John Collins Unlikely To Be Dealt Tonight
Amid several rumors that the Hawks hoped to trade John Collins either before or during the draft, a source tells Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the big man is “likely” to remain with the team for at least one more night. However, Kirscher notes in a follow-up tweet that there’s still a chance that Collins could be moved in the coming days.
Atlanta has been open in its desire to improve the roster this summer, and Collins is one of the team’s best players and thus a prime trade chip, so it’s only logical that he’s been mentioned in trade rumors. It’s certainly not the first time his name has been floated around, as it has become a recurrent theme the past couple seasons.
Collins was one of the hottest names on the free agent market last year after failing to come to terms with the Hawks on a rookie scale extension. He wound up re-signing with Atlanta for $125MM over five years, but the team has been searching for a trade partner to improve its defense, which ranked 26th in the league last season.
The 24-year-old played an important role for the Hawks as they reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020/21, but his production declined in ’21/22 when he was limited to 54 games due to multiple injuries. He averaged 16.2 PPG this past season, the lowest scoring mark since his rookie year, while shooting 52.6% from the field and 36.4% from three-point range, both down from two seasons ago.
Rockets Select Jabari Smith Third Overall In 2022 Draft
The Rockets have selected Auburn forward Jabari Smith with the third overall pick of the 2022 NBA draft.
In 34 games (28.8 MPG) in his lone college season, the 6’10” Smith averaged 16.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.1 SPG and 1.0 BPG. Smith led the Tigers to a 28-6 overall and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, where the team lost in the second round to Miami (FL).
The 19-year-old earned numerous accolades for his standout season, including Consensus All-America Second Team, All-SEC First Team, and SEC Rookie of the Year, among others.
Smith has the ability to make an array of incredibly difficult shots in a variety of ways, including step-backs, fadeaways, pull-up jumpers in transition, and coming off screens. Despite facing frequent double teams, he converted 42% of his three-pointers and 79.9% of his free throws.
Smith is also viewed as an energetic, intense, and “highly versatile defender” who can switch across multiple positions, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. His shot-making prowess and strong defense should fit in nicely with a young Houston squad that struggled mightily to score last season — the Rockets were 26th in the league in offensive rating and 21st in three-point percentage.
Smith falling to No. 3 was unexpected, because for well over a month league insiders had him going No. 1 overall to Orlando.
Thunder Select Chet Holmgren Second Overall In 2022 Draft
The Thunder have selected Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren with the second overall pick of the 2022 NBA draft.
In 32 games (26.9) as a freshman this season, the 7’0″ Holmgren averaged 14.1 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1.9 APG and 3.7 BPG. The 20-year-old also boasted an impressing shooting slash line of .607/.390/.717.
Holmgren won numerous awards for his impressive season, including Consensus All-America Second Team, All-WCC First Team, and WCC Defensive Player of the Year, among others.
Holmgren helped lead the Bulldogs to a 28-4 record and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament in 2021/22. They ultimately fell to Arkansas in the Sweet Sixteen, ending their tournament run.
Weighing just 195 pounds, Holmgren has been a somewhat divisive prospect for talent evaluators. Some are enamored by his length (7’6″ wingspan) and overall skillset, as he’s an outstanding shot blocker, rebounder, and inside finisher. He also has some guard-like skills, capable of starting a fast break after a defensive rebound with his ball handling on top of being a solid passer, and a good shooter with space.
The Thunder are known for playing their cards close to the vest, so many around the league were curious if they’d actually select Holmgren, but clearly they viewed his upside as too good to pass up.
Magic Select Paolo Banchero First Overall In 2022 Draft
In a surprise twist, the Magic have selected Duke forward Paolo Banchero with the first overall pick of the 2022 NBA draft.
For well over a month, league insiders had predicted that Orlando favored Jabari Smith with the first pick, but obviously the Magic liked Banchero more, even though he didn’t end up working out for the team after a Monday visit was reportedly canceled.
In 39 games as a freshman in this season, the 6’10” Banchero averaged 17.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.2 APG and 1.1 SPG on .478/.338/.729 shooting. He helped lead the Blue Devils to a 32-7 record and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, where they ultimately fell to long-time rival North Carolina in the Final Four.
Banchero earned numerous accolades for his stellar season, including Consensus All-America Second Team, All-ACC First Team, and ACC Rookie of the Year, among others.
The versatile big man is viewed as an outstanding shot-creator from all over the floor, capable of generating offense for both himself and teammates via post-ups and drives. He’s a strong ball handler, passer, and has a great overall feel for offense.
Banchero sometimes lacks effort defensively, and he’s a solid, but unspectacular shooter at the moment, but he showed throughout the NCAA tournament that he was capable of turning up the intensity when the games mattered most.
Orlando was clearly drawn by Banchero’s strong tournament performances and his polished offensive skills — the Magic ranked last in the NBA in offensive rating in 2021/22, so he should help bolster that figure.
Trade Rumors: Suns, Jazz, Capela, Wolves, Russell, Fournier, Anunoby
The Suns don’t currently own a pick in the 2022 NBA draft, but there have been recent rumors that the team is interested in trading for a second-rounder. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix goes a step further, stating (via Twitter) that “while a second-round pick is more likely, I cannot rule out (the Suns) trading into the first round.”
Gambadoro reports that Phoenix has its eyes on eight-to-10 prospects that the team would consider making a deal for. He points to the Spurs, Hornets and Hawks as teams who could be trade partners, though he doesn’t clarify which of those teams’ picks might be in play.
Here are more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Like Phoenix, Utah doesn’t currently control a pick, but the Jazz are dangling core players to try and acquire some, multiple sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic. Jones reports that the Jazz are very active on the trade market, with the odds increasing that the team’s roster could look significantly different by the end of today. The Jazz have a “lengthy list” of potential undrafted prospects they hope to entice with Exhibit 10 contracts once the draft concludes, sources tell The Athletic.
- The Timberwolves remain interested in potentially pairing Karl-Anthony Towns with Clint Capela in the team’s frontcourt, but sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic that the Wolves and Hawks haven’t made any real headway on that front.
- Sources suggest to Dane Moore of Bring Me The News (Twitter link) that there’s a greater than 50% chance that D’Angelo Russell will be traded by the Timberwolves in the coming days. Russell is viewed as a trade candidate due to his poor playoff showing despite having a solid season with Minnesota. The guard is extension-eligible this summer and his $31.38MM contract expires after next season.
- The Knicks offered to trade Evan Fournier to the Celtics to create cap space in order to sign Jalen Brunson, but Boston has no interest in the deal, according to Gambadoro (Twitter links). The Celtics have a large trade exception that was ironically created by signing-and-trading Fournier to New York, so the Knicks theoretically wouldn’t have needed a player in return, but he’d still count against Boston’s cap, which would push the team deep into the luxury tax.
- Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report says (via Twitter) that he has “consistently heard” the Raptors are only interested in trading OG Anunoby if they can get an “elite center” in return. Toronto is still linked to Rudy Gobert and inquired about Jarrett Allen in February, sources tell Bleacher Report.
Central Notes: Pacers, Bucks, Cavaliers, Grant, Bulls
Pacers VP of of player personnel Ryan Carr said the team has its eyes on several prospects with the No. 6 pick, but the executive seemed particularly high on Purdue guard Jaden Ivey, who is ranked No. 4 on ESPN’s big board.
“His speed, I think, is what sets him apart,” Carr said, per James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. “There’s just not many players with that kind of speed, the ability to put the pressure on the rim and score. And then he’s really improved over the past couple years his shooting and has shown the ability to hit 3s. … Somebody that fast, if he can hit a jumper and go by you, I don’t know how you guard him.”
Ivey seems unlikely to be available at No. 6 because most of the latest mock drafts have him going No. 4 to Sacramento, so the Pacers would likely have to trade up to draft the Indiana native.
Carr also said drafting so high in the lottery for the first time in more than 30 years will have a major impact on the team’s rebuild, as Boyd relays.
“It’s been a long time, and obviously you want every player you pick, no matter what number, to succeed,” Carr said. “But the sixth pick, this guy, we want him to be a foundational piece for us, and (we’re) looking forward to adding that piece.”
The Pacers control the Nos. 31 and 60 picks in the 2022 NBA draft in addition to No. 6, as shown by updated full draft order.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Sources tell Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated that the Bucks are contemplating moving up or down with the No. 24 pick. Woo projects Arizona guard/forward Dalen Terry to Milwaukee at 24 within his latest mock draft, assuming the team keeps the pick.
- After acquiring a second-round pick from the Kings, the Cavaliers now control the Nos. 14, 39, 49 and 56 picks, giving them the flexibility to possibly trade for a late first-rounder with their three second-round selections if a prospect they like slides, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavs continue to field calls about the No. 14 pick and have also discussed the possibility of moving up in the lottery, Fedor reports.
- Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago details how the pending trade of Jerami Grant to Portland impacts the Bulls. Schaefer notes that the Trail Blazers owe Chicago a first-round pick that’s lottery-protected until 2028, meaning if the Blazers make the playoffs in 2022/23, the Bulls will acquire Portland’s 2023 first-rounder.
Wolves Notes: Connelly, KAT, Draft, Russell, A. Williams
If it were up to president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, Karl-Anthony Towns would remain with the Timberwolves for his entire career. Towns is eligible for a super-max extension this summer after being selected to the All-NBA Third Team.
“I hope he’s here forever. I hope we have the type of team success that would allow us to look up and see Karl’s jersey being hung up in the rafters,” Connelly said in a Q&A session with Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “I reached out to a bunch of these guys, but I don’t want to force relationships. You have to develop those things naturally. So, I’ve heard so many great things about him. I know how great a player he is on the court, but off the court it’s been so consistent, just an unbelievably sweet guy that treats everyone in a really classy manner.
“I think he’s been through so much, so many different faces and different chairs, from the front office to the coaching staff. So I think with continuity with Finchy (head coach Chris Finch), you’re going to see a better version of Karl and he’s already a great player.”
Connelly conceded that the team’s potential first-round pick (19th overall) likely won’t have a significant role on the team next year, but he believes the Wolves can find a good long-term fit with the selection.
“We’ll beat up all the different possibilities pretty good. We’re also very content and pretty excited about if we’re going to get a good player at 19,” he said. “It’s going to be hard for any player we draft to have a huge role with the team that just had the success they had. We’re not drafting for June 24, we’re drafting for, hopefully, to add a person that can be a part of sustained success and a person who can grow into a role. I think things are on the table, but we do feel pretty convinced that 19 is going to yield a good player.”
It’s an interesting interview from Hine for any Wolves fans looking for insight into Connelly’s approach.
Here’s more on the Wolves:
- Amid rumors that Minnesota is exploring the trade market for veteran centers, including Clint Capela, Michael Rand of The Star Tribune wonders if one of the team’s biggest offseason moves might be a position change for Towns. Rand notes that sliding Towns down to the power forward spot would improve the Wolves’ rebounding woes, and he’d likely feast on smaller players in the post, but there are some possible drawbacks. Towns is quicker than most centers, so he might lose the ability to pump-fake and drive past slower-footed defenders, and it would take him time to adjust defensively. Ultimately, Rand believes utilizing a bigger lineup could work in certain matchups.
- Jon Krawczynski and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic discuss Minnesota’s draft possibilities for the 19th and 40th picks (the Wolves also control the 48th and 50th picks). Vecenie doesn’t love the team’s options for the first-rounder and believes trading out in order to acquire additional first-round selections makes sense, but if the Wolves keep the pick, he thinks Blake Wesley or E.J. Liddell could be decent options. Wesley, a guard from Notre Dame, is ranked 22nd on ESPN’s big board, while Liddell, a forward from Ohio State, is ranked 21st. Vecenie says there are a number of “interesting, high-upside” prospects who could be available with the 40th pick, including Peyton Watson, Josh Minott and Kendall Brown, among others.
- The Wolves haven’t come close to trading D’Angelo Russell “or any other player,” sources tell Krawczynski in another story for The Athletic. However, Krawczynski says trade talks are expected to heat up “the closer it gets to the draft,” which is tomorrow, and the fate of Russell and other possible trade candidates should become clearer once it concludes.
- Alondes Williams worked out for the Wolves on Tuesday, reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (via Twitter). The 6’5″ guard averaged 18.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.2 APG and 1.2 SPG on .507/.282/.691 shooting as a junior for Wake Forest. He’s ranked 59th on ESPN’s board, so he could be a possibility for one of the team’s second-round picks.
Clippers In “Driver’s Seat” To Re-Sign Nicolas Batum
It’s “widely expected” that Nicolas Batum will re-sign with the Clippers on a two-year deal, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Batum, 33, will be declining his player option for 2022/23, making him an unrestricted free agent, and he certainly won’t lack suitors. According to Haynes’ sources, the Lakers, Bulls, Celtics, Suns and Jazz are all interested in Batum’s services.
However, the Clippers remain the favorite, with Haynes describing the team as being “in the driver’s seat.”
League executives who spoke to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype believe Batum could earn about $10MM per year on his new contract, which is in line with the full mid-level exception for ’22/23 — it projects to be worth $10.35MM, while the taxpayer MLE would come in at $6.39MM.
Barring significant roster moves, none of the five rival teams interested in Batum will have cap space, with only Chicago projected to have the full MLE at its disposal. The Lakers, Celtics, Suns and Jazz all project to be taxpaying teams, as shown by our Offseason Previews, so they’ll be limited to the taxpayer MLE.
The Clippers will be well above the luxury tax line next season, but will hold Batum’s Early Bird rights, giving them the opportunity to make a competitive offer without using their mid-level exception. Los Angeles should be able to offer a starting salary up to approximately $11MM using the Early Bird exception. An Early Bird offer would have to be for at least two years, with no player or team option on that second year (though the second year doesn’t need to be fully guaranteed).
Batum spoke enthusiastically in May about the impact head coach Tyronn Lue has had on him and his desire to remain with the Clippers.
Across two seasons and 126 games with the Clippers, Batum has averaged 8.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.0 SPG with a .402 3PT% in 26.2 minutes per contest while playing solid, versatile defense. We ranked him 23rd overall last week in our list of 2022’s top 50 free agents.
Draft Notes: Mocks, Big Men, O’Neal, Jovic, Kessler
Both John Hollinger of The Athletic and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report recently released their final mock drafts ahead of tomorrow’s 2022 NBA draft. The divergence between the two starts at the top, with Hollinger projecting Chet Holmgren to go No. 1 overall to the Magic, while Wasserman takes the more common approach with Jabari Smith going to Orlando.
Hollinger notes that Orlando’s front office has shown an affinity for length in the past, and believes Holmgren’s tantalizing rim protection skills might be too enticing to pass up. Wasserman, on the other hand, says Holmgren’s thin frame and “slower delivery when creating” make some talent evaluators slightly nervous, and Smith’s age (he’s a year younger than Holmgren) and maturity make him a safer choice, plus Smith is considered to have as much upside as anyone in the draft.
There’s considerable overlap in several spots between the two mock drafts, but perhaps not in areas one might expect. For example, both mocks have Jaden Ivey going No. 4 to Sacramento, even though the guard hasn’t worked out for or been in contact Kings, and wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about the prospect of joining the team in a media session earlier this week.
As Wasserman observes, the Kings didn’t work out Davion Mitchell or Tyrese Haliburton prior to drafting them with their two most recent lottery picks, so if Ivey is the top prospect on their board, don’t be surprised if he’s selected (Haliburton was traded to Indiana in February for Domantas Sabonis).
Both Hollinger and Wasserman have Wendell Moore Jr. going No. 22 to Memphis, which is interesting because he’s ranked No. 33 on ESPN’s big board, so that’s a pretty sizeable jump up. Hollinger also hears the Grizzlies are fans of Dalen Terry, who is No. 24 on ESPN’s board. Memphis is reportedly interested in moving up in the draft, as it controls the Nos. 29 and 47 picks in addition to No. 22.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- David Aldridge of The Athletic queried college coaches, scouts and NBA executives to get their anonymous opinions on the top-rated big men in the draft, including Holmgren, whom one Western Conference executive described as a “mystery.” “You just don’t know how he and the body are going to react to the next level of stress,” the exec said. “… His skill level is awesome, but who does he guard at the next level? What does he play? Hardest-working freshman ever at Gonzaga. Work ethic and intangibles are way better than what showed up on the court.”
- Shareef O’Neal, the son of Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal, said his father was against him leaving school early. “We kind of bump heads about this process,” Shareef said, per Kyle Goon of The Southern California Newsgroup. “He wanted me to stay in school. I wanted to better myself through this. He knows I’m working out with teams. But I’m not gonna lie, we ain’t talked about this.” Shareef isn’t ranked on ESPN’s board, so he’s considered likely to go undrafted.
- Nikola Jovic and Walker Kessler have become the 23rd and 24th prospects to receive green room invitations, sources tell Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter links). Jovic is ranked No. 27 on ESPN’s board, while Kessler is No. 23.
Nuggets’ Jeff Green Exercises 2022/23 Player Option
JUNE 19: Green has officially picked up his player option for 2022/23, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
JUNE 17: Nuggets forward Jeff Green is expected to exercise his $4.5MM player option for next season, a league source tells Mike Singer of The Denver Post.
The deadline for Green to pick up the option is June 20, Singer notes.
In 75 regular season games with Denver, including 63 starts (24.7 MPG), Green averaged 10.3 PPG and 3.1 RPG on .524/.315/.833 shooting. He struggled in the team’s first-round loss to Golden State, averaging 3.8 PPG and 3.6 RPG on .353/.375/.800 shooting in five games (22.6 MPG), with his shot attempts cut in half.
However, he has had postseason success in the past, including previous stops with Boston, Houston and Cleveland, reaching the NBA Finals with the Cavs in 2017/18.
Green, who turns 36 in August, is a well-traveled veteran (Denver is his 11th team) and clearly enjoyed his first season with the Nuggets, since he’s picking up his option. He’s still quite athletic despite his advancing age, and is a heady cutter who excels in the open court.
After Green exercises the option, he and fellow forwards Aaron Gordon and Zeke Nnaji will all be under contract for 2022/23. Michael Porter Jr. (back surgery) is expected to return to action as well, and he’s signed to a long-term, maximum-salary deal.
As Singer writes, with a pretty set forward rotation, the Nuggets are expected to focus on improving the team’s perimeter depth in the 2022 draft. Denver controls the Nos. 21 and 30 picks after agreeing to trade JaMychal Green to the Thunder. Singer says “it’s likely” that GM Calvin Booth knew of Jeff Green’s intention to exercise the option prior to the trade.
Nuggets are reportedly interested in packaging their picks in order to move up to the middle of the first round.
In case you missed it, Green was ranked No. 45 on our list of top 50 free agents for 2022, and if you enter our free agent prediction contest, you’ll get a freebie as long as you pick the Nuggets as Green’s destination.