Southeast Notes: Jakucionis, Ware, Newell, White, Richardson, Penda
New Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis declined to conduct a pre-draft workout for the Heat because he thought he’d be off the board by the time they picked at No. 20, according to the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. Miami also didn’t think Jakucionis, ranked in the top 10 on several big boards, would be available to them.
“We see tremendous potential with Kas,” Heat vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager Adam Simon said. “You’re talking about a 6-5 [guard] with a plus-three [pointer], good athlete but with a high IQ. So if you combine all those things with a work ethic, there’s no reason why you can’t mold him into a very good NBA player. I think that’s why we were attracted to take him.”
The 6’5″ guard averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game in his first and only season at Illinois. He’ll serve as a lead play-maker and help assert Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware as lob threats and roll men. Jakucionis did average 3.7 turnovers per game last year, but the Heat downplayed concerns about that figure.
“Certainly the numbers are higher than you want, but he’s high usage and he’s processing things,” Simon said. “The turnovers were high, certainly. But I think they’re turnovers that you can work with. I think those are correctable, they’re teachable to see the game. But if you just watched all his film, he’s making good reads out there, he’s making plays.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Heat are bullish on the future of Ware and this offseason is reflecting that, Chiang writes in another story. Ware was kept essentially off limits in Kevin Durant trade talks, and Jakucionis has the makings of a long-term running mate for the big man. “We’re excited about his growth, we really are,” franchise legend and current Heat executive Alonzo Mourning said of Ware. “This summer I’ve already seen him getting better in his workouts. He doesn’t have to be here, this is his time off. But that kind of speaks volumes that he has kind of blocked out all of the distractions as a kid.“
- Former Georgia forward Asa Newell was ecstatic to land with his hometown Hawks in the draft, per Lauren L. Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I knew deep in my heart that I really wanted to go to the Hawks, and hearing about the trades, and me and DQ [Derik Queen] basically got traded for each other, it was pretty cool,” Newell said. “So that’s gonna be a fun matchup, for sure. But it was just like, ‘Wow.’ My heart was beating so fast when the camera came to my table, and I just, I was just so happy, especially getting dropped into a great organization.”
- Australian forward Jack White, who previously played 21 games in the NBA with the Nuggets and Grizzlies from 2022-24, will work out for the Hawks and play with them in Summer League, according to ESPN’s Olgun Uluc (Twitter link). Uluc writes that an NBA return for White is a possibility.
- The Magic drafted Jase Richardson and Noah Penda, targeting two players they valued for their character, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes in a subscriber-only story. “The exciting part for us as always, as you guys know, we look for the person before the player, and we feel that these two young guys have our Magic DNA,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. “They’re about others and that reflects itself on the court.” According to Beede, Penda was disappointed to not hear his name called in the first round but is excited about landing with the Magic, who traded four seconds to move up to get him.
Sixers To Add Hunter Sallis To Two-Way Contract
The Sixers are signing former Wake Forest guard/forward Hunter Sallis to a two-way contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Sallis played his first two collegiate seasons with Gonzaga before transferring to Wake Forest. While he played well in limited minutes at Gonzaga, he really blossomed with the Demon Deacons, averaging 18.1 points while shooting 47.2% from the field and 34.7% from three in two seasons there.
Sallis ranked as ESPN’s fifth-best available undrafted player. At 6’5″, he’ll slide into the Sixers’ wing depth chart. The 76ers have Alex Reese currently signed to a two-way deal, so they will have one more two-way slot available after completing the Sallis signing.
Alongside Reese, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Jeff Dowtin closed 2024/25 on two-way deals with Philadelphia.
Hunter Dickinson To Sign Two-Way Contract With Pelicans
The Pelicans are signing former Michigan and Kansas center Hunter Dickinson to a two-way contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link).
The two-time consensus AP All-American holds career averages of 17.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 1.5 blocks while shooting 55.5% from the field. He played his first three college seasons with the Wolverines before playing with the Jayhawks each of the past two years.
Dickinson makes sense for the Pelicans, as key decision-maker Troy Weaver continues to add players from the DMV area. Just this week, New Orleans added Dickinson (from Virginia), Saddiq Bey (Maryland) and Derik Queen (Maryland).
Lester Quinones remains under contract on a two-way deal for New Orleans. He isn’t guaranteed to hold that spot, but if he does, the Pelicans will have one more two-way contract spot to offer after Dickinson’s deal is completed.
Suns Sign App State’s CJ Huntley To Two-Way Deal
July 3: Huntley’s two-way contract is official, the Suns announced today in a press release.
June 26: The Suns were quick to add an undrafted rookie from the 2025 class, agreeing to sign Appalachian State forward CJ Huntley to a two-way contract, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link).
Huntley played all five collegiate seasons at App State, improving almost every year. In 2024/25, he averaged 15.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and shot 49.3% from the field and 35.6% from three. He’s a 6’10” forward, giving Phoenix a potential developmental stretch big.
As Givony notes, Huntley gained fans during the pre-draft process, which was highlighted by a standout performance at the Portsmouth Invitational.
Phoenix has no players currently signed to two-way deals, so they’ll have two more spots to fill if they so choose. Collin Gillespie, Jalen Bridges and TyTy Washington closed the 2024/25 season on two-way deals with Phoenix, but will all be free agents.
Grizzlies Trade No. 56 Pick Will Richard To Warriors
July 6: The trade is now official, the Grizzlies announced in a press release (Twitter link).
June 26: The Grizzlies have agreed to trade the No. 56 pick in the draft – used to select Florida’s Will Richard – to the Warriors, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Memphis moved down to No. 59, which had been controlled by Golden State, as part of the swap. The Grizzlies used that pick to select Tennessee’s Jahmai Mashack.
Richard was a key part in Florida bringing home the national championship this season. He averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game as a senior in 2024/25.
In order to move up to get Richard, the Warriors will give up the rights to 2020 draft pick Justinian Jessup and a top-50 protected 2032 second-round pick along with the No. 59 selection, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link).
The No. 59 pick has changed hands several teams this offseason, including as part of the Kevin Durant trade, when it was sent from the Rockets to the Suns. Phoenix subsequently flipped it to the Warriors, who are now sending it to Memphis. Because the original Durant deal can’t become official until July, this trade will have to wait until next month too.
Magic Acquire No. 32 Pick Noah Penda From Celtics
9:34 pm: The trade is official, the Magic confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).
7:26 pm: The Celtics have agreed to trade the No. 32 overall pick to the Magic, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reports (via Twitter) that Boston is acquiring tonight’s No. 46 and No. 57 picks, along with second-rounders in 2026 and 2027.
With their newly acquired pick, Orlando selected French forward Noah Penda.
Penda, a 6’8″ French forward, played for Le Mans in France last season. In 37 total games with the club, he averaged 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks while shooting 44.7% from the field and 32.2% from three.
Penda is a strong defender, has a good frame and has the potential to do everything well on offense. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie had him ranked No. 21 on his board.
On ESPN’s draft broadcast, Jonathan Givony reported that multiple teams were interested in getting Penda, but some of those clubs wanted to make him a draft-and-stash prospect, which he wasn’t enthusiastic about. The Magic will be bringing Penda over right away, so he’ll be on their 2025/26 roster, according to Givony.
The 2026 second-rounder the Celtics are acquiring is the most favorable of the Detroit, Milwaukee or Orlando picks, while the 2027 second-rounder is the most favorable of Orlando and Boston, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).
Nets Pick Danny Wolf 27th Overall
The Nets have become the first NBA team to ever make five first-round picks. They’ve used the No. 27 overall selection to add Michigan’s Danny Wolf.
Wolf transferred to Michigan ahead of the 2024/25 season after spending the first two years of his college career at Yale. He started all 37 games he played for the Wolverines as a junior, averaging 13.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 30.5 minutes per contest. He earned a spot on the All-Big Ten second team and was the conference’s leading rebounder.
Wolf’s strong play helped Michigan win the Big Ten tournament and a pair of NCAA Tournament games. The Wolverines were eliminated by Auburn in the Sweet 16.
A 6’11” forward/center, Wolf has displayed impressive versatility, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who notes that the big man showed off an ability to start fast-breaks, play-make, and create out of the pick-and-roll. The 21-year-old can also knock down the occasional three-pointer, having made 34.0% of 2.9 attempts per game over the past two seasons.
With Day’Ron Sharpe set to hit restricted free agency, the Nets have a need in the frontcourt. Even if they retain Sharpe, he and Nic Claxton provide such a different look than Wolf that they could all theoretically coexist.
To recap, the Nets selected Egor Demin (No. 8), Nolan Traore (No. 19), Drake Powell (No. 22), Ben Saraf (No. 26) and Wolf (No. 27) with their five first-rounders. Brooklyn also controls the No. 36 pick tomorrow night.
Hawks Select Asa Newell At No. 23
After trading down from No. 13 to No. 23, the Hawks have used their first-round pick to select Georgia big man Asa Newell.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), the Hawks considered Newell at No. 13 before making their deal with New Orleans. He has strong hometown ties to Atlanta; he was born there before playing collegiately at Georgia.
Newell averaged 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block in 29.0 minutes for contest on .543/.292/.748 shooting in 33 games for the Bulldogs. He helped Georgia advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.
Newell’s defensive versatility, athleticism, and compete level are considered assets, though he’s a bit undersized for a center (6’9″ with a 6’11” wingspan), so it remains to be seen whether he’ll see more time at the four or five at the NBA level.
Regardless of where he ends up spending time at the next level, Atlanta could use another depth big man. Larry Nance Jr. and Clint Capela are free agents, leaving the team without much frontcourt depth to complement Kristaps Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu if Nance and Capela don’t return.
Nets Select Nolan Traore At No. 19
The Nets have made French point guard Nolan Traore the 19th overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
Traore, who turned 19 last month, was viewed as a potential lottery pick a year ago, but has seen his stock drop some during the 2024/25 season.
In a featured role with Saint-Quentin in France’s top basketball league (LNB Élite), he averaged 11.6 points and 5.1 assists on .392/.302/.701 shooting in 30 games (22.6 minutes per contest).
At 6’4″, Traore has good height for a lead guard, and offers intriguing long-term upside as a creative passer and speedy play-maker, per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. However, there are real question marks about multiple aspects of his game, with consistency, efficiency and turnovers all being issues.
On tonight’s broadcast, Givony reported the team plans to keep Traore to pair with No. 8 overall selection Egor Demin. Entering the night without a true point guard, Brooklyn now has two intriguing play-makers to develop long term.
The Nets still have three more first-round picks (Nos. 22, 26 and 27), so they’ll remain busy for the rest of the night.
Trail Blazers Draft Hansen Yang 16th Overall
After trading down from No. 11 to No. 16, the Trail Blazers have used their first-round pick to select Chinese center Hansen Yang.
It’s a surprising pick for the Blazers, who are rolling the dice on the big man well above where he was ranked by most draft experts. ESPN had Yang at No. 35 on their last big board prior to the draft. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie had him ranked No. 48 in his draft guide.
Yang has spent the past two seasons with Qingdao in the Chinese Basketball Association, averaging 16.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.7 blocks and 0.9 steals in 53 games this past season.
Yang was named the CBA’s Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in 2024. He led the CBA in blocked shots last year and has some really intriguing skills for a big man. He showed great touch at the rim, shooting 59.5% from the floor.
We previously noted Yang made his mark at the NBA draft combine, standing out in scrimmages. The Blazers clearly came away impressed with the young big man, and add him to a center rotation that currently includes Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams and Deandre Ayton.
Yang attended the first round of the draft tonight despite not being invited to the green room.