2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Atlanta Hawks
A young team making an unexpected trip to the conference finals is never a bad thing, right? It generates money, which ownership loves. It gets fans excited for the future. The players gain valuable experience. All positive benefits.
Unfortunately, that same core group takes a step back the following season, barely sneaking into the playoffs via the play-in tournament and then losing in the first round in five games. That seems like a good time to make changes, because maybe the roster isn’t clicking in ways you’d hope.
So you make a major offseason trade to shake up the starting lineup. But the team sees its record in the following season drop to .500 and makes another quick first-round playoff exit, this time in six games.
That’s the position the Hawks find themselves in entering the 2023 offseason. The biggest change Atlanta made during the 2022/23 season was firing head coach Nate McMillan – who reportedly didn’t have a great relationship with Trae Young – and replacing him with Quin Snyder, the former Jazz coach. Snyder will have a voice in personnel decisions going forward, and it will be interesting to see what direction he wants to go with the roster.
Despite sliding down the standings and dealing away two unprotected picks (2025 and 2027) to the Spurs in the deal to acquire Dejounte Murray, the Hawks have plenty of players other teams want, so they aren’t lacking in assets. Improving the team’s defense — which ranked 22nd in the league this season — will be a priority going forward.
The Hawks’ Offseason Plan:
Atlanta has 10 players on guaranteed contracts entering 2023/24 for a grand total of $162.3MM. The projected luxury tax line is $162MM, and owner Tony Ressler has never paid the tax since he bought the team in 2015.
Last offseason, the Hawks traded Kevin Huerter to the Kings to avoid being a taxpayer. Could another cost-cutting move be in store this summer? It seems highly likely, given the mediocre on-court results in ’22/23.
John Collins is the most obvious trade candidate on the roster, and his name has consistently been in the rumor mill for years now. The problem is, he’s owed $78.5MM over the next three years, and is coming off a career-worst season statistically. As such, his contract will likely be viewed as a negative asset by rival front offices.
General manager Landry Fields has publicly maintained that the team likes Collins, and the Hawks aren’t interested in simply shedding his salary. That’s understandable — it’s typical for incumbent teams to value their own players and nothing can be gained by undercutting Collins’ value — but it won’t have any bearing on how rival teams view the veteran forward.
Minnesota was interested in Clint Capela before trading for Rudy Gobert last summer, and I view the Swiss center as another logical trade candidate. He’s under contract for the next two seasons (for about $43MM), but his backup, Onyeka Okongwu, is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, and it’s hard to envision both players being on the roster by the time ’24/25 rolls around.
The biggest offseason question the Hawks face is what to do with the backcourt pairing of Young and Murray. Despite lobbying for Murray to join Atlanta, Young didn’t show much interest in playing off the ball this year; it was mostly Murray who adjusted in that sense. That isn’t ideal, because Murray only shot 34.4% from three-point range, and teams don’t treat him as an outside threat.
Still, while it would be nice to see more synergy and off-ball movement between those two and there’s always room for improvement, offense is far from the main problem — the Hawks ranked seventh on that end in ’22/23 and have been in the top 10 in each of the past three seasons. The issue is, can two guards who ideally play the point hold up defensively? Young is one of the smallest players in the league and is always going to get targeted on that end, so it’s an uphill battle.
Of all the players under contract next season, I would be most surprised if Murray gets dealt simply because of what the team gave up to get him last year. He’s set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2024 and will likely be looking for a max contract, which puts Atlanta in a tough spot with Young already making the max and four other players making $17MM+ in ’24/25. That doesn’t even include possible rookie extensions for Okongwu and/or Saddiq Bey, whom the team acquired for five second-rounders at the trade deadline.
Very little feels settled on this roster. Almost everything should be on the table if it pushes the Hawks in the right direction. That said, despite some speculation, I don’t see Young going anywhere this summer. Perhaps if next season goes really poorly the Hawks will think about it, but it seems like it would be prudent to see how he does with a full season under Snyder first.
There is a good deal of individual talent in Atlanta, and nearly everyone under contract in ’23/24 has positive or neutral trade value. There is depth at every position, and young players complementing veterans. All things you want when building a team.
But not many of the players are well-rounded, and the payroll is about to get very expensive just as the new Collective Bargaining Agreement — which is much more punitive to the league’s taxpaying teams — is set to kick in. The Hawks will have to strike a delicate balance of acquiring the right pieces to fit the roster while watching their salary, because it’s clear more changes are needed.
Salary Cap Situation
Guaranteed Salary
Trae Young ($40,064,220)- John Collins ($25,340,000)
- Clint Capela ($20,616,000)
- De’Andre Hunter ($20,089,286)
- Bogdan Bogdanovic ($18,700,000)
- Dejounte Murray ($18,214,000)
- Onyeka Okongwu ($8,109,063)
- Saddiq Bey ($4,556,983)
- AJ Griffin ($3,712,920)
- Jalen Johnson ($2,925,360)
- Donovan Williams (two-way)
- Total: $162,327,832
Dead/Retained Salary
- None
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Bruno Fernando ($2,581,522)
- Note: Fernando’s salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 29.
- Note: Fernando’s salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 29.
- Garrison Mathews ($2,000,000)
- Note: Mathews’ salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 29.
- Vit Krejci ($1,836,096)
- Tyrese Martin ($1,719,864)
- Note: Martin’s salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 21.
- Total: $8,137,482
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Two-Way Free Agents
Draft Picks
- No. 15 overall ($4,033,440)
- No. 46 overall (no cap hold)
- Total: $4,033,440
Extension-Eligible Players
- Clint Capela (veteran)
- Vit Krejci (veteran)
- Dejounte Murray (veteran)
- Saddiq Bey (rookie scale)
- Onyeka Okongwu (rookie scale)
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2023/24 season begins.
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Aaron Holiday ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $1,989,698
Cap Exceptions Available
- Taxpayer mid-level exception: $5,000,000
- Trade exception: $6,292,440
- Trade exception: $2,564,980
- Note: Expires on September 27.
- Trade exception: $692,429
- Note: Expires on July 6.
- Trade exception: $46,120
- Note: Expires on July 6.
Note: The Hawks would gain access to the full mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception if their team salary remains below the tax apron.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 5/23/2023
The transcript of our weekly Tuesday chat can be accessed here.
Join Luke Adams for our next live chat on Thursday.
Celtics Notes: Udoka, Mazzulla, Offseason, Gallinari
The Celtics‘ locker room never really got over Ime Udoka‘s sudden departure as the team’s head coach, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Monday during an appearance on NBA Countdown (YouTube link). Udoka was suspended and then dismissed after he engaged in what was described as an improper relationship with a female staffer, and Celtics players never got the full story about what happened, according to Wojnarowski.
“These players did not accept the organization’s reasoning for doing it. They thought it was a wild overreaction. There were a lot of the people on the outside who thought it was an overreaction, (that) it was an HR matter,” Wojnarowski said (hat tip to RealGM). “I think for this team, and talking with management, they never got any more answers than the public was getting on this. That doesn’t mean they haven’t accepted Joe Mazzulla as head coach, but this is a team that really believed in Ime Udoka (and) had a strong connection with him.”
As Wojnarowski notes, the Celtics lost top assistant Will Hardy last spring to Utah, then promoted Mazzulla in September and saw another assistant, Damon Stoudamire, leave for a college job in March. The lack of veteran experience on the staff to support Mazzulla, a first-time head coach, may have been an issue during this postseason, according to Wojnarowski, who suggests Boston perhaps should’ve made it a priority to add a seasoned assistant.
The Celtics are reportedly looking at candidates such as Frank Vogel and Stephen Silas for possible roles on their staff for next season.
As Boston prepares for Game 4 and aims to begin climbing out of a 3-0 hole in the Eastern Conference Finals, let’s round up a few more Celtics notes…
- A veteran scout who spoke to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com believes that Mazzulla is taking too much of the blame for the Celtics’ disappointing showing vs. Miami, arguing that many of the team’s current issues were problems under Udoka and Brad Stevens too. “Sharing the ball, ball movement, just dribbling out the clock, lot of isolation basketball, defensive lapses,” the scout said. “All these things have existed for years.” A coach who spoke to Heavy agreed that Boston’s struggles aren’t Mazzulla’s fault: “At this stage of the playoffs, your weaknesses are exposed. They were exposed last year in the Finals.”
- With the Celtics facing elimination on Tuesday, David Aldridge of The Athletic takes a look at two paths available to the franchise this summer, arguing that Boston would be better off staying the course than blowing up its roster.
- Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari tore his ACL last August in international play before he appeared in a single game for Boston. Could Gallinari – who missed the entire 2022/23 season and will likely exercise a ’23/24 player option to remain with the C’s – return from that injury for Italy at this year’s World Cup? He spoke to Joe Vardon of The Athletic about that possibility, pointing out that he’s still not taking “game-type” contact and would need the Celtics’ blessing to suit up for the Italian national team.
Hornets Notes: No. 2 Pick, Miller, Henderson, Bridges, Jordan
It was difficult to find even one NBA executive at the draft combine in Chicago who believes that G League Ignite Scoot Henderson will be the pick at No. 2 in the draft over Alabama forward Brandon Miller, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link). Still, as he stated last week on Zach Lowe’s podcast, Givony isn’t quite ready to lock in Miller as the Hornets‘ choice at No. 2.
According to Givony, Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak weighs individual team workouts more heavily than many executives, and there’s a possibility Henderson will have a more impressive workout than Miller, who has been recovering from mononucleosis and has lost 13 pounds since the end of the NCAA season, per agent Wilmer Jackson. After meeting with a dozen teams at the combine, including the Hornets, Miller intends to fly to Charlotte in mid-June for a workout and a second interview, says Givony.
The Hornets are also doing due diligence into Miller’s connection to a fatal January shooting, sending their own attorneys to Tuscaloosa this week to look into the matter, Givony writes. Team executives at the combine said that Miller had a legal brief written by his lawyers advising clubs that the 20-year-old wouldn’t be able to comment on specific details related to that case due to ongoing legal proceedings.
According to Givony, some teams have concerns about how possible lawsuits or follow-up investigations into the incident could impact Miller, but Jackson insists his client is “free and clear” of any wrongdoing.
“The case is still open, and Brandon has had limited communication for that reason,” Jackson said. “He’s been cleared from day one. We were told by the attorneys not to speak about the situation. At the right time we can have that conversation, but for now, we’re leaving it alone and will let the process complete itself.”
Here’s more on the Hornets:
- G League Ignite Anthony McClish has nothing but praise for Henderson, who in turn seems genuinely excited about the Hornets’ core and the possibility of playing in Charlotte, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “He’s going to be loved by coaches, he’s going to be loved by teammates, he’s going to be loved by fans and youth in the community,” McClish said of Henderson, who spent two seasons with the Ignite. “He’s uplifted our building. He’s been our beacon of what we want to have as an example, in terms of our values and carrying a program.”
- After sitting out last season due to his domestic violence case, former Hornets forward Miles Bridges will once again be a restricted free agent this offseason, assuming Charlotte reissues a qualifying offer. The Hornets’ front office would like to have Bridges back on the roster next season, sources tell Givony.
- Since a March report indicated that Michael Jordan was mulling the possibility of selling his majority stake in the Hornets, there have been few updates. According to Givony, one reason for the delay is that Jordan was waiting to see if Charlotte would land the No. 1 overall pick before making any decisions. It’s unclear if – or how – snagging the No. 2 pick might affect Jordan’s plans, or when a potential sale might occur, Givony says.
Lakers Notes: LeBron, T. Young, Offseason
Would LeBron James, owed $46.7MM in 2023/24, really decide to retire before the start of next season? James said on Monday that he’ll have to consider the possibility, but sources close to the Lakers star have downplayed the idea that it will actually happen, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
As Amick writes, James’ state of mind when he made his postgame comments to the media on Monday may have been influenced by the retirement of his close friend and fellow 2003 draftee Carmelo Anthony, who made his announcement earlier in the day. Just a few questions before he hinted at his own retirement, James was asked about Anthony’s decision.
As Helene Elliott of The Los Angeles Times notes, the disappointment of being eliminated from the postseason was still raw when LeBron spoke to reporters, which may have factored into his comments. Elliott also suggests that James’ remarks could been the beginning of an effort to encourage an aggressive offseason for the Lakers, who will be looking to contend for a title again in 2024.
In his own look at possible explanations for James’ retirement talk, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer wonders if there’s a chance the four-time MVP will pursue a change of scenery, assuming he decides to continue his career. While it’s hard to imagine it happening, O’Connor specifically discusses the possibility of a trade to the Warriors, pointing out that James is good friends with Draymond Green and has said in the past that he’d love to play with Stephen Curry.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- As the Lakers consider ways to upgrade their roster this offseason, Jovan Buha of The Athletic says the team has had internal discussions about what a hypothetical trade offer for Hawks star Trae Young might look like. Even if Atlanta were willing to trade Young, it’s hard to see how the Lakers could put together a viable package, given their lack of draft assets and players under contract.
- The best approach the Lakers could take this summer would be running it back by retaining and re-signing the players that got them to the Western Conference Finals, contends Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group. As Swanson observes, a team like the Nuggets benefited from continuity, and the Lakers could follow that blueprint by giving this group a full offseason together rather than continuing to make major roster changes.
- While losing in four games to the Nuggets wasn’t an ideal end to the season, Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times argues that the Lakers should feel no shame about the outcome, given that all the games were competitive and the team had already defied the odds by rebounding from a 2-10 start to make the playoffs and win two series.
- Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes a closer look at the myriad offseason decisions facing the Lakers and how they may tackle those decisions.
- In case you missed it, a report on Monday stated that the Lakers are “determined” to bring back restricted free agents Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to Amick that the club intends to bring back Reaves and Hachimura.
Coaching Rumors: Mazzulla, Bucks, Williams, Suns, Raptors, Nash
Celtics staffers, including president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, have shown “unwavering support” this season for head coach Joe Mazzulla, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says the sentiment as recently as last week was that Mazzulla would get plenty of runway to continue growing into the role he was thrust into following Ime Udoka‘s suspension last fall.
[RELATED: Joe Mazzulla In Jeopardy After Game 3 Loss?]
While it’s possible the Celtics could have a change of heart and decide to make a coaching change if the team is eliminated from the postseason in embarrassing fashion on Tuesday – or in the coming days – it would be a “stark change of direction” from the team’s original plan, Fischer writes.
While Fischer considers it unlikely that Mazzulla is replaced this offseason, he suggests that the Celtics’ coaching staff could undergo some significant changes, with multiple current assistants considered candidates to join Udoka with the Rockets. Frank Vogel and Stephen Silas are among the former head coaches who have been linked to the Celtics as possible assistant coach targets, Fischer notes.
Here’s more on the NBA’s coaching carousel from Fischer:
- With the Bucks still focused on contending for championships with rosters built around Giannis Antetokounmpo, there’s some skepticism that Adrian Griffin – the only one of their three finalists without previous head coaching experience – will ultimately claim that job. However, Fischer acknowledges that Griffin has “certainly impressed” Bucks management during the interview process. Milwaukee’s search is expected to conclude this week, Fischer reports.
- Many people around the league thought Monty Williams would be a serious candidate for the Bucks‘ coaching job and were surprised that he wasn’t a finalist in that process, per Fischer. The Pistons registered some interest in Williams, but he doesn’t appear to be in the mix for that job either and seems likely to take next season off, Fischer adds. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic also said Williams may not coach anywhere in 2023/24, which shouldn’t come as a surprise — he’s still owed $21MM by Phoenix, so it’s not as if he needs to rush into another position.
- Former Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers is expected to receive consideration from the Suns, but Mike Budenholzer isn’t viewed as a likely candidate for Phoenix, Fischer writes.
- The Raptors continue to take their time with their head coaching search, bringing back several candidates – including Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez and Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic – for second interviews, says Fischer. Many of the team’s initial meetings took place on Zoom, according to Fischer, who identifies Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as a name to watch in Toronto’s search.
- Steve Nash, who interviewed for the Raptors’ vacancy, is “determined to learn from his shortcomings” following his first coaching stint in Brooklyn and has a strong desire to earn another head coaching job at some point, Fischer writes.
Rockets Rumors: No. 4 Pick, FA Targets, Coaching Staff, More
Multiple teams have already expressed some level of interest in acquiring the Rockets‘ No. 4 overall pick, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
It remains to be seen just how much value that pick will have and whether it would be enough to be the centerpiece of a deal for an impact player, Iko writes. Because the draft is perceived to have a drop-off after No. 3, Houston is also considering whether it would be possible to move up into the top three with a package centered around the Nos. 4 and 20 overall picks, league sources tell Iko.
If the Rockets keep their lottery pick and there are no surprises in the top three, Overtime Elite wing Amen Thompson could be the player atop Houston’s board, according to Iko, who says that several people within the organization are high on Thompson. Iko hears that both Amen and his twin brother Ausar Thompson had positive interviews with the team at last week’s combine.
No matter what happens with the No. 4 pick, the Rockets intend to be aggressive in their pursuit of veterans this offseason, with a desire to improve their play-making, shooting, and defense, Iko adds. League sources tell The Athletic that James Harden is Houston’s top free agent target, with Brook Lopez, Dillon Brooks, Donte DiVincenzo, Jordan Clarkson, Cameron Johnson, and Austin Reaves among the other players the team may pursue.
Acquiring an established point guard will be a primary objective for Houston this summer, per Iko, so if they miss out on Harden, the Rockets could explore a trade for a veteran like Mike Conley or Chris Paul.
Here’s more out of Houston:
- New Rockets head coach Ime Udoka recently traveled to Los Angeles to visit with Jalen Green, says Iko. That time spent with Green – which included workouts and a dinner – is part of Udoka’s efforts to get to know his new team before the fall. “I’ve gotten the chance to spend a lot of time with the players. Got some lunches, dinner, gym time with guys,” Udoka told Iko. “Also been busy putting together a staff, getting to know everybody, but the most important thing is to spend time with the guys, build a relationship with them, and I’ve done quite a bit of that.”
- Speaking of Udoka’s staff, Iko reports that assistant coaches Lionel Hollins and Rick Higgins aren’t expected to be back with the Rockets next season. However, it’s unclear whether or not Mahmoud Abdelfattah – another assistant under Stephen Silas – will return. Abdelfattah was part of the Rockets’ contingent at last week’s combine and has frequently been at the club’s facility since the end of the season, sources tell The Athletic.
- The Rockets could be the long-term winners of the blockbuster trade that sent Harden to Philadelphia and Ben Simmons to Brooklyn, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Houston controls the Nets’ first-round picks from 2024-27 (either outright or via swaps) and may be in position to steal Harden away from the Sixers this offseason.
Nikola Jokic Named MVP Of Western Conference Finals
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was named the Most Valuable Player of the Western Conference Finals after Denver completed its four-game sweep of the Lakers on Monday, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
A panel of nine media members voted on the award and Jokic was the unanimous choice, receiving all nine votes (Twitter link).
The decision came as no surprise, given that Jokic continued his historic postseason run in four consecutive victories over the Lakers, registering triple-doubles in three of those four games and averaging 27.8 PPG, 14.5 RPG, and 11.8 APG on .506/.471/.778 shooting.
Over the course of 15 playoff games, including 12 Nuggets wins, Jokic has put up 29.9 PPG, 13.3 RPG, and 10.3 APG with a shooting line of .538/.474/.784.
Jokic is the second player to win the Magic Johnson Trophy as the Western Finals MVP, joining Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who earned the honor in 2022. The NBA introduced the award – along with the Larry Bird Trophy for the Eastern Finals MVP – during the 2022 playoffs.
Asked after Denver’s victory about winning the Western Finals MVP award after finishing as the runner-up to Joel Embiid in the regular season MVP voting, Jokic defended the Sixers center, whose team was eliminated in the second round. As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets, Jokic said Embiid had an incredible year and deserved MVP honors, adding that people who say Embiid didn’t deserve to win it are being “mean.”
LeBron James Mulling Possibility Of Retirement
Following the Lakers‘ elimination from the 2023 playoffs on Monday night, superstar forward LeBron James is contemplating the possibility of retirement, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.
During his postgame media session, James cryptically told reporters that he has “a lot to think about” this offseason (Twitter link via Jovan Buha of The Athletic). Haynes subsequently reported that LeBron is mulling retirement, which the 38-year-old himself confirmed to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
James told McMenamin that he has to consider “if I want to continue to play.” Pressed on whether he’d really retire at this point, LeBron replied, “I got to think about it.”
A 19-time All-Star, James put up his usual huge numbers during the 2022/23 season, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game in 55 appearances (35.5 MPG) while shooting 50.0% from the field.
He missed time and was affected in the second half by a torn tendon in his right foot, but still appeared in all 15 of the Lakers’ games in the postseason, averaging 23.5 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 6.3 APG. The team’s season came to an end in the Western Conference Finals, where the Nuggets completed a 4-0 sweep.
As he weighs his future following a postseason that McMenamin describes as “taxing,” James will have to consider next steps for that foot injury. Asked if it might require offseason surgery, LeBron didn’t rule out the possibility, telling ESPN that he’ll undergo an MRI to see how his tendon has healed.
Regardless of whether or not surgery is required, James believes he would be able to get back to his usual All-NBA level with a full summer of rehab work.
“Because I’m still better than 90% of the NBA,” he said. “Maybe 95.”
James has at least one year and $46.7MM remaining on his contract with the Lakers, with a $50.4MM player option for the 2024/25 season. He has spoken in the past about wanting to remain in the NBA until at least ’24/25, when his son Bronny James will be eligible to enter the league. LeBron has repeatedly expressed a desire to play with Bronny, so Monday’s comments represent a potential change in direction.
When informed of James’ comments after Monday’s loss, Anthony Davis was initially surprised, according to McMenamin, but then recalled a prior conversation he had with his superstar teammate. According to Davis, when the two Lakers forwards were talking about possibly playing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, LeBron told AD that he may have already retired by that point.
For what it’s worth, one person familiar with James’ thinking who spoke to Mark Medina of The Sporting Tribune is skeptical that the future Hall of Famer will really retire this offseason.
Multiple theories are already emerging among NBA writers, with James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link) among those to speculate that LeBron could sit one season before returning to play with Bronny in 2024.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (Twitter link) wonders if James’ comments are – at least in part – a negotiating tactic to push the Lakers further all-in on next year’s roster. Currently, only James, Davis, and Max Christie have guaranteed contracts, so many offseason moves would be necessary to fill out the supporting cast. One path the franchise could consider revisiting, O’Connor observes, is its pursuit of LeBron’s former teammate Kyrie Irving, who will be a free agent.
While it would be a surprise if James ultimately decides to hang up his sneakers this summer, his remarks on Monday ensure that it will be one of the biggest question marks hanging over the NBA’s offseason until he makes a decision one way or the other.
Draft Notes: Sasser, Smith, Rodriguez, Plavsic
Marcus Sasser withdrew from last year’s draft as he recovered from a foot injury, which hindered him at the combine. He had a much better experience at the 2023 event, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
The Houston Cougars guard improved his draft prospects with a stellar season and a strong showing at the combine.
“I’m way more comfortable coming in this year, way more confident,” Sasser said. “It wasn’t as nerve-racking as last year. I was excited to go talk to these guys and build relationships.”
Sasser, who averaged 16.8 points and 3.1 assists per game last season, has a decent shot to be selected in the first round. He’s currently ranked No. 35 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list.
We have more draft-related notes:
- Tolu Smith will withdraw from the draft and return to Mississippi State next season to use his additional year of eligibility, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweets. He averaged 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds for the Bulldogs last season.
- Ditto for UNLV guard Luis Rodriguez. He has decided to return to college, Rothstein tweets. Rodriguez averaged 10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds last season.
- Tennessee’s Uros Plavsic disclosed in a Twitter post he’s leaving the university to pursue professional opportunities. The 7’1” Plavsic started 20 of 34 games for the Vols last season.