Pelicans Rumors

Southwest Notes: Spurs, Giannis, Pelicans, Grizzlies, Shorts

May 13th, 2025 at 7:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs got lucky in the lottery for the third straight year, landing the No. 2 pick. They’ll get to add another high-quality young player to a mix that already includes the last two Rookies of the Year.

“When you jump into the top four again, you put yourself as an organization in a place to make a really big acquisition with a really good player,” coach Mitch Johnson said, per Michael Wright and Jonathan Givony of ESPN. “And that’s what we’re going to look forward to doing.”

Johnson was referring to getting a high pick, rather than dealing it.

We have more

The Spurs are well-positioned to make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo, but LJ Ellis of SpursTalk.com doubts the Bucks star will wind up there. Antetokounmpo’s timeline doesn’t quite mesh with Victor Wembanyama’s timeline, Ellis notes, so San Antonio going all-in for the 30-year-old superstar seems like a premature move.
The Pelicans dropped from No. 4 to No. 7 in the draft lottery but the franchise still has some reason for optimism, Will Guillory of The Athletic writes. Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones and Yves Missi are good building blocks and the possibility of Antetokounmpo being traded could also aid their cause. New Orleans owns the rights to the Bucks’ first-round pick swaps in 2026 and 2027 and those picks would rise in value if the Bucks deal their top player.
While the Grizzlies have genuine interest in European star guard T.J. Shorts, he’s expected to get a much more lucrative offer if he remains overseas, according to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net. Memphis is willing to give him a guaranteed deal but it’s unlikely he’d get much more than the minimum. If Shorts decides to stay in Europe, he will easily get a multiyear deal with a much bigger net annual salary, Barkas adds. Given that Shorts will turn 28 in October, it would be tough for him to pass up the biggest contract of his career, but he has also said it would be a “dream” to play in the NBA.

Draft Lottery Notes: Spurs, Sixers, Mavs, Nets, Hornets, More

May 13th, 2025 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of last night’s eventful NBA draft lottery, a series of draft experts – including ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic – have updated their 2025 mocks.

A common theme has emerged in those mock drafts, with ESPN’s duo, O’Connor, and Vecenie questioning the fit of certain players who are expected to come off the board right after Cooper Flagg at No. 1. Rutgers’ Dylan Harper, for instance, has long been viewed as the consensus No. 2 in this year’s draft pool, but he’s not exactly a clean fit for the Spurs next to guards Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox.

The Sixers, meanwhile, could add a one-and-done prospect like Harper’s former Rutgers teammate Ace Bailey, but the 18-year-old guard/forward – considered by many pundits to be the third-best player in this year’s draft – is viewed as more of a long-term project who may not fit into Philadelphia’s win-now plans.

In other words, John Hollinger of The Athletic writes, the unexpected results of Monday’s lottery have opened the door for some tantalizing offseason trade possibilities. With the Mavericks, San Antonio, and Philadelphia all closer to contention than is typical for teams at the top of the draft, could Dallas or the Spurs consider using their pick in a package for a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo? Could the 76ers trade down, or perhaps even swing for a star themselves by attaching Paul George to the No. 3 pick and a couple future first-rounders?

As Hollinger notes, there’s some intrigue further down the lottery as well, where teams like the Pelicans and Rockets don’t necessarily need to add rookies to their roster and might consider shopping their picks at No. 7 and 10, respectively. Hollinger also suggests that the Trail Blazers could look into putting the No. 11 pick in a package to improve the trade value of a veteran like Jerami Grant or Deandre Ayton.

Here’s more on the heels of Monday’s shocking draft lottery:

Rival teams view the Nets as a team to monitor for a possible trade up in the draft, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). As Fischer explains, the Nets have three additional first-round picks this year (at No. 19, 26, and 27) on top of their lottery pick at No. 8 and have an excess of future first-rounders as well. They also lack a blue-chip prospect to build around.
Several of the media members who were in the lottery drawing room on Monday, including Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News, Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer, and Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link), have published stories from behind the scenes. As Boone writes, although Charlotte dropped one spot from their pre-lottery rank, Hornets governor Rick Schnall was relieved his team will be picking in the top four. “We are obviously disappointed we didn’t get the No. 1, but it could be a lot worse,” Schnall said. “I thought (for a minute) we were going to be seventh. But we are going to get a good player.”
Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who was also in attendance for the drawing, responds to conspiracy theories about the lottery being rigged by explaining why he believes that’s very unlikely.
With many fans displeased about the outcome of Monday’s lottery and questioning whether the event is above board, Michael McCann of Sportico digs into why a lottery determines the NBA’s draft order at all, exploring other ways the league could distribute talent and explaining why those alternatives wouldn’t necessarily be any better.
A series of ESPN’s NBA reporters takes a look at the biggest question facing each of the 13 teams in the lottery after Monday’s results.

Southwest Notes: Williamson, Mavs, Whitmore, Sheppard, Spurs

May 12th, 2025 at 7:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It may not seem like a big deal but the fact that Zion Williamson represented the Pelicans at the draft lottery may have important implications, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack post.

That’s not the sort of role you ask a star player to take on if you’re looking to trade him, Stein notes. There has been been plenty of speculation regarding Williamson’s status within the organization, particularly after ownership overhauled the front office and put Joe Dumars in the lead executive role.

The Pelicans wound up dropping to the No. 7 pick in the draft following the lottery results.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

With Kyrie Irving on the mend, the Mavericks will likely need two point guards to stabilize that position for next season, according to Yossi Gozlan of ThirdApron.com (Substack link). One of those players will likely have to be acquired via trade. Of course, their lottery luck alters their outlook dramatically. As Gozlan tweets, they’ll now have a loaded cap sheet but they’ll be active this summer. Gozlan held an in-depth discussion with Dallas beat writer Grant Afseth that was posted on YouTube.
It’s fair to wonder where Cam Whitmore and Reed Sheppard stand in terms of the Rockets’ long-term plans, considering their spotty playing time this season. Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle points out that Whitmore, the No. 20 overall pick in 2023, played in 51 games but averaged fewer minutes per night in his second season (16.2) than he did as a rookie (18.7). Sheppard, last year’s No. 3 overall pick, appeared in 52 games and averaged 12.6 MPG.
The Spurs hold the second and 14th picks in the aftermath of the draft lottery. LJ Ellis of SpursTalk.com reveals his first big board of picks 1-14 for the team, which includes some surprises.

Mavericks Win 2025 NBA Draft Lottery; Spurs, Sixers, Hornets In Top 4

May 12th, 2025 at 6:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have won the 2025 NBA draft lottery, jumping all the way from No. 11 in the lottery standings to No. 1 in the draft.

Dallas had just a 1.8% chance of claiming this year’s top pick. Those are the longest odds for any team that has won the lottery since the NBA revamped the format prior to the 2019 draft.

The Mavs’ unlikely lottery victory puts them in position to select consensus top prospect Cooper Flagg, the Duke star who led the Blue Devils to the Final Four as a freshman and was named the ACC Player of the Year, as well as the Naismith College Player of the Year.

The full lottery order for the 2025 draft is as follows:

Dallas Mavericks
San Antonio Spurs
Philadelphia 76ers
Charlotte Hornets
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
New Orleans Pelicans
Brooklyn Nets
Toronto Raptors
Houston Rockets (from Suns)
Portland Trail Blazers
Chicago Bulls
Atlanta Hawks (from Kings)
San Antonio Spurs (from Hawks)

It’s an incredible turn of events in Dallas, where general manager Nico Harrison and his front office have been hammered by fans and pundits alike for the last three-plus months for their decision to trade franchise player Luka Doncic to the Lakers at February’s deadline. Now the Mavs are poised to add another cornerstone and a potential All-Star in Flagg, who will join Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving on the new-look roster.

As Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News tweets, this is the first time in 17 lottery appearances that the Mavs ended up with a better pick than their odds dictated.

The lottery results feature plenty of fascinating stories beyond Dallas’ win, starting with the Spurs‘ pick moving up from No. 8 in the pre-lottery order to No. 2 in the draft. Dylan Harper of Rutgers is widely viewed as the second-best prospect in this year’s class behind Flagg and will be the frontrunner to join an up-and-coming San Antonio roster that already features Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle.

When it was revealed on ESPN’s broadcast that the Mavericks and Spurs had moved into the top four, it momentarily looked as if the Sixers would lose their top-six protected pick, which appeared poised to slide to No. 7 and be sent to the Thunder. However, Philadelphia was among the lucky clubs to move up, claiming the No. 3 pick and hanging onto the selection for at least one more year. The 76ers will now owe their 2026 first-rounder, with top-four protection, to Oklahoma City.

The Hornets, who entered the lottery as one of three teams tied for the best odds at the first overall pick (14%), moved down one spot from No. 3 to No. 4. The Jazz and Wizards, who posted the NBA’s two worst records during the regular season, were even less fortunate, falling four spots each and coming in at No. 5 and No. 6.

That’s a worst-case scenario for those two clubs, who came into the night hoping to add a centerpiece like Flagg or Harper for their rebuild and instead dropped as far as they could have. There was a 47.9% chance Utah would end up at No. 5, but just a 20% chance Washington would slide all the way to No. 6.

The Pelicans were among the night’s biggest losers as well, slipping from No. 4 in the pre-lottery order to No. 7 when three teams leapfrogged them. The Nets and Raptors each dropped two spots to No. 8 and No. 9, respectively, while the Rockets (No. 10, via the Suns) and Trail Blazers (No. 11) slid one spot.

Although the Bulls didn’t move from their pre-lottery slot of No. 12, they had one of the biggest heartbreaks of the night — they finished with the same regular season record as the Mavericks and lost a coin flip last month for the No. 11 spot in the lottery. If they had won that tiebreaker, it would be the Bulls, not the Mavs, whose ping-pong ball combination was drawn for the top pick on Monday.

The lack of movement at the very back of the lottery means the Kings‘ pick, which came in at No. 13, will be sent to the Hawks, as expected. That selection – from the 2022 Kevin Huerter trade – was top-12 protected, so Sacramento only would have kept it if it had jumped into the top four.

The Spurs’ second pick of the lottery, courtesy of the Hawks, didn’t move from No. 14.

The NBA has posted a 13-minute video of the lottery drawing on social media.

Spurs, Rockets In Best Position To Pursue Giannis?

May 12th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Giannis Antetokounmpo has yet to make any decisions about his future with the Bucks, as Shams Charania of ESPN reported today and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) confirms. But with Charania suggesting that Antetokounmpo is becoming more “open-minded” about considering opportunities outside of Milwaukee and executives converging on Chicago this week for the NBA draft combine, speculation about the two-time MVP’s future with the Bucks is running rampant.

Stein, Grant Afseth of RG.org, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Twitter video link) are among the reporters who have pointed to the Spurs and Rockets as the two top teams to watch as potential Antetokounmpo suitors in the event he requests a trade.

As Windhorst explains, those teams are obvious fits because they have the ability to offer quality young players along with draft picks that aren’t their own in a package for Giannis.

Since the Bucks don’t control their own first-round picks for the coming years, they may not be inclined to launch a full-fledged rebuild if they trade Antetokounmpo. They also might not highly value draft picks coming directly from the team acquiring the star forward, since the picks from a Giannis-led team likely wouldn’t land high in the first round.

Windhorst, Stein, and Afseth also identify the Pelicans as a team to watch as a possible facilitator in any Antetokounmpo deal. If the Bucks do want to hit the reset button, reacquiring their own draft picks could be an important part of their plan, and New Orleans controls those picks in the short term. The Pelicans have the ability to swap picks with Milwaukee in both 2026 and 2027 (top-four protected).

Here’s more on a superstar who has suddenly become a popular subject of trade speculation:

The Nets have long been known to covet Antetokounmpo and are ready to pounce if he becomes available, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. While Brooklyn’s cap flexibility collection of future draft assets could make the club an intriguing suitor, Windhorst notes that the Nets don’t have as much young talent as some of the other teams that would likely be part of the bidding.
Do the Heat have the assets necessary to get involved in the potential Antetokounmpo sweepstakes? Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald explores that question, concluding that there are several other teams who could outbid Miami. The Heat would probably only have a legitimate chance at the Bucks star if he were to exert leverage by putting them atop his wish list, Chiang adds.
Afseth cites the Hawks as a possible dark-horse Antetokounmpo suitor, noting that Giannis’ agent – Alex Saratsis of Octagon – is among the player representatives Atlanta is believed to be evaluating as a possible candidate to lead the team’s front office. Head coach Quin Snyder, who has a role in personnel decisions, is also represented by Octagon, Afseth observes.
In his look at potential trade packages for Antetokounmpo, ESPN’s Bobby Marks identifies the Rockets and Spurs as the best overall fits, the Nets and Jazz as the teams best positioned to put together offers heavy on draft picks, and Pistons, Grizzlies, Thunder, Pelicans, Magic, and Sixers as possible wild cards.
Eric Nehm of The Athletic considers how the Bucks might be able to sell Antetokounmpo on the idea of remaining in Milwaukee by treating 2025/26 as a “gap year” and building a younger, more flexible roster around him in the long term.

Draft Notes: Flagg, NIL, Combine, Lakhin, International Prospects

May 12th, 2025 at 3:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Cooper Flagg is as close to a lock to go number one in the 2025 draft as any non-Victor Wembanyama prospect can be, writes Sam Vecenie for The Athletic. In breaking down Flagg’s potential fit with all of this year’s lottery teams, Vecenie illustrates how the 18-year-old’s well-rounded skill set on both sides of the ball will allow him to slot in seamlessly with just about every team construction.

In his breakdown, Vecenie writes that the Pelicans and Raptors are the only rosters in the lottery that could make for a questionable fit, given that the two teams are already primarily built around a plethora of wings and forwards.

Still, Vecenie emphasizes that questions around fit are secondary to adding the level of talent Flagg promises, so even those two teams shouldn’t hesitate to take the 6’8″ forward if the opportunity presents itself. However, that scenario might necessitate a trade involving one or more of the incumbent forwards already rostered.

Rockets Don’t Plan To Pursue Kevin Durant, Devin Booker

May 12th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

If the Rockets make a major trade this summer, it probably won’t be with the Suns, sources tell Kelly Iko and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Houston has frequently been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Kevin Durant, who’s expected to be one of the top names on this year’s trade market. Iko and Amick hear that Durant would be very interested in joining the Rockets, but team sources tell them “significant reservations” remain because of Durant’s age.

Durant will turn 37 in September, which puts him far of out range with the timeline Houston has established by building up a young core over the last four drafts. Durant is still productive — averaging 26.6 PPG in 62 games this season with .527/.430/.839 shooting numbers — and he could provide the closer that the team lacked in its first-round loss to Golden State. However, the Rockets are wary of giving up significant assets to add someone who may be nearing the end of his career.

Rockets sources tell the authors that previous trade talks between the teams regarding Durant were initiated by the Suns, including discussions held prior to this year’s deadline.

The Rockets have also changed their minds about pursuing Suns guard Devin Booker, according to Iko and Amick. The front office hasn’t lost faith in 23-year-old guard Jalen Green despite his playoff struggles, and he’s seen as a preferable alternative because he’s five years younger than Booker and makes about $66MM less over the next three seasons.

Houston once had “serious interest” in acquiring Booker, but that faded over the past year as he wasn’t able to help a talented but dysfunctional Phoenix team reach the play-in tournament. Booker experienced a subpar shooting season, connecting at just 46.1% from the field and 33.2% from three-point range, well below his figures from recent years.

Suns owner Mat Ishbia has declared that won’t consider parting with Booker, so Houston’s apparent lack of interest may not be that significant.

Rockets sources also tell Iko and Amick that the team won’t pursue Zion Williamson if the Pelicans‘ new front office makes him available. Williamson, who was limited to 30 games this season with a variety of ailments and has played just 214 total games in six years, is viewed as too risky by Houston’s management.

According to Iko and Amick, the player who would spark the most interest from the Rockets is Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, even though he would carry the largest price tag. Antetokounmpo is an MVP finalist this year and at age 30, he’s still considered young enough to fit the timeline.

The authors note that there are a few concerns about Antetokounmpo, who wouldn’t solve the team’s issues with outside shooting that were exploited in the playoffs. He prefers serving as a primary play-maker on offense, and his presence in the paint would create challenges alongside Alperen Sengun, assuming Sengun isn’t moved as part of a potential deal.

A report earlier today indicates that Antetokounmpo plans to reevaluate his future in Milwaukee, so we may find out soon how serious the Rockets’ interest is.

Community Shootaround: Best, Worst Draft Lottery Outcomes

May 11th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Fans of NBA teams who own a pick (or two) in this year’s lottery will obviously be rooting for their favorite club to get lucky on Monday and claim the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, putting them in position to select Duke phenom Cooper Flagg.

But what about the fans who don’t have a personal rooting interest in Monday’s event? What outcome should they be hoping for? Would it be more interesting for Flagg to become the centerpiece of a rebuilding team that badly needs one, like the Jazz or Wizards? Or would it be more fun to see him join a team with some established talent that only ended up high in the lottery due to injuries, like the Pelicans or Sixers?

Here are all the teams that have a shot at the No. 1 pick, as our breakdown of the lottery odds indicates:

Utah Jazz (14%): The Jazz have made five first-round picks in the past two drafts, but none of those players looks like an obvious franchise cornerstone. They bottomed out this season in the hopes of landing one.
Washington Wizards (14%): If the Wizards ended up with the first overall pick, they’d be adding Flagg to a young core that includes Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, and Bub Carrington.
Charlotte Hornets (14%): The Hornets almost certainly would’ve been a lottery team even if they’d been healthy in 2024/25, but injuries to key players like LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams are the main reason they’re this high in the lottery standings.
New Orleans Pelicans (12.5%): Perhaps no team was hit harder by the injury bug this past year than the Pelicans, whose decision on Zion Williamson‘s future (keep or trade) would be all the more interesting if they were able to add Flagg.
Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%): While Joel Embiid‘s health remains a major question mark going forward, no Eastern Conference team would want the Sixers to get the chance to add Flagg to a group that features Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey.
Brooklyn Nets (9%): The Nets reacquired control of their first-round pick from Houston last offseason, anticipating that they’d be in this position. That trade would pay off in a massive way if they get lucky on lottery night.
Toronto Raptors (7.5%): The Raptors have a crowded forward depth chart already, with Brandon Ingram joining Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett. Adding Flagg to the mix would create a pretty unbalanced roster, but they’d absolutely welcome that problem.
San Antonio Spurs (6.7%): Besides their own pick (6.0%), the Spurs also control the Hawks’ first-rounder (0.7%), giving them two outside shots at No. 1. Given that the Spurs won the lottery for Victor Wembanyama just two years ago, it would feel a little unfair for them to luck into Flagg too, but that duo would be very fun to watch together.
Houston Rockets (3.8%): The 52-win Rockets, who control Phoenix’s first-round pick, have no shortage of young talent on their roster already. Winning the lottery would be a case of the rich getting richer, especially considering that Houston also has extra future draft assets that could be used as trade chips for additional upgrades.
Portland Trail Blazers (3.7%): Portland’s young core features plenty of intriguing talent, including Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe, and Scoot Henderson, but they’d love to add one more long-term keeper to that group before they start trying to contend. For what it’s worth, the Hawks moved up from this spot in the lottery standings to No. 1 last year.
Dallas Mavericks (1.8%): Jumping up to No. 1 might be karmic justice for fans in Dallas, who were devastated by this year’s Luka Doncic trade. But would it feel right for general manager Nico Harrison to be rewarded with a new franchise player after making that Doncic deal? Either way, adding Flagg to a roster that features Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving would certainly qualify as intriguing.
Chicago Bulls (1.7%): The Bulls have begun leaning into a rebuild this past year, having traded away Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine. They’ll probably need to tear things down further if they want to have a legitimate shot at a top pick, but you never know.
Sacramento Kings (0.8%): The Kings’ top-12 protected pick will likely be sent to Atlanta at No. 13, but there’s a 0.8% chance of them moving up to No. 1. After a tumultuous year that saw Sacramento fire head coach Mike Brown and GM Monte McNair and trade star point guard De’Aaron Fox, new head of basketball operations Scott Perry would love to begin his tenure by seeing this long shot of less than 1-in-100 come through.

We want to know what you think. Outside of your favorite team, which club would you most like to see win the draft lottery on Monday evening? Which outcome would be a worst-case scenario, in your view?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Aldama, Popovich, Pelicans

May 8th, 2025 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is making major changes to the club’s health and performance team, according to reports from Marc Stein (Twitter link), Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News and Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Those changes include parting ways head athletic trainer Dionne Calhoun and athletic performance director Keith Belton, among others.

As MacMahon details, Calhoun has spent over two decades with the Mavericks and had been the team’s head athletic trainer since 2019. He was one of the last holdovers from the staff of former health and performance director Casey Smith, who was let go in 2023.

MacMahon previously published a lengthy story about the turmoil within Dallas’ health and performance director, as we relayed last month. That story included details on a “loud, heated confrontation” between Belton and director of player health and performance Johann Bilsborough over how the team was handling Dereck Lively‘s ankle injury. That incident spurred an HR investigation, according to MacMahon, who says Bilsborough remains employed by the team.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal previews Santi Aldama‘s upcoming restricted free agency, noting that the presence of solid frontcourt options like Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke, and Zach Edey will give the Grizzlies some leverage in their negotiations with Aldama. However, the 24-year-old Spaniard has steadily improved during his four years in Memphis and his offensive skill set is an asset, Cole notes, so the team won’t necessarily be able to bring him back at a bargain rate.
In a feature story for ESPN.com, Baxter Holmes takes an in-depth look at the “unparalleled” legacy that Gregg Popovich will leave behind after coaching the Spurs for the better part of three decades. Holmes spoke to Steve Kerr, Jerry Colangelo, Mike Krzyzewski, and Adam Silver, among others, about the impact that Popovich had during his long run as the head coach in San Antonio.
Ahead of Monday’s draft lottery, William Guillory of The Athletic explores what the Pelicans‘ draft options will look like if they don’t have a shot at Cooper Flagg at No. 1 overall. Guillory breaks down some hypothetical scenarios in which New Orleans lands V.J. Edgecombe (at No. 4), Kon Knueppel (No. 5), and Jeremiah Fears (No. 7).

Scotto’s Latest: Jerome, Caporn, Suns, NBAGL Elite Camp, Pelicans

May 6th, 2025 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Good health and the opportunity to play for newly minted Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson were the key factors that fueled Ty Jerome‘s breakout 2024/25 season, the Cavaliers guard recently told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

“Kenny empowers me to be aggressive every time I step on the court and to play my game,” Jerome said. “I’ve got the ultimate green light. He trusts his guards to be yourself with unlimited confidence. When good players are playing with confidence, good stuff usually happens.”

After finishing third in Sixth Man of the Year voting, Jerome appears poised for a nice raise in free agency, but it remains to be seen whether the Cavaliers will be in position to give him that raise. Cleveland’s team salary is on the rise, with the club projected to operate well into second-apron territory even before accounting for a new deal for Jerome.

According to Scotto, that has rival executives wondering whether Jerome will leave Cleveland in free agency or whether the team might make a cost-cutting move elsewhere in order to bring back the standout reserve. For his part, the 27-year-old guard would prefer to stay where he is.

“I think I have an amazing situation here with a coaching staff that empowers me and a team that empowers me,” Jerome told Scotto. “… Everyone wants to see each other succeed and empower everyone. That’s really rare. When you have that in the NBA, you don’t want to take it for granted. Yes, people want to get paid for sure, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t, but when you have that, you don’t want to take it for granted.”

Here are a few more highlights from Scotto’s latest NBA rumor round-up:

Scotto adds Wizards assistant Adam Caporn to the list of head coaching candidates expected to receive consideration from the Suns as they seek a replacement for Mike Budenholzer. Caporn, who previously worked in Brooklyn as a G League head coach and NBA assistant, is also the new coach of Australia’s national team.
Real Madrid big man Eli Ndiaye has declined an opportunity to take part in the NBA’s G League Elite Camp this weekend, according to Scotto, who says Iowa wing Payton Sandfort and Kentucky guard Lamont Butler are among the prospects not included on the initial list of invitees who have since received and accepted invitations. Real Madrid’s season in the Spanish League isn’t yet over, which is likely why Ndiaye is passing on his invite.
According to Scotto, the Pelicans are hiring Jason Hervey, who previously worked under Joe Dumars in Detroit as a video coordinator and director of player development. Scotto doesn’t provide specifics on Hervey’s new position in New Orleans, but notes that he has worked as an advance scout, a personnel scout, and a quality control coach for various NBA organizations since leaving the Pistons.

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