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NBA Invites 13 Prospects To Draft Green Room

June 10th, 2025 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

A total of 13 draft-eligible players have been invited to the NBA’s green room for the 2025 draft so far, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Those players are as follows, sorted by their rank on ESPN’s big board:

Cooper Flagg (Duke)
Dylan Harper (Rutgers)
Ace Bailey (Rutgers)
V.J. Edgecombe (Baylor)
Tre Johnson (Texas)
Khaman Maluach (Duke)
Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma)
Kon Knueppel (Duke)
Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois)
Egor Demin (BYU)
Carter Bryant (Arizona)
Derik Queen (Maryland)
Asa Newell (Georgia)

As Givony observes, 12 of the top 13 players on ESPN’s board have received invitations so far, with the only exception being French forward Noa Essengue, who comes in at No. 9. The 18-year-old is still playing in Germany for Ratiopharm Ulm as the team vies for a spot in the Basketball Bundesliga Finals.

Essengue’s season could be over as soon as later this week, in which case he’d have no problem attending the draft and would likely get a green room invite. However, it’s also possible his season might extend beyond June 25 (day one of the draft) if Ulm makes the BBL Finals and the series requires the maximum five games — in that scenario, Game 5 would be played on June 26.

Another 11 green room invitations are expected to be sent out to prospects prior to the draft, a source tells Givony. The players invited to the green room can usually feel pretty confident about their chances to be first-round picks, since the league only decides who to invite after asking teams to vote on the 25 prospects they expect to come off the board first.

Still, there are occasionally instances in which players in the green room slip further than expected. Last season, Givony notes, Kyle Filipowski and Johnny Furphy received green room invites but weren’t selected until the second round, which was held a day later for the first time.

Kings Reportedly Have Interest In Darius Garland

June 10th, 2025 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings, who are in the market for a point guard after trading De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio in February, have interest in Darius Garland and consider the Cavaliers guard a possible trade target, league sources tell Grant Afseth of RG.org.

Following the deadline deal that sent Fox to the Spurs, the Kings leaned more heavily on shooting guards and forwards like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Malik Monk for ball-handling responsibilities, with reserve point guards like Devin Carter and Markelle Fultz playing limited roles.

Bolstering the point guard spot will be a priority for Sacramento this offseason, as new head of basketball operations Scott Perry acknowledged earlier this spring. Tyus Jones is among the free agents believed to be on the Kings’ radar, but the trade market would give the front office more avenues to acquire an impact player at the position.

Multiple reports since the Cavs’ season ended have indicated that Cleveland appears to be more willing than in the past to entertain the idea of trading Garland this offseason. However, the 25-year-old underwent toe surgery on Monday and is expected to miss some time at the start of next season.

For the Cavs, finding a Garland trade that improves their roster – or at least doesn’t hurt it – while creating a more favorable cap situation going forward was always going to be difficult. His recovery from surgery will make that task even more challenging, since potential trade partners are unlikely to value him quite as highly until he’s back to 100%.

League sources tell RG.org that the Kings and Hawks have also had a conversation about what a Trae Young trade might look like, but those talks didn’t advance. Afseth describes the discussions as “due diligence” from Atlanta’s side and suggests that Perry wasn’t especially enthusiastic about the construct of the deal.

While Young has some fans in Sacramento’s front office, Afseth writes, the team is thought to prefer Garland over the Hawks star, at least prior to Garland’s surgery.

Hawks Among Teams Eyeing Myles Turner

June 9th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to the Pistons, the Hawks are among the teams who have interest in center Myles Turner, reports Grant Afseth of RG.org. Turner, currently vying for a championship with the Pacers, will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Reports in recent weeks have repeatedly indicated that the Pacers and Turner have interest in working out a new deal and that Indiana is willing to become a taxpayer for the first time since 2006 in order to make it happen. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) wrote on Sunday that there’s “strong sentiment” among league executives that Turner will remain in Indiana, with cap strategists projecting a deal in the range of $30MM per year.

However, Afseth says the Hawks are “monitoring Turner’s situation closely,” with their own veteran centers Clint Capela and Larry Nance Jr. headed for unrestricted free agency this offseason.

Even with Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Dyson Daniels wreaking havoc on the perimeter, Atlanta ranked just 18th in defensive rating in 2024/25. The team also came in at No. 18 in three-point percentage. Turner, a big man who can space the floor (.396 3PT% in 2024/25) and protect the rim (2.0 BPG), would be a major asset on both ends of the court.

Still, if the Pacers are committed to retaining Turner and he doesn’t want to go anywhere, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which he ends up in Atlanta. The Hawks don’t project to have cap room this summer, so barring some significant cost-cutting moves, the club would need Indiana’s cooperation to acquire Turner via sign-and-trade, which seems unlikely.

Since the Pacers hold Turner’s Bird rights, they’ll have the ability to offer any amount up to his maximum salary if they’re comfortable paying the associated luxury tax penalties.

Patty Mills Named University Of Hawai’i GM

June 9th, 2025 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime NBA guard Patty Mills has been hired by the University of Hawai’i as the general manager of the men’s basketball program, according to a press release from the school.

It’s a newly created role, according to the press release, in which Mills will “support student-athlete mentorship and development, while contributing to key areas including recruiting, fundraising, and community engagement.”

A native of Australia, Mills didn’t play his college ball for the Rainbow Warriors, having instead attended Saint Mary’s from 2007-09. However, he has lived in Hawai’i during the offseason for the past decade and sponsored the 2022 North Shore Classic, a local four-team tournament that was won by the University of Hawai’i.

“I’m deeply honored to join the University of Hawai’i basketball program as the new general manager.” Mills said in a statement. “This role is not only a professional milestone, but a personal one as well. Despite being from different parts of the Pacific region, as someone from the Torres Strait Islands, I feel a strong cultural connection to Hawai’i—our communities share deep respect and spiritual connection to the land, sea and sky and the strength of family and tradition.”

Mills’ new job doesn’t necessarily mean he’s retiring as an NBA player. Today’s press release refers to him as a “current member” of the Clippers, and we’ve seen several other active NBA players take on roles with colleges in recent months, including Stephen Curry becoming the assistant GM at Davidson, Trae Young being named the assistant GM at Oklahoma, and Terance Mann joining Florida State as their assistant GM.

It’s unclear whether Mills’ new GM position will be more intensive than those AGM roles, but until he formally announces his retirement, it would be premature to assume he’s calling it a career, even if his on-court role has declined significantly in recent years. After averaging just 13.0 minutes per game in 32 appearances for Atlanta and Miami in 2023/24, the 16-year veteran saw action in 29 contests for the Jazz and Clippers this past season, averaging 3.8 points and 0.9 assists in 11.1 minutes per night.

Mills will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will turn 37 in August.

Cavs’ Darius Garland Undergoes Toe Surgery

June 9th, 2025 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

12:54 pm: Garland will likely miss some time at the start of the 2025/26 season, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

12:32 pm: Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland underwent surgery on Monday to repair the great toe injury that hampered him in the postseason, according to a press release from the team. The procedure was performed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

According to the Cavaliers, Garland’s status will be “updated as appropriate” in approximately four or five months, following a progression of treatment and rehabilitation. While that statement suggests Garland’s availability for the start of the season is in doubt, the team’s announcement also says he’s expected to make a full recovery and resume basketball activities before training camp begins.

Given that those two timelines contradict one another, Garland’s recovery process will be worth monitoring in the coming months. Either way, it sounds like he’ll spend the entire offseason recovering from the procedure and doing rehab work on his toe.

Garland’s injury, which the Cavs referred to as a left great toe sprain, sidelined him for the final two games of the team’s first-round series vs. Miami and the first two games of the second-round series vs. Indiana.

Although he was able to return for Game 3 and played in the final three games of Cleveland’s season, the 25-year-old didn’t look like his usual self, making just 13-of-38 shots from the floor (34.2%), including 3-of-18 three-pointers (16.7%), and racking up as many turnovers as assists (12 apiece).

During the regular season, Garland was a key reason why the Cavs won a conference-high 64 games. He averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per night with a career-high 47.2% mark on shots from the floor. His 75 games played also represented a career high.

Multiple reports since the Cavs were eliminated have indicated that the club might be more willing than in the past to entertain the idea of trading Garland this offseason. However, Cleveland is unlikely to move him unless the front office can find a deal that improves the roster – or at least doesn’t hurt it – while creating a more favorable cap situation going forward. Extracting that sort of value figures to be more difficult now that Garland is recovering from a surgical procedure.

Bryson Graham, Peter Dinwiddie Joining Hawks’ Front Office

June 9th, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks are making two significant additions to their front office, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN. Atlanta is finalizing deals with Pelicans general manager Bryson Graham to become senior vice president of basketball operations and Sixers executive Peter Dinwiddie as senior vice president of strategy and analytics.

Graham, who began his career as an intern with New Orleans in 2010, was promoted to general manager last summer when Trajan Langdon left for Detroit. He was kept in place when new executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars revamped the Pelicans’ management team after taking over in April.

Charania notes that Graham is credited with identifying underrated talents in the draft such as Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones, Yves Missi, Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall and Jordan Hawkins. He also was on the staff that drafted Dyson Daniels, who captured Most Improved Player honors after being traded from New Orleans to Atlanta last summer.

Dinwiddie came to Philadelphia in 2020 after spending 14 seasons with the Pacers, where he served as senior VP of basketball operations.

The hirings continue an offseason makeover after the Hawks were eliminated in the play-in tournament. General manager Landry Fields was fired in April, with assistant general manager Onsi Saleh being promoted to take his place. According to Charania, Graham and Dinwiddie will both report to Saleh.

The organization is in the midst of a search for a new president of basketball operations, and sources tell Charania that whoever is hired will complement Saleh and the rest of the staff. There have also been rumors that the Hawks may abandon the idea of finding a new president and bring in a senior advisor to work with Saleh.

Fischer: Celtics Listening To Offers For Jrue Holiday

June 9th, 2025 at 9:04am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics are “most definitely listening” to trade offers for Jrue Holiday, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

Boston has been expected to consider parting with the former All-Star as it tries to duck below the second apron for next season. The Celtics would face a historic payroll/tax bill by keeping the current roster together, and their chances to compete for a title have been lessened by Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury.

Holiday, who’ll turn 35 this week, is coming off another productive season, although his scoring average (11.1 PPG) was his lowest since his rookie year. He also contributed 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 62 games while playing 30.6 minutes per night and posting a .443/.353/.909 shooting line.

He’s a six-time All-Defensive honoree and remains one of the league’s top perimeter defenders.

Holiday has an expensive price tag after signing a four-year, $134.4MM extension last spring. He’ll make $32.4MM next season, $34.8MM in 2026/27 and holds a $37.2MM player option for 2027/28.

While the Celtics are trying to cut costs, they’ll almost certainly have to take back at least one contract in a Holiday deal, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. Brooklyn is the only team that could absorb Holiday into cap space, while anyone else would have to send back a minimum of $22.25MM in salary in June or nearly $24MM in July.

The Mavericks and Clippers are among the teams that have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Holiday, although it has been suggested that L.A.’s interest is exaggerated.

Don Nelson Chosen For Lifetime Achievement Award By NBCA

June 8th, 2025 at 1:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Don Nelson has been selected for the 2025 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced via a press release (Twitter link).

Nelson is already a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as one of only two coaches in NBA history to lead three teams to at least 250 wins. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, the NBCA president, said via a statement that Nelson was also one of the league’s greatest innovators.

“History has already reflected Don Nelson’s staggering contributions as a cutting-edge innovator and visionary of the NBA game,” Carlisle stated. “Back in the ’80s and ’90s, he made teams adjust to historic pace, liberal 3-point shooting, inverted offense, and disruptive defensive schemes. All this while establishing himself as one of the most compelling personalities in all of professional sports. I’m certain that Chuck Daly would agree that our beloved ‘Nellie’ is most deserving of this prestigious recognition.”

Nelson served as an NBA head coach for 31 seasons with the Bucks, Warriors, Knicks and Mavericks. During his career, he amassed a 1,335-1063 (.557) record and currently ranks second all-time in wins and games coached (2,398).

“I’m extremely grateful and humbled to receive this incredible honor and join the exclusive list of coaches who have preceded me,” Nelson said. “Chuck Daly was a dear friend of mine and someone I respected immensely due to his class, character, and of course, his coaching ability. He may not have influenced my wardrobe, but Chuck certainly had a lasting impact on my coaching philosophy, style, and most importantly, how I managed the personalities on a roster. Chuck was an absolute genius in all facets of the game and life. I’m glad I had the opportunity to coach against him, learn from him, and benefit from his knowledge. To say that I’m deeply touched to receive an award that bears his name would be an understatement. This is special.”

During his playing career, Nelson helped the Celtics win five championships (1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, and 1976) and was an “iron man” who appeared in 465 consecutive games. Nelson began his coaching career in 1976 and retired in 2010 after a stint with Golden State.

Nelson also served as head coach of the 1994 U.S. National Team (Dream Team II) at the FIBA World Championship. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 2012.

The NBCA award is determined annually by a selection committee. Rudy Tomjanovich was last year’s recipient.

Zach Edey To Have Ankle Surgery, May Miss Start Of Next Season

June 7th, 2025 at 2:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Zach Edey will undergo surgery after re-spraining his left ankle during a workout this week, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter). Medical imaging on the ankle revealed “excessive ligamentous laxity,” the team stated, and the procedure will “address the laxity and re-stabilize his ankle.”

The Grizzlies said a recovery timeline won’t be set until after the surgery is complete, but Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) reports that Edey will likely miss the beginning of next season.

“After consulting with the Grizzlies and multiple specialists, we decided this is the best approach for Zach long-term as it gets him back to 100% with no limitations,” Edey’s agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, told Charania (Twitter link). “He will make a full recovery and be back better than ever.”

Edey turned in a strong rookie season after being selected with the ninth pick in last year’s draft. He started 55 of the 66 games he played while averaging 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21.5 minutes per night and posting .580/.346/.709 shooting numbers.

Edey was a first-team All-Rookie selection and finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year balloting.

Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal points out that Edey dealt with left ankle issues throughout the season. He first injured the ankle during Summer League action and later suffered another ankle injury that sidelined him for 12 games.

His injury could cause the Grizzlies to be in the market for frontcourt depth this summer. They own the 48th and 56th picks in the upcoming draft.

Rival Teams Skeptical Giannis Will Request Trade?

June 7th, 2025 at 11:09am CST by Rory Maher

While he cautioned that it’s too early to say what might happen, and things could change later this month, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line recently said on a Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link) that rival teams have become skeptical that Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will request a trade out of Milwaukee.

“Honestly, right now I’d say the prevailing sentiment from rival teams that I’m speaking to — around the combine two weeks ago, two and a half weeks ago — there was no shortage of optimism, of hope, of excitement from other teams that they were going to be able to potentially make an offer to get Giannis Antetokounmpo into their franchise, into their building,” Fischer said (hat tip to RealGM).

“Of late, I’d say that that confidence has been replaced with skepticism. To a man, from talking to agents, team executives, whoever, there is not a lot of belief right now at this juncture. It’s only June 5th — anything could happen — and I’ve been told all along that if there is a decision, a formal decision made to shut or open the door on trade conversations for Giannis this summer, that it would likely happen closer to the end of June and when the offseason really, really begins.

“But I’d say for now, for now, talking to people around the league, the assessment and the expectation is that they’re going to believe it when they see it — that someone who has valued being the franchise face, that the central linchpin of the Bucks franchise, is going to want to play somewhere else.”

The two-time MVP is reportedly mulling his future in Milwaukee and is expected to let the Bucks know at some point soon whether he remains committed to the team or would prefer to seek a change of scenery. While Shams Charania of ESPN reported a few weeks ago that Antetokounmpo is more “open-minded” than in the past about taking the latter route, there has been no indication to this point that he’s looking to leave the Bucks.

Fischer’s comments echo reporting from Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who wrote that NBA personnel he’s spoken to recently have been expressing less confidence about Giannis asking to be traded this summer.