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Draft Workouts: Jazz, Wolves, Kings, Broome

June 12th, 2025 at 5:56pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz are hosting a pre-draft workout on Friday featuring Colorado State wing Nique Clifford, North Carolina wing Drake Powell, Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner and Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier, multiple league sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Clifford is the top-ranked prospect of the group, according to ESPN’s big board, coming in at No. 22. Powell (No. 31), Kalkbrenner (No. 33) and Lanier (No. 37) are also viewed as strong bets to be drafted, either late in the first round or early in the second.

Utah currently controls four picks — Nos. 5, 21, 43 and 53 — in June’s draft.

Here are a few more notes regarding pre-draft workouts:

The Timberwolves, who control the 17th and 31st picks, are holding a workout Thursday that includes Asa Newell (Georgia), Jamir Watkins (Florida State), Keshon Gilbert (Iowa State) and Steven Crowl (Wisconsin), reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and SKOR North (via Twitter). Newell, who was invited to the green room, is ranked No. 21 on ESPN’s board, while Watkins is No. 39. The other two players are unranked.
The Kings will be hosting six players for a workout on Friday, the team announced (Twitter link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee). The six are Ryan Nembhard of Gonzaga, Curtis Jones of Iowa State, Koby Brea of Kentucky, Kadary Richmond of, Norchad Omier of Baylor, and Vladislav Goldin of Michigan. All six prospects appear on ESPN’s board, ranging from No. 47 (Brea) to No. 95 (Omier). Sacramento currently only controls the 42nd pick, but is rumored to be interested in moving into the first round.
Big man Johni Broome, the 40th-ranked prospect on ESPN’s list, had a workout with the Warriors today, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The former Auburn star said he has previously worked out for the Clippers, Pistons, Hawks, Nets, Raptors and Celtics, and has upcoming workouts scheduled with the Thunder, Timberwolves and Suns, according to Rankin. Golden State controls the 41st pick.

Suns, Durant Sifting Through Trade Scenarios

June 11th, 2025 at 12:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns and Kevin Durant‘s business partner, Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman, have met multiple times over the past week and are sifting through trade scenarios, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

The Rockets, Spurs, Heat, Timberwolves and Knicks are among the teams that have expressed interest in trading for the 15-time All-Star forward.

Several other suitors beyond those five teams have made inquiries on Durant in the past seven-to-10 days, Charania notes. Talks are expected to escalate before the draft, which takes place in two weeks.

After a colossally disappointing season in which the Suns didn’t make the playoffs, there has been an expectation that Durant will be moved. The Suns engaged in trade talks involving Durant prior to February’s deadline and nearly traded him to Golden State, which seemingly caught Durant by surprise and was something he didn’t want at the time.

Matching salaries could be a challenge for some teams and draft capital could be key for the Suns, who desperately need to replenish their draft stock. The latter issue makes it preferable for a Durant deal to be in place over the next two weeks.

Durant has a $54.7MM salary next season, the last year of his current contract, and his desire for an extension could prove to be a critical factor in where he lands, says Charania.

Once he is traded, Durant will be eligible to sign a two-year contract extension on July 6 worth as much as $112MM. After a six-month waiting period, he could instead sign a two-year extension worth up to $124MM.

Knicks Denied Permission To Speak To Udoka, Finch, Kidd

June 11th, 2025 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

8:30 am: The Knicks asked for the Mavericks’ permission to speak to Kidd and, as expected, were turned down by Dallas as well, according to Stein (Twitter link).

For what it’s worth, Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link) has heard that some people in the Knicks’ organization believe the “first no” from the Mavs doesn’t necessarily spell the end of New York’s pursuit of Kidd.

7:56 am: The Knicks formally requested permission to speak to Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, but were denied on both counts, according to reports.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) first reported that the Knicks’ request to Houston had been turned down, while longtime New York radio and podcast host Mike Francesa (Twitter link) was first to say that the Timberwolves declined the Knicks’ request to speak to Finch. Shams Charania of ESPN subsequently confirmed both reports.

Marc Stein wrote last week that the Knicks had interest in Udoka but would almost certainly be rebuffed by the Rockets if they sought permission to talk to him. New York’s interest in Finch was initially reported last week by Begley.

Udoka, who was hired by the Rockets following three straight seasons of 22 or fewer wins, has helped turn things around in Houston, leading the team to a 41-41 record last season and a 52-30 mark – along with the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference – this past year. Finch, meanwhile, has guided the Timberwolves to back-to-back appearances in the Western Conference Finals.

Neither team was likely to be enthusiastic about letting the Knicks poach a successful head coach who remains under contract.

It sounds like that will likely be the case for the Mavericks as well, as multiple reports have suggested that Dallas is expected to spurn the Knicks’ advances if New York seeks permission to speak to Jason Kidd. Charania confirms as much, citing sources who say the Mavs would decline the Knicks’ request if it comes (it hadn’t as of Tuesday night).

Based on what we know, it has been an unusual coaching search so far for the Knicks, who have only really been linked to candidates who already have head coaching jobs. It remains possible the club will request permission to speak to other head coaches currently employed by NBA teams, Charania notes.

Among coaches who aren’t presently employed, Taylor Jenkins is one name that people around the league think the Knicks will consider, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Jenkins was let go by the Grizzlies prior to the end of the regular season.

The Knicks are seeking a replacement for Tom Thibodeau, who took out a full-page ad in the New York Times on Wednesday thanking the fans, his players, and his coaching staff for his experience in New York, as Steve Popper of Newsday relays (via Twitter).

“To the best city in the world with the best fans in the world: Thank you,” Thibodeau wrote. “When I was hired in 2020, I said this was my dream job. I am grateful that dreams became a reality. Thank you to our players and coaching staff who gave everything they had, and to everyone who makes this franchise special. I am proud of everything we accomplished together, including four playoff appearances and this year’s run to the Eastern Conference finals — our first in 25 years.

“And to the fans, thank you for believing in me and embracing me from day one. Watching you support our team, and seeing the Garden ignite with that incomparable Knicks energy, is something I will never forget.”

Southeast Notes: Magic, Jaquez, Battier, Hornets

June 9th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic may be in the market for a play-making guard this summer, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line suggests in a Substack column (subscription required). Fischer reports that Orlando had “real interest” in De’Aaron Fox before Sacramento agreed to trade him to San Antonio in February, although there were never substantial conversations about Fox between the Magic and Kings. Fischer also states that Orlando looked at Malik Monk before he re-signed with Sacramento last summer.

A report emerged over the weekend that the Cavaliers are listening to offers for Darius Garland. However, sources tell Fischer that Cleveland and Orlando haven’t seriously discussed Garland, and the Cavs would be reluctant to help an Eastern Conference rival. Fischer mentions Celtics guard Jrue Holiday as a possibility, along with Fred VanVleet, although he hears that the Rockets intend to keep him on their roster for next season.

Fischer also raises the possibility that the Magic could make smaller trades and decline whatever options are necessary to qualify for the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. That could be used to pursue Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, whom Orlando has been identified as a potential suitor for.

In addition, Fischer lists the Magic as a team that could try to move up in the draft for a late lottery selection. Orlando holds picks No. 16 and 25 and already has 15 players on standard contracts for next season, although that could change by declining team options on Moritz Wagner ($11MM) and Gary Harris ($7.5MM).

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Second-year Heat forward Jaime Jaquez got a taste of the NBA Finals on Sunday while working as a media member for the league’s digital and social media outlets under the Player Correspondent Program, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. “I’m thinking I want to be here, but not as a correspondent,” Jaquez said during a media event. “That’s what I’m thinking, as a player.”
Former Heat player and executive Shane Battier addressed the end of his playing career and a number of other topics in an appearance on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, relays Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Battier, 46, left the team in 2021 to pursue other interests. “My last year (as a player), when I was told without being told that our best chance of winning doesn’t include you Shane,” Battier recalled. “When (coach Erik Spoelstra) started to sit me in the fourth quarter, nothing was worse to me than sitting me in crunch time because that was my identity.”
Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer examines recent No. 4 picks to get an idea of what the Hornets can expect with that selection in this year’s draft.

Knicks Notes: Culture, Malone, Brunson, Towns

June 8th, 2025 at 8:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

There’s a lot that can be learned about Knicks‘ relationship with former head coach Tom Thibodeau and his recent firing, through the lens of what makes certain business cultures particularly effective, organizational behavior professor Spencer Harrison writes for The Athletic.

Harrison points to a specific moment in the Knicks’ season as indicative of the larger institutional issues at play: a March statement from Mikal Bridges in which Bridges referenced having had discussions with Thibodeau about the starters’ minutes load, and Thibodeau’s subsequent denial of such a conversation taking place.

“As someone who studies the cultures of businesses and organizations, I found Thibodeau’s response telling. To me, it suggested a stubbornness and unwillingness to consider other options, as if the conversation wasn’t even worth having,” Spencer writes.

Spencer also refers to a study of creative teams employing generalists versus specialists and which tends to yield the maximum creative output. The conclusion of the study, according to Spencer, was that people who had been introduced to a variety of approaches tended to be more adaptable and creative in their problem-solving. That stands in stark contrast to the notoriously stubborn Thibodeau, whose methods have yielded a great deal of success, but have at times caused his teams to struggle to adapt on the fly.

However, Spencer warns that simply firing Thibodeau does not guarantee positive results for the Knicks. As he notes, there are plenty of examples in the business world of leadership changes not working because a newcomer wants to implement an entirely new philosophy and culture, rather than building on what the previous regime did right.

We have more Knicks notes:

The Knicks should hire former Nuggets coach Michael Malone, opines Troy Renck of the Denver Post. While Malone’s tenure in Denver came to an abrupt end, Renck believes that his competitiveness, willingness to challenge his players, and media savvy would make him a great fit for the Knicks, who generally require their coach to serve as the main point of contact for the media. However, Renck does note that many of the frustrations with Thibodeau, including his over-reliance on starters and lack of trust in non-established bench players, are present with Malone as well, which could make for a complicated dynamic for a team looking to adjust its approach.
Jalen Brunson offered his first take on the Thibodeau firing, albeit in a “pictures are worth a thousand words” manner, writes the New York Post’s Bryan Fonseca. The star point guard posted a photo of himself and the recently fired coach on Instagram with two emojis: a white heart and a hand with its fingers crossed. It was a characteristically understated response from Brunson, who had previously gone to bat for Thibodeau. Following the end of the team’s playoff run, Brunson was quoted as saying, “Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe he’s the right guy. Yes. Come on,” when asked if Thibodeau was the right coach for the job. This was his first public comment following the firing.
Last summer’s trade between the Knicks and Timberwolves represented one of the rarest things in the NBA: a true win-win deal, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski and James Edwards III. The Knicks needed a center after free agent Isaiah Hartenstein left for Oklahoma City and Mitchell Robinson‘s injury rehabilitation took longer than expected. Meanwhile, the Wolves were dealing with a complicated salary cap situation for a roster they weren’t sure could sustain itself as a title contender. While the two stars headlining the deal, Karl-Anthony Towns for the Wolves and Julius Randle for the Knicks, were both shocked by the news, especially so close to training camp, both players ended up adjusting to their new surroundings — and both ended up in their respective Conference Finals. “I think if you had asked either front office last year, ‘Hey, worst-case scenario, you’ll lose in the conference finals?’ I think we’d have probably taken it even though we both have higher aspirations,” Wolves president Tim Connelly said.

Knicks Notes: Kidd, Finch, Thibodeau, Brunson

June 6th, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

After Marc Stein reported earlier today that the Knicks are expected to seek the Mavericks‘ permission to talk to head coach Jason Kidd about their head coaching job, Ian Begley of SNY.tv and ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon have confirmed as much. New York is “conducting active due diligence” on Kidd, according to Charania and MacMahon.

The question remains whether or not the Mavericks will grant that permission. Sources tell ESPN’s duo that Mavs general manager Nico Harrison and team owner Patrick Dumont haven’t yet discussed whether to allow Kidd and the Knicks to speak to one another. It’s also unclear whether Kidd would have interest in leaving Dallas for New York — he did interview for the Knicks’ job in 2020 before Tom Thibodeau was hired, as Charania and MacMahon note.

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch is also part of a small group of head coaches already under contract whom the Knicks have interest in, according to Begley. It’s unclear if the Knicks plan to ask the Wolves about talking to Finch, but I can’t imagine Minnesota being very enthusiastic about the possibility.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Following up on ESPN’s reporting about the Knicks dismissing Thibodeau after getting input from players, Begley notes that while that player input was a factor in the team’s decision, Knicks players were respectful of Thibodeau during their end-of-season exit meetings and have a “great deal of admiration” for him. They did point out during those meetings, however, that there were things Thibodeau did during his tenure that could be improved, Begley adds.
There will be plenty of Jalen Brunson-related subplots to monitor during the Knicks’ head coaching search, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post (subscription required). As Braziller observes, Brunson has blossomed into a star under Thibodeau and spoke highly of the veteran coach. It remains to be seen how much input the point guard might have in the team’s hiring decision and what the coaching change will mean for his father, assistant coach Rick Brunson.
The Knicks aren’t expected to make an immediate head coaching hire, a league source tells Steve Popper of Newsday, who details the pressure and expectations that Thibodeau’s replacement will face.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who is the president of the National Basketball Coaches Association, admitted this week that he was shocked by the Knicks’ decision to fire Thibodeau. “Thibs went in there and changed so much,” Carlisle said (Twitter link via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). “You look at all that and what happened yesterday. When I first saw it I thought it was one of those fake AI things, like, no way. No way possible.”

Barnes, Stewart, Vassell Candidates For Jamaican National Team

June 5th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart and Spurs guard/forward Devin Vassell are in discussions to join Jamaica’s men’s basketball team, reports Daniel Blake of The Jamaica Observer (Twitter link).

Clippers wing Norman Powell has already committed to represent Jamaica during the pre-qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup this summer, as has Timberwolves forward Josh Minott, according to Blake (Twitter link).

Rockets wing Amen Thompson and Pistons wing Ausar Thompson may also represent Jamaica in FIBA competitions and possibly the Summer Olympics. Blake hears the Thompson twins began the process of applying for Jamaican passports last week — their father is from Jamaica.

Blake previously mentioned Suns center Nick Richards, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica, as another candidate to join the national team.

If Jamaica is able to secure the commitments of all the aforementioned NBA players, the country would become a formidable opponent in international competitions. Former Rookie of the Year and All-Star Barnes is the most accomplished of the group, and all but Minott have established themselves as at least solid rotation players in the NBA.

Scotto’s Latest: Porzingis, Celtics, Reid, NAW, Magic, Kings

June 4th, 2025 at 8:12am CST by Luke Adams

Executives around the NBA generally view Kristaps Porzingis as the Celtics‘ top trade candidate this offseason as the team looks to reduce its salary, says Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Porzingis has played a limited role during Boston’s last two playoff runs due to health issues and will be on an expiring $30.7MM contract in 2025/26.

However, the general consensus is that the Celtics won’t be looking to trade just one highly paid player.

“Boston needs to get off two big salaries at least, or they’ll have massive tax implications,” one NBA executive told HoopsHype. “(Jayson) Tatum‘s injury lets them use next year as a gap year to audition other players or young guys.”

While Derrick White has drawn consistent interest from teams across the league, per Scotto, the Celtics have always rebuffed those inquiries in the past and would presumably be more inclined to shop Jrue Holiday if they move off one of their veteran guards.

Reserve wing Sam Hauser is also considered a trade candidate by rival NBA executives, according to Scotto, who notes that 2024 first-rounder Baylor Scheierman is viewed by talent evaluators as a player who could take on Hauser’s role sooner or later.

Here’s more from Scotto:

Re-signing Naz Reid is considered a top priority for the Timberwolves, but executives around the NBA believe Minnesota is unlikely to retain Reid, Julius Randle, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who are all eligible for free agency this offseason.
The Magic, who were recently identified as a possible suitor for Alexander-Walker, made a play for the Timberwolves guard at February’s trade deadline, according to Scotto, who says many executives are projecting the 26-year-old to receive the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception or something close to it.
Rival executives are monitoring the Kings‘ veteran trio of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan, and believe the team will explore trading one or more of those players either this offseason or by the 2026 trade deadline, Scotto writes. It might take a trade request for Sacramento to seriously consider dealing Sabonis, and LaVine’s maximum-salary contract figures to be difficult to move. That leaves DeRozan and perhaps center Jonas Valanciunas, who will be on a pseudo-expiring $10.4MM contract, as the Kings’ top potential trade candidates.
In case you missed it, we also passed along reporting from Scotto on a potential point guard target for the Kings, along with a handful of Clippers-related rumors.

Northwest Notes: Wiggins, Blazers, Garland, Wolves

June 3rd, 2025 at 9:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Aaron Wiggins had to wait until the 55th pick to be selected in the 2021 draft. The Thunder offered him a two-way deal and he wasn’t necessarily thrilled at the prospect at the time, he told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears.

“We’re sitting there watching the draft and there was a lot of mixed emotions,” Wiggins said. “The second round started. There were a couple [draft] spots with teams that I thought I had good workouts with and I’m expecting to possibly be drafted and don’t get drafted. Then late in the second round, I get a call from my agent saying the Thunder are drafting me and want to sign a two-way [contract]. I wasn’t necessarily upset. I was happy and grateful to be blessed, but I wasn’t happy either. So, I was just glad to have heard my name and know that I was being given an opportunity.”

Wiggins has done the most with that opportunity. He eventually had the two-way converted to a standard deal and last summer he signed a five-year, $45MM contract. He appeared in 76 regular season games, though his playing time has dropped in the postseason.

“I’m just doing the same thing I’ve done for the last couple of years,” Wiggins said. “Trust in our coaching staff. Buying into the team first and understand that success will come. I trust in that and want to win first, celebrate my teammates and everything will work its way out.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

In their latest pre-draft workout on Tuesday, the Trail Blazers looked at Cameron Hildreth (Wake Forest), Ben Gregg (Gonzaga), Jamiya Neal (Arizona State), Mohamed Diawara (Cholet), Caleb Grill (Missouri) and Damari Monsanto (UTSA), Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report tweets. Grill, ranked No. 74 on ESPN’s Best Available list, heads that group of potential second-round selections.
How can the Trail Blazers upgrade their roster? Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (subscription required) believes there are several approaches they could take. The Blazers could add another frontcourt player to give them additional size and seek an upgrade at guard if they don’t think Scoot Henderson will ever live up to his draft status. They could also target a young player with high upside on a low-cost contract, similar to what they did last season when they acquired Deni Avdija from Washington.
Darius Garland might be an ideal backcourt partner for Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, Michael Rand of the Minneapolis Star Tribune opines. Garland would be the type of combo guard who could unlock more of Edwards’ two-way potential while taking pressure off him offensively, according to Rand. Garland has three years and approximately $126.5MM remaining on his contract. The Cavaliers aren’t looking to move their starting point guard, but are said to be more open to the idea than in the past.

Wolves’ Connelly Talks Second Apron, Core, Offseason

June 3rd, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite having an opt-out clause in his contract, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly spoke on Monday as if he’ll be with the organization for the foreseeable future. He also expressed optimism about the team’s ability to retain players like Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker this offseason.

Randle and Reid hold player options, while Alexander-Walker will be an unrestricted free agent. Bringing back all three could put Minnesota back into second tax apron territory, which is where they spent the 2024/25 season. Connelly acknowledged that the team doesn’t necessarily want to make a habit of maintaining a payroll that high.

“I think optimally you can dip your toe in (to the second apron) but you don’t want to be there too consistently, because it just gets so punitive,” Connelly said (Twitter video link via Dane Moore). “It’s not just super expensive – and we had great ownership that allowed us to spend a lot, a lot of money – but it’s so restrictive with deal-making. So how can we insure that we’re as nimble as possible? I wouldn’t say it’s a steadfast, ‘We’re definitely going to be out of (the second apron).’ But if we’re going to be in it, we’re going to be in it for a good reason.”

All indications are that incoming owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez will be comfortable continuing to pay luxury tax penalties going forward, but as Connelly points out, a second-apron team faces major roster-building limitations.

For instance, while the Timberwolves reportedly pursued Kevin Durant at the 2025 trade deadline, actually making a deal for the Suns star would have been impossible unless Minnesota could have moved below the second apron, allowing the team to aggregate salaries to match Durant’s maximum-salary contract.

The Wolves have a path out of the second apron this summer, which could put them in better position to make a play for a high-priced star like Durant. Connelly didn’t rule out the possibility of pursuing a major deal in the coming weeks or months, but also expressed confidence in the team’s current core, per Dave Campbell of The Associated Press.

“We feel very happy with the core we have. We don’t feel like there’s tremendous pressure to do much,” Connelly said. “But until you’re raising the (championship) trophy, you’ve got to be as active and as creative as possible to get to the point where you’re the final team.

“… Those organizations that can show patience tend to have a really high level of success. But patience shouldn’t lead to risk aversion. If there’s something that if we have to shake it up and make us a better team, we’re certainly open to that.”