Amen, Ausar Thompson Declare For 2023 NBA Draft
Projected lottery picks Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson — identical twin brothers who played for the City Reapers of the Overtime Elite league — have declared for the 2023 NBA draft, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).
Amen is currently ranked No. 4 on ESPN’s big board ahead of June’s draft, while Ausar, who was born one minute after Amen, is ranked just behind him at No. 5.
Although they share many traits, including top-notch athleticism, terrific frames, and excellent defense, they also have some differences. According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, Amen is considered a lead guard due to his superior passing and ball-handling, while Ausar is more of a wing — he’s stronger, faster and a better shooter.
The Thompson twins are the latest draft early entrants to declare ahead of Sunday’s deadline. Projected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama formally entered the draft on Friday as well.
Tyler Herro Out At Least Six Weeks After Hand Surgery
Heat guard Tyler Herro is expected to miss at least six weeks after undergoing successful hand surgery on Friday, the team announced in a press release.
The news was expected, as Herro said on Tuesday that his surgery was scheduled for Friday. The fourth-year sharpshooter broke the middle and ring fingers on his right hand during Game 1 against Milwaukee on Sunday.
Being out a minimum of six weeks means Herro won’t return to the court until early June. The NBA Finals start on June 1, so obviously the Heat will have to make a very deep playoff run in order for him to have a chance at returning this season.
Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists on a .439/.378/.934 shooting line in 67 games (34.9 MPG) in 2022/23. His 93.4% free throw percentage led the NBA.
Miami, the East’s No. 8 seed, won Game 1 of its first-round series with the top-seeded Bucks, but Milwaukee evened things up in a blowout victory in Game 2.
Players like Max Strus, Duncan Robinson and Victor Oladipo have received more playing time with Herro sidelined. Game 3 will be on Saturday night in Miami.
And-Ones: Koufos, Mental Health, Analytics Awards, Match Fixing
The London Lions have parted ways with veteran center Kosta Koufos, the team announced in a press release (hat tip to Eurohoops.net).
“We would like to thank Kosta for his contributions to the Club, both on and off the court,” Lions GM Brett Burman said. “Aside from being a dominant interior presence, Kosta was a mentor and locker room connector. He came in and represented the Club and the BBL, and the City of London to the highest standard. He left a huge impression on the basketball footprint here, and we thank him for his impact… We wish him and his family all the best.”
The 23rd overall pick of the 2008 draft, Koufos played 11 NBA seasons with Utah, Minnesota, Denver, Memphis and Sacramento. His last season in the league was 2018/19 with the Kings.
The 34-year-old had a solid showing with the Lions, leading the British Basketball League in rebounds per game (9.1) during the regular season while chipping in 12.1 points and 1.1 blocks (sixth-best in the BBL). Koufos has also played for CSKA Moscow, Olympiacos and G League Ignite in recent years after his NBA departure.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Joe Vardon of The Athletic examines why the NBA got serious about mental health, noting that DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love were at the forefront of discussing their mental health struggles in 2018. According to Vardon, since 2019/20 the league has required teams to have a “formal relationship” with an in-market therapist or psychologist, a psychiatrist for medication, action plans for emergencies, and a “playbook” featuring health and wellness exercises. “People think (NBA players) can just pump fame, or pump money, or pump Twitter followers into their lives and it’s going to just fix everything,” Love told Vardon. “But unfortunately, brains and souls just don’t work like that. If you have a chemical imbalance, that’s not going to help it.”
- Seth Partnow of The Athletic polled 17 members of the advanced analytics community — some who work for teams and some who don’t — to see who they would choose for the NBA’s annual regular season awards. Those polled tended to favor peak performance rather than durability, with stars like Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James and Anthony Davis making the informal All-NBA teams despite only playing between 47 and 58 regular season games.
- The Chinese Basketball Association disqualified the Shanghai Sharks and Jiangsu Dragons from the postseason amid match-fixing allegations, according to ESPN.com. The Dragons were up four points with 1:36 remaining in the finale of their three-game series, but subsequently committed five straight questionable turnovers to help the Sharks build a 10-point lead, with Shanghai ultimately winning 108-104. The teams were fined $5MM apiece and their GMs and head coaches will be suspended for up to five years. The Sharks also allegedly lost Game 2 on purpose so former All-Defensive guard Eric Bledsoe could return for Game 3 — he had been suspended prior to the playoffs. Both Bledsoe and Michael Beasley — another former NBA player who was injured for most of the season and didn’t play in the games — denied being part of the match-fixing. Beasley said he mutually and amicably agreed to leave the team in part because it “failed to provide me with the necessary assistance and accommodations to properly address my injury,” per ESPN.
Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Out For Game 3 With Knee Sprain
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for Thursday’s Game 3 against the Suns due to a right knee sprain, a source tells ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk (Twitter link). The team has confirmed the news (via Twitter).
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Leonard initially sustained the sprain during Game 1 on Sunday and played through it during Tuesday’s Game 2. He is considered day-to-day for Saturday’s Game 4, and the injury is not related to Leonard’s ACL tear from 2021, Wojnarowski adds.
The Clippers have already been playing without Paul George due to his own right knee sprain, though that injury is far more severe than Leonard’s seems to be. George will likely miss the entire first-round matchup with Phoenix.
The series has been quite competitive thus far, with the Clippers taking Game 1 in Phoenix before the Suns evened it at one game apiece in Game 2. Obviously, losing Leonard for at least Game 3 will have a huge impact, as he has been the best player in the series through two games, averaging 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals on .545/.600/.882 shooting in 40.2 minutes.
It’s not realistic to replace that type of production with a single player, so the Clippers will need several contributors to step up on both ends of the court to win tonight. Terance Mann, Nicolas Batum, and Norman Powell are a few of the candidates for increased playing time.
James Harden Continues To Be Linked To Rockets
Sixers guard James Harden has a $35.64MM player option for 2023/24, which means he could be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t exercise it. How far Philadelphia advances in the playoffs could end up determining whether or not he stays with the team or returns to the Rockets, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on his podcast (hat tip to RealGM).
“James Harden’s future is very unclear in Philadelphia,” Wojnarowski said. “Houston is very much in play for him. And I think a lot may depend on [whether the Sixers] make a run and win and it’s easy to pay him long-term big money, or he just wants to be back in Houston. Win or lose he goes, or it’s dependent on the team’s success.”
Wojnarowski first reported in late December that Harden and his camp were seriously mulling a free agency return to Houston, where he won an MVP in 2017/18 and earned eight of his 10 All-Star appearances. Another report from March 1 indicated that the Rockets planned to aggressively pursue the 33-year-old, who led the league in assists per game this season (10.7).
Harden’s departure is far from a foregone conclusion. He has spoken multiple times about his desire to win a championship, and the Sixers certainly give him a better opportunity for that than the rebuilding Rockets.
Still, if the Sixers lose a possible second-round matchup with the Celtics, there’s a widespread belief that significant changes could be coming to Philadelphia in the offseason, according to Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
James Nnaji, Bilal Coulibaly Entering 2023 NBA Draft
Barcelona center James Nnaji has submitted the paperwork necessary to make himself eligible for the 2023 NBA draft, his agents, Gerard Raventos and Deirunas Visockas of YouFirst/Tandem Sports, tell Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Nnaji is a projected first-round pick, currently ranked No. 24 on ESPN’s big board. According to Givony, Nnaji is the second-youngest player projected to be selected in June, as he won’t turn 19 years old until August.
Barcelona, which is currently atop the standings in the Spanish ACB league and ranks second in the EuroLeague, features several former NBA players on its roster, which is why Nnaji’s role has been modest. However, he is considered one of the top athletes in the class, standing 6’11” with a 7’5″ wingspan, Givony notes.
The young Nigerian only started playing basketball in 2016, Givony writes, making him something of a late bloomer. Barcelona’s season could extend into late June, so Nnaji’s agents are trying to work with the team so he can conduct interviews and workouts with NBA clubs, Givony adds.
Another possible first-rounder, French wing Bilal Coulibaly, is entering the draft, he tells Givony. Coulibaly is a teammate of projected No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama on Metropolitans 92, and is currently ranked No. 26 on ESPN’s board.
“The NBA has always been a dream of mine, and now it’s a goal,” Coulibaly said. “It’s the natural next step in my evolution.”
Like Nnaji, Coulibaly is one the youngest players in the class — he turns 19 at the end of July. According to Givony, Coulibaly was a relative unknown as recently as last year, but he had an enormous growth spurt in the past couple years — going from 5’11” to 6’8″ — and has impressed scouts this season with his defense and guard skills.
As Givony writes, both players will have until June 12 to decide whether or not to keep their names in the draft — that’s the withdrawal deadline for international early entrants. Givony believes Coulibaly could be a potential top-10 pick in 2024 based on his upward trajectory.
Players Likely To Get Rookie Scale Max Extensions In 2023
The 2020 NBA draft was a strange one for a number of reasons. It wasn’t viewed as the strongest class by scouts and analysts, and there was no consensus top overall pick. The COVID-19 pandemic also (understandably) made it much more difficult for teams to scout and interview players due to travel restrictions.
Rookies from the class were also negatively impacted, as they were drafted in November and the 2020/21 season started one month later, with shortened training camps. Normally rookies have up to four months to spend with their new teams, including summer league and full training camps. The truncated offseason put all players behind the curve, but the ones without NBA experience were hit hardest.
It’s fair to say the 2020 class has been relatively disappointing overall to this point, especially some of the players drafted in the top 10.
However, there are still some excellent players who were selected in the first round, and I believe three of them are basically locks to receive maximum-salary rookie scale extensions at the beginning of July (the new contracts will kick in starting in ‘24/25). They all have areas they need to improve on, but the potential and production are there.
The top candidates
Anthony Edwards, G/F, Timberwolves
After spending much of his first two seasons playing small forward, Edwards primarily played shooting guard in 2022/23 and had a career year, averaging 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals on .459/.369/.756 shooting in 79 regular season games (36.0 MPG). The top overall pick of 2020 was named an All-Star for the first time this season.
Edwards has been durable, has improved nearly across the board in each of his three seasons, is arguably the best athlete in the class, and is only 21 years old. The fact that the Wolves were able to stay afloat with Karl-Anthony Towns missing most of the season is a testament to Edwards’ growth, and there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
LaMelo Ball, G, Hornets
The 2020/21 Rookie of the Year was an All-Star in year two after averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.6 steals on .429/.389/.872 shooting in 75 games (32.3 MPG). Ball, the third overall pick in 2020, followed that up by averaging 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.3 steals on .411/.376/.836 shooting in ’22/23.
The problem was, Ball sustained multiple left ankle sprains and then fractured his right ankle on a non-contact play at the end of February, which limited him to 36 games this season.
I highly doubt those ankle injuries will impact his next contract, though they are a little worrisome. It’s possible the Hornets might push for some type of protections on the deal, but I’d be a little surprised — Ball played 75 games in ‘21/22.
Tyrese Haliburton, G, Pacers
Several draft analysts had Haliburton high on their boards, but he wound up falling to the Kings at No. 12 overall. He played very well in his stint with Sacramento, but his fit with fellow point guard De’Aaron Fox was less than perfect, particularly defensively, and the Kings memorably traded him in February 2022 for a package headlined by big man Domantas Sabonis.
The deal has worked out well for both teams. Haliburton thrived as a full-time point guard for the Pacers to end last season, and he was outstanding in 2022/23, making his first All-Star appearance while averaging 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.6 steals on a sparkling .490/.400/.871 shooting line in 56 games (33.6 MPG).
Advanced stats nearly universally say Haliburton has been the top player from his class through three seasons. His efficiency and excellent decision-making stand out.
The 23-year-old only averaged 2.5 turnovers per game this season, good for a 4.15-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio – an excellent mark. Indiana went 28-28 with him in the lineup, versus 7-19 without him.
The borderline candidates
Two other first-round picks from 2020 are likely to receive massive extension offers this summer, but I’m not sure if they’ll get the full max – I could see it going either way.
Tyrese Maxey, G, Sixers
Given his relatively modest numbers as a rookie, Maxey’s enormous leap in ‘21/22 was pretty surprising (and impressive). He averaged 17.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists on .485/.427/.866 shooting in 75 games (35.3 MPG) in his second NBA season. The former 21st overall pick had a strong playoff showing as well, averaging 20.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists on .484/.377/.940 shooting in 12 games (40.4 MPG).
Maxey maintained his great outside shooting this season, averaging 20.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists on .481/.434/.845 shooting in 60 games (33.6 MPG).
Still just 22 years old, Maxey is electric with the ball in his hands and is one of the fastest players in the league, making him a terror in transition. While he rarely turns the ball over, he’s more of a shooting guard than a point guard at this time, frequently looking to score instead of distribute.
However, he’s only 6’2″, so he can realistically only defend point guards, and he doesn’t have great instincts on that end. Most of the players listed here need to work on becoming more consistent defenders, but the other players have size advantages and are better at making plays both on and off the ball defensively.
The new CBA allows players eligible for rookie scale extensions to sign five-year deals – they were previously limited to four-year contracts. With that in mind, I think Maxey is highly likely to receive an offer in the range of $160-170MM over five years, but I’d be mildly surprised if he gets the full projected $200MM+ due to his limitations as a play-maker and defender (whether he accepts less than a max deal is another story).
Desmond Bane, G/F, Grizzlies
A four-year college player out of TCU, Bane was the last pick of the first round in 2020. He had a quality rookie season, mostly off the bench, averaging 9.2 points and 3.1 rebounds on .469/.432/.816 shooting in 68 games (17 starts, 22.3 MPG).
Like Maxey, Bane emerged as one of the most improved players in the league last season, averaging 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals on .461/.436/.903 shooting in 76 games (29.8 MPG). He was even better in ‘22/23, putting up 21.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.0 SPG on .479/.408/.883 shooting in 58 games (31.7 MPG).
From a statistical standpoint, the 24-year-old has a legitimate argument for getting a max deal. He’s an elite shooter and is a solid play-maker and defender.
My only real questions as far as a max deal are: Can Bane be one of the best players on a championship-level team? Is he good enough at creating his own shot? I did view Memphis as a legitimate contender this year until Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke went down with injuries.
Bane is already an excellent player who has shown consistent improvement year over year. Every team in the league would love to have him. I’m just not totally sold on a full max, though I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets it, and it’s hard to say he hasn’t earned it.
More Details On New CBA
Several interesting details for the new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NBA and the NBPA have emerged on Monday.
Sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) that players on two-way contracts will have the ability to negotiate with teams to guarantee half of their salaries on the first day of the regular season. Currently, two-way players are on mostly non-guaranteed contracts worth half the minimum salary — a little over $500K for a rookie.
According to Charania, players who sign Exhibit 10 training camp deals will be getting a significant increase in bonus pay. Those players are currently eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if they’re waived before the regular season starts and spend at least 60 days with a team’s G League affiliate — in the new CBA, that bonus is worth $75K. As Charania notes, that change will impact roughly 60% of players in the NBA G League.
Charania provides additional context (Twitter links) to a few previously reported items as well. The room mid-level exception, which is increasing in value by 30% beyond its standard rise, will now cover three years instead of two.
The contract value of the new second-round pick exception can be worth up to the equivalent of the minimum for a third-year player — that would be $1,836,090 for 2022/23, whereas a rookie minimum is worth $1,017,781. The new exception can be used to sign contracts that cover up to four years.
[RELATED: Running List Of Changes In NBA’s New Collective Bargaining Agreement]
Finally, for players to be eligible for end-of-season awards, it was previously reported that they would have to log at least 20 minutes in at least 63 games for them to count toward the minimum of 65 games played. They would be permitted to play between 15-20 minutes in two games and still have them count toward the minimum of 65. According to Charania, there are also protections against season-ending injuries (62-game minimum instead of 65), and unspecified “bad faith circumstances.”
Here are some more CBA updates:
- Starting in 2024/25, teams below the salary cap floor — currently 90% of the cap — on the first day of the regular season will not receive a tax distribution from the league’s taxpaying teams, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). This is a pretty huge change, as it is penalizing teams with excess cap room, not just taxpayers. The Spurs and Pacers would have missed out on an estimated $15.2MM tax distribution payment this season if the new rule had been in effect, Marks notes.
- In the current CBA, if a player declines a player option in conjunction with a new contract extension, the first year of an extension has to at least match the declined option. For example, Bogdan Bogdanovic signed a four-year extension and the first year was required to match his declined $18MM option for 2023/24. However, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link) that players will be able to decline their options and sign extensions starting with a first-year value below the declined option in the new CBA, giving both teams and players a little more negotiating flexibility.
- In a current simultaneous trade, a taxpaying team can take back 125% of the outgoing salary, plus $100K. Starting in 2023/24, that will be reduced to 110% for teams over either the first or the second tax apron, and in ’24/25, that will be cut back to 100%, Marks tweets. As an example, the Kevin Durant trade from February would not have been permitted under the new changes.
- It was previously reported that teams over the second tax apron would be unable to trade their first-round pick seven years in the future. According to Tim Bontemps and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links), if those teams continue to exceed the second apron twice in the following four years, their draft pick will fall to the end of the first round. However, if the teams are under the second apron in three of the next four years, the first-round pick becomes “unfrozen” and able to be traded, sources tell Bontemps and Marks. The rule will start in ’24/25, Bontemps adds.
- The new in-season tournament, which will award $500K to players on the winning team, will also include prize money for players on teams that make the quarterfinals ($50K per player on losing teams), semifinals ($100K per player on losing teams), and lose in the finals ($200K per player), report Wojnarowski and Marks (Twitter link).
- Eric Pincus of Sports Business Classroom hears there will be a limit on how many players on minimum contracts can be aggregated in trades, though he doesn’t specify details (Twitter links). Pincus adds that the change will only apply to the offseason and before most free agents become trade-eligible on December 15.
Pistons To Interview Rex Kalamian For Head Coaching Job
The Pistons will interview assistant coach Rex Kalamian this week for their head coaching vacancy, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Kalamian is a veteran assistant coach who is currently in his 26th NBA season in that role. He has made previous stops with the Clippers (twice), Nuggets, Wolves, Kings (twice), Thunder and Raptors, and has been with the Pistons for the past two seasons.
It was previously reported that Kalamian might receive some consideration from GM Troy Weaver for the head coaching job after Dwane Casey decided to transition to a front office role. Kalamian previously worked with Weaver while they were with Oklahoma City.
Kalamian, who is also the head coach of the Armenian national team, served as acting head coach earlier this season when Casey missed some time due to personal reasons.
While conceding that it’s still early in the process, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack piece (subscriber link) that he’s heard “consistent buzz” that Weaver might favor Bucks assistant Charles Lee and former UConn coach Kevin Ollie for the opening. However, Stein notes that Arn Tellem, Detroit’s vice chairman, is thought to have “considerable influence” in the coaching search.
Draft Notes: K. Brown, Wong, Fudge, P.I.T.
Missouri forward Kobe Brown plans to enter the 2023 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, according to Matt Stahl of The Columbia Daily Tribune.
As Stahl notes, Brown is a projected second-round pick, currently No. 43 on ESPN’s big board. He was an All-SEC First Team member in 2022/23 after averaging 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals on an impressive .553/.455/.792 shooting line in 34 games (29.6 MPG).
Jonathan Givony of ESPN writes that Brown has some question marks surrounding his height, frame (he’s listed at 6’7″ and 240 pounds) and defense, but the 23-year-old has a high skill level that seems like it would translate well to the NBA, as he’s a versatile offensive player with a high basketball IQ who can dribble, pass, shoot and score from all over the court.
Brown is a senior, but he has one year of eligibility left due to COVID-19.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Miami guard Isaiah Wong is declaring for the draft, the team announced (via Twitter). He tested the draft waters in both 2021 and 2022, so he’ll go pro this time around (college prospects can’t withdraw from the draft more than twice). A three-time All-ACC honoree, Wong was named ACC Player of the Year as a senior in ’22/23 after averaging 16.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals on .445/.384/.845 shooting in 37 games (33.4 MPG). He helped lead the Hurricanes to a Final Four appearance this season, ultimately losing to eventual champion UConn. Wong is ranked No. 71 on ESPN’s board, so he’s considered a fringe second-round pick.
- Florida forward Alex Fudge will forgo his remaining college eligibility and enter the draft, sources tell Jacob Rudner of Swamp247. As Rudner writes, Fudge had a solid start to ’22/23, but his numbers declined after sustaining a concussion in late January. He wound up averaging 5.8 points and 4.5 rebounds on .397/.229/.589 shooting in 32 games (19.3 MPG) as a redshirt sophomore for the Gators. Viewed as a solid defender, Fudge is not listed on ESPN’s board, which ranks the top 100 prospects ahead of the 2023 draft.
- Jon Chepkevich of RookieScale.com provides the measurements and athletic testing numbers of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament attendees (Twitter link). The P.I.T. is a showcase for the year’s top senior prospects. Jimmy Butler, Derrick White, Richaun Holmes and Kendrick Nunn are among the many current NBA players who have taken part in the P.I.T. in previous years.