Southeast Draft Notes: Holmgren, Hornets, Williams, O’Neal
Chet Holmgren met with the Magic‘s front office on Wednesday and Thursday, writes Matt Murschel of The Orlando Sentinel. Holmgren is the No. 1 prospect on ESPN’s big board, although his thin frame has caused some other talent evaluators to drop him a bit lower than that.
A person with knowledge of the situation tells Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press that the 20-year-old’s visit included “meetings, interviews and a dinner.” The Magic previously held a solo workout with Jabari Smith, and Paolo Banchero “expects to meet with” Orlando before the draft on June 23, according to Reynolds.
The big men are widely considered the top three prospects in the draft, and the Magic hold the No. 1 overall pick, so it makes perfect sense that they’re meeting with all of them.
In 32 games (26.9 MPG) in his lone college season with Gonzaga, Holmgren was a consensus All-American with averages of 14.1 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1.9 APG and 3.7 BPG on .607/.390/.717 shooting.
Here are a few more draft-related notes from the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets, who control the Nos. 13, 15 and 45 picks in the 2022 draft, are hosting a group workout on Friday (Twitter link) featuring Malaki Branham, MarJon Beauchamp, Kendall Brown, Bryce McGowens, Isaiah Whaley and Trevion Williams. Branham (No. 13) and Beauchamp (No. 23) are both projected first-round picks, with McGowens (No. 33) and Brown (No. 38) considered early second-rounders. Williams also has a solid shot to get drafted going by ESPN’s rankings, as he’s No. 56 on the board, but Whaley isn’t listed.
- Mark Williams has a solo workout with the Wizards on Saturday, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Williams is a potential lottery picked at No. 14 on ESPN’s board, and Washington controls the No. 10 pick. The 7’0″ center averaged 11.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 2.8 BPG while shooting 72.1% from the floor and 72.7% from the free-throw line in 39 games (23.6 MPG) as a sophomore for Duke this season, winning ACC Defensive Player of the Year in the process.
- Shareef O’Neal worked out for the Heat on Thursday, Robbins relays in another tweet. O’Neal only averaged 2.9 PPG and 2.1 RPG in 14 games (9.2 MPG) as a junior for LSU and isn’t considered a strong draft candidate, but perhaps he could be auditioning for summer league as an undrafted free agent. Miami currently controls the No. 27 pick.
Chris Jent Candidate To Become Lakers Assistant Coach
Hawks assistant coach Chris Jent is a candidate to become an assistant under new Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, sources tell Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
Jent, 52, had a short playing career after four seasons at Ohio State, winning a championship with Houston in 1993/94. He’s a long-time NBA assistant, with stints in Philadelphia, Orlando (where he was briefly an interim head coach in ’04/05), Cleveland, Sacramento and now Atlanta.
He was a Cavs assistant from 2006-11, with four seasons of overlap with star LeBron James, so the two are obviously familiar with each other. Jent has been with Atlanta for the past five seasons and served as acting head coach earlier this season when Nate McMillan was placed in the league’s health and safety protocols.
Ham and Jent also have experience together, as they were both assistants with the Hawks under Mike Budenholzer in ’17/18.
Echoing an earlier report from Shams Charania of The Athletic, Turner says Rasheed Wallace remains a candidate to become an assistant coach as well.
Mavericks To Hire Quinton Crawford As Assistant Coach
The Mavericks are hiring Quinton Crawford to be an assistant coach under Jason Kidd, sources tell Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
Crawford, 31, has been an assistant coach with the Lakers for the past three seasons, getting his start during the team’s championship season in 2019/20. He’s viewed as an “up-and-coming, bright coach,” according to Turner.
Crawford was an assistant under former L.A. head coach Frank Vogel, who was fired after the season and subsequently replaced by Darvin Ham. With Ham looking to bring in his own staff, it’s not surprising that Crawford may have been given permission to look for other opportunities, assuming he was still under contract.
Kidd and Crawford have experience working together, as Kidd was also an assistant on Vogel’s staff from 2019-21. Kidd departed when he got the head coaching job in Dallas last June.
Crawford was the head video coordinator and a player development coach for Charlotte and Orlando the two seasons prior to joining the Lakers.
Draft Workout Notes: Kings, Wizards, Wolves, Jazz, More
The Kings hosted several prospects for pre-draft workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday, the team announced (Twitter links).
The Tuesday group featured Trey McGowens, Ziga Samar, Ron Harper Jr., Brady Manek and Dallas Walton. Wednesday’s group was Jacob Gilyard, Fatts Russell, Yoan Makoundou, Karlo Matkovic, Yannick Nzosa and Kai Sotto.
The Kings control the fourth, 37th and 49th picks in the 2022 draft, and a handful of those players could be targets with one of those second-round picks. Nzosa, Samar, Harper and Matkovic are ranked between 53rd and 58th on ESPN’s big board.
Here are more workout-related notes from around the NBA:
- The Wizards are hosting a workout featuring six prospects on Friday, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The six are Akoldah Gak, Ty Gordon, Storm Murphy, Shareef O’Neal, Daeqwon Plowden and Vince Williams Jr. All six players are projected to go undrafted. Washington currently controls the 10th and 56th picks. Chuba Ohams will also workout for the team on Monday, reports Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com (via Twitter).
- Thursday’s workout hosted by the Timberwolves features Jake LaRavia, Max Christie, Marcus Weathers, Lucas Williamson, Cole Swider and Ryan Hawkins, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). LaRavia is the highest-rated prospect of the group at 28th on ESPN’s board. The Wolves hold the 19th, 40th, 48th and 50th picks.
- The Jazz are holding a workout on Thursday featuring Moussa Diabate, Ron Harper Jr., Drake Jeffries, Kur Kuath, Jaden Shackelford and Jeenathan Williams, as Andy Larson of The Salt Lake Tribune relays (via Twitter). Utah doesn’t own a pick at the moment, but most of those prospects are projected to go undrafted.
- Wednesday’s group workout hosted by the Hornets (Twitter link) included Marcus Bingham, Javon Freeman-Liberty, Makur Maker, Ikenna Ndugba, Taz Sherman and Payton Willis. All six prospects are expected to go undrafted. The Hornets own the 13th, 15th and 45th picks.
- The Pacers held a group workout on Wednesday featuring Andrew Nembhard, Scotty Pippen Jr., Gabriele Procida, Luke Travers, Quenton Jackson and Drake Jeffries, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Nembhard is considered the top prospect of the group with the 35th spot on ESPN’s board. Indiana owns the sixth, 31st and 60th picks of the draft.
Hawks’ Schlenk: “It’s Not Going To Be A Major Overhaul”
The Hawks are heavily involved in the trade rumor mill ahead of the draft and free agency, but president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk says the team isn’t looking for a major roster shuffle.
“It’s not going to be a major overhaul,” Schlenk said, according to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic. “I think some people have assumed some things based on some of my comments or (team owner) Tony (Ressler)’s comments after the season.”
As Schultz writes, Atlanta faces an important offseason as a pretty good team that took a step back in 2021/22 — the Hawks made the Eastern Conference finals in ’20/21 but were eliminated by Miami in the first round of the playoffs this season. The Hawks want to compete for championships around Trae Young, but transforming a low-end playoff team into a championship-caliber club is easier said than done.
“It’s a lot easier to become a good team, a playoff team, than it is to become one that contends for a title,” Schlenk said. “We feel we’ve become a competitive team, but now we have to take the next step and these are difficult decisions. If you make a mistake in the draft, you can overcome that. It’s a two-year mistake. If you make a mistake in free agency or in a sign-and-trade, when you’re giving somebody a four-year, $150 million contract, that can be detrimental for a long time.”
Schlenk said he’s talking to five or six teams a day, and acknowledges that “there are four or five paths we can take right now.” He’s adamant that finding the right fit will play a crucial role in whichever path he takes.
“It’s about fit,” Schlenk said, per Schultz. “That’s an aspect of this people don’t appreciate enough. It’s easy to (assess) talent, but these are human beings, and they’re a close-knit group of guys who spend a lot of time together. The right guy or the wrong guy can really affect a team.”
It’s an interesting story from Schultz and worth checking out for Hawks fans who subscribe to The Athletic.
Fischer’s Latest: Ayton, Nurkic, Anunoby, Dort, Turner, Sharpe
The Trail Blazers are no longer viewed as a suitor for restricted free agent Deandre Ayton, sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. According to Fischer, Portland plans to re-sign starting center Jusuf Nurkic, who is an unrestricted free agent, and hopes to acquire Raptors forward OG Anunoby in exchange for a package headlined by the No. 7 overall pick of the 2022 draft.
However, Anunoby might not be the only target for the Blazers. It’s been rumored that the Thunder are trying to move up in the lottery, and Fischer reports that “there has been increasing talk” about Portland sending the No. 7 pick to OKC in exchange for No. 12 and a “package that could include” Luguentz Dort.
The three most realistic landing spots for Ayton, aside from re-signing with the Suns, appear to be the Hawks, Pistons and Raptors, says Fischer, adding that all three clubs have interesting pieces to dangle in a possible sign-and-trade for the center.
Echoing a report from Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Fischer states that the Pacers could also be a possibility for Ayton in a sign-and-trade deal involving Myles Turner. The two players are both represented by agent Bill Duffy, Fischer notes (hat tip to RealGM).
According to Fischer, Shaedon Sharpe may be a candidate to fall in the lottery after a series of underwhelming workouts ahead of the draft. Fischer says Sharpe’s range might begin at No. 8, but he could also be a target of teams who try to acquire the No. 7 pick from Portland. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported yesterday that the Thunder are high on Sharpe.
James Harden Expected To Re-Sign With Sixers On Short-Term Deal
“All signs point toward” James Harden re-signing with the Sixers on a short-term extension, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
The two sides are aligned on a reunion, but Philadelphia’s ownership is reluctant to offer Harden the full four-year, maximum-salary extension he’d be eligible for if he opts into his 2022/23 player option worth $47.4MM, which he’s expected to do, according to Fischer.
Fischer notes that a two-year extension would give Harden significant financial security while allowing more flexibility if things don’t work out with the Sixers. Harden could earn approximately $1.5MM more in a theoretical three-year contract if he waits until August 10, which is six months after he was traded to Philadelphia, Fischer adds.
It’s also possible that Harden could take less than the max to create more roster flexibility to build around star center Joel Embiid, who finished second in the MVP race for the second consecutive year. For that to make sense, the team would have to move off some long-term salary.
Fischer’s sources confirm a report from The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor stating that the Sixers are dangling the No. 23 pick and Danny Green in trade talks, but as we previously mentioned, using Green’s expiring contract as a salary-matching piece would also be a little tricky, since it’s currently non-guaranteed, meaning it would count as $0 for outgoing purposes.
The Sixers could guarantee some or all of Green’s $10MM salary to make it more useful in a trade. But the more money they guarantee, the less appealing it will be as an asset to a potential trade partner, since Green is expected to miss most or all of next season after tearing his ACL.
Fischer also confirms a report from Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that the Sixers are dangling Matisse Thybulle and Tobias Harris in trade talks. However, Philly values Thybulle’s strong defense and believes his poor performance in the playoffs may have been a result of being ineligible to play in Toronto due to his vaccination status, Fischer writes.
The Sixers would require “a significant upgrade to their rotation” in the form of a starting-caliber player in order to move Thybulle, according to Fischer.
While Fischer doesn’t specify what Philadelphia would be looking for in exchange for Harris, he does note that “Harris’ representation has made it known that the veteran would like more on-ball opportunities within the Sixers’ offense, particularly in pick-and-roll action.”
Rockets/Mavs Rumors: Gordon, Schröder, Wood Trade, Pinson
The Rockets held firm in their asking price of a first-round pick in exchange for Christian Wood and landed the 26th selection after agreeing to a trade with the Mavericks, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Sources tell Fischer that Houston’s asking price remains the same for Eric Gordon, with the team seeking yet another first-rounder.
Gordon was productive for the rebuilding club in 2021/22, averaging 13.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists on .475/.412/.778 shooting in 57 games, including 46 starts (29.3 minutes). Although his points per game were tied for a career-low, the veteran shooting guard posted a career-best true shooting percentage of 61.4%.
The 33-year-old is essentially on an expiring $19.57MM contract in ’22/23, as his $20.92MM figure for ’23/24 is non-guaranteed.
Here’s more on the Rockets and Mavs:
- As Keith Smith of Spotrac observes (via Twitter), if the Rockets keep all of their first round picks (third, 17th and 26th), they’ll have 19 players on guaranteed contracts for ’22/23, so Houston will have to make additional moves to get down to 15 prior to next season. Smith also notes that Dennis Schröder and Bruno Fernando are likely out of the picture due to the roster crunch. While this is an assumption on Smith’s part and not a report, his logic certainly makes sense, as neither player figures to be in the team’s long-term plans. Schröder is an unrestricted free agent this summer, while Fernando could be restricted if Houston tenders him a $2.2MM qualifying offer, which seems very unlikely at this point.
- In his video breakdown of the trade, Bobby Marks of ESPN says the Rockets will generate a $4MM trade exception as part of the deal. Zach Harper of The Athletic grades the swap, giving the Mavs a B-plus and the Rockets a B.
- Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle says (via Twitter) that Wood’s character concerns are overblown, calling him a “stand-up guy in an unbelievably tough two-season stretch.” Feigen believes Wood will “flourish” in Dallas.
- The timing of the trade was interesting, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link), who notes that Paolo Banchero worked out for the Rockets earlier in the day and then the team decided to trade a starting big man in Wood. Banchero is widely projected to go third overall to Houston.
- The four-for-one swap creates an unexpected amount of roster room for the Mavs, and league sources tell Marc Stein (via Twitter) that Theo Pinson is “strongly expected” to be re-signed on a standard deal. Pinson was viewed as the unofficial ring leader of the Mavs’ bench mob that earned the team $175K in fines during the playoffs due to its “bench decorum” violations. Stein reported a few weeks ago that Dallas wanted to retain Pinson, who is no longer eligible for a two-way contract after obtaining four years of NBA experience.
- One of Dallas’ top priorities entering free agency is acquiring a wing capable of receiving rotation minutes in the playoffs, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The Mavs will be a luxury tax team in ’22/23, so their main tool to sign a free agent will be the taxpayer mid-level exception, which is projected to be worth $6,392,000.
Raptors’ Fred VanVleet “Confident” About Signing Extension
Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, who is eligible for an extension this summer, said he’s “confident” that the two sides will reach a long-term agreement.
“I’m not really too worried about contract discussions or anything like that,” VanVleet said in an interview with Adam Laskaris of Daily Hive. “That’s just the business aspect of it. And I’m confident that we’ll figure it out.”
As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported a couple days ago, if VanVleet keeps his player option for 2023/24, he could extend for up to three years and $89MM this summer. If he declines the option, he could extend for up to four years and $114MM.
The 28-year-old has spent all six of his NBA seasons with Toronto, and he hopes he remains with the club for his entire career.
“I love being a Raptor,” VanVleet said, per Laskaris. “I would love to spend my entire career here. We have a great relationship with the city, the franchise, ownership, management… it’s a match made in heaven for me.”
An All-Star for the first time in 2021/22, VanVleet averaged 20.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 6.7 APG and 1.7 SPG on .403/.377/.874 shooting in 65 regular season games (37.9 MPG). Unfortunately, he was clearly limited by knee and hip injuries in the second half of the season, with all of his averages falling off dramatically.
The injuries sidelined him for the final two games of the postseason, when Toronto fell to Philadelphia in six games. He was also limited to just 14 minutes in Game 4 of the first-round series, missing the entire second half of the contest.
“I was kind of down a little bit the way the season ended and obviously being hurt,” VanVleet said of his offseason training. “Right now priority number one is my body. When I go out there on that court and I feel great, and my body’s feeling strong and fast, I feel like I’m one of the top players in the league. So I’ve just got to find a way to maintain that, sustain that as long as possible.”
It’s an interesting interview from Laskaris and worth checking out in full.
Robert Williams Had Knee Drained “Repeatedly” Vs. Heat
Celtics big man Robert Williams has struggled with pain and swelling in his left knee throughout the postseason, and he continues to be listed as questionable ahead of Game 6 against Golden State on Thursday, but that status isn’t a mere smokescreen.
“I honestly take it day-by-day,” Williams told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. “I can be feeling good right now, and then the next couple of hours it’s pretty sore. I try to take it day-by-day as much as I can.”
The 24-year-old has to go through multiple hours of treatment every day in order to manage the knee, but he’s also endured more invasive medical procedures to stay on the court. League sources told Haynes that Williams “had his knee drained repeatedly during the Eastern Conference Finals” versus the Heat.
“I was really having my knee drained a lot last series,” Williams confirmed to Yahoo Sports. “I stopped draining it because there was no point, in my opinion. My knee kept filling back up with fluid. So, I’ve kind of learned how to manage it to be able to play.”
Boston’s medical staff has assured Williams that his surgically repaired knee won’t get worse if he keeps playing, but pain management continues to be an issue, Haynes writes. Williams said he plans to continue to battle until the season concludes.
“S–t, we’re trying to win,” Williams told Haynes. “It’s crazy. I’m living my dream right now. Obviously, it would be way better if we win, but my whole thing is accountability for my team. Letting them know I’m here through whatever, and hopefully, the message is relayed to everyone else.”
Williams, who was named to the All-Defensive Second Team this season, averaged 10 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 61 regular season games (29.6 minutes). However, he’s clearly been hampered by his knee in the playoffs, with his averages falling off to 7.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 16 games (22.6 minutes).