | >0 | – |
| WAS | 3 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | 65.9 | 19 | 1.2 | >0 | >0 |
| NYK | 2 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 77.6 | 12.6 | 0.4 | >0 |
| LAC* | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 86.1 | 6.7 | 0.1 |
| CHA | 1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 92.9 | 2.3 |
| CLE | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 97.6 |
Notes:
- The Lakers‘ pick will be sent to the Pelicans if it lands in the top 10 or to the Grizzlies if it lands outside of the top 10.
- The Clippers‘ pick will be sent to the Thunder.
We’ll publish the full pre-lottery 2022 draft order later today, once the NBA conducts a series of tiebreakers for the teams that finished the season with identical records.
Kings Notes: Roster Needs, Coaching Search, Fox, Sabonis
Adding more shooters and players with length will be a primary goal for the Kings this offseason, general manager Monte McNair said this week during his end-of-season press conference, as Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports Bay Area relays.
“I think shooting, we can clearly acknowledge, will be a huge priority,” McNair said. “It’s a priority for every team, but certainly around (De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis). Shooting will be a big one. Length, athleticism, versatility, we’ve talked about all that as well. Obviously, you want the whole package, but shooting will be a big priority for us.”
In his own exit interview, Fox was in lockstep with McNair when he discussed the Kings’ biggest needs and the areas the team should be focused on this summer.
“I think most winning teams are built the same,” Fox said. “You got your two, three, maybe four guys and everything else is kind of length and shooting. Just being built like that, I feel like we have a pretty good foundation where we’re at, but obviously you can never have too much length and too much shooting in the NBA. That’s at a premium.”
Here’s more out of Sacramento:
- The Kings aren’t zeroing in on one specific kind of coach as they seek a replacement for Alvin Gentry. Speaking to reporters, including Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee – McNair said the team will consider candidates with “different backgrounds,” adding that there’s no set deadline to finalize a hire. “I think, really, what we’re going to do, like every decision we make, we’re going to run a comprehensive and very process-driven coaching search, and we’re going to let that run its course,” McNair said. “We’re going to take as long as we need to find the correct person to lead this organization, the team on the floor, and I’m excited to see the people we talk to and their vision for the team as well.”
- The Kings set a new NBA record when they missed the playoffs for a 16th straight season this spring, but McNair said the front office won’t let that postseason drought “cloud our judgment” on roster decisions, Wirth writes for NBC Sports Bay Area. “We want to get back there as soon as we can, but we need to do it in a way that we stay there, we continue to grow, this is not a one-year blip that we completely mortgage the future for,” McNair said.
- Limited down the stretch by injuries, Fox and Sabonis only played together in 13 games after the Kings acquired Sabonis from Indiana at the trade deadline, but they’re looking forward to building more chemistry heading into next season, writes Jonathan Bradley of Kings.com. “I love playing with him. Those (13) games were great,” Sabonis said. “We didn’t get as much as we wanted to play together but we’re going to have a long offseason, see if we can get together and get some workouts in, have training camp. I’m just excited for next year.”