Draft Lottery Notes: Spurs, Sixers, Mavs, Nets, Hornets, More
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.
Vince Carter Joins NBC Sports As Studio Analyst
Longtime NBA star Vince Carter has been hired by NBC Sports and will join the network as a studio analyst on NBC and Peacock this fall, according to an official announcement.
Carter, who set a league record by spending 22 seasons in the NBA, was an eight-time All-Star, a Rookie of the Year, a dunk contest champion, and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024. Since his retirement as a player in 2020, he has spent time working as an analyst for both ESPN and Turner Sports.
According to NBC’s announcement, the plan is to have Carter be part of NBC’s studio show for one or more nights per week. He’s expected to work frequently alongside fellow Hall-of-Famer Carmelo Anthony.
“I could not be more excited and appreciative to have the opportunity to be a part of the historic return of the NBA to NBC and now Peacock,” Carter said in a statement. “I am truly looking forward to joining Melo in the studio and the rest of the broadcast team overall, as we embark on bringing NBA fans best-in-class coverage of the league they love.”
NBC Sports, which is regaining broadcast rights to NBA games for the 2025/26 season, is slowly filling out its game and studio broadcast teams. In addition to hiring Carter and Anthony in studio analyst roles, NBC has brought on Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle as its top play-by-play announcers, Jamal Crawford and Reggie Miller as game analysts, and Michael Jordan as a special contributor.
Trail Blazers Announce Plans To Sell Franchise
The Trail Blazers have begun the process of selling the franchise, the team announced today (via Twitter).
According to the club’s statement, the estate of late Blazers owner Paul Allen has chosen the investment bank Allen & Co. and the law firm Hogan Lovells to lead the sale process, which is expected to continue into the 2025/26 season.
Allen passed away on October 15, 2018, resulting in control of the franchise being transferred to his sister Jody Allen, the trustee and executor of his estate. The plan following Paul Allen’s death was for ownership of the Blazers to eventually change hands as part of an estate sale.
Jody Allen stated in 2022 that there was “no preordained timeline” for the Blazers to be sold, noting that “estates of this size and complexity can take 10 to 20 years to wind down.” Nearly three years later, the sale process has finally gotten underway.
When Sportico published its most recent NBA franchise valuations in late 2024, the Blazers were estimated to be worth $3.6 billion, ranking 23rd among the league’s 30 teams. The Celtics have since reached a tentative sale agreement for a record valuation of $6.1 billion, which may help bump the Blazers’ eventual price tag beyond that $3.6 billion projection.
Nike co-founder Phil Knight and Los Angeles Dodgers minority owner Alan Smolinisky made offers for the franchise in the past, but were turned down by Jody Allen in 2022 and again in 2023.
According to the Blazers, all estate proceeds as a result of the sale will be directed toward philanthropy, per Paul Allen’s wishes.
The news doesn’t affect the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, who are also controlled by Allen’s estate and aren’t up for sale at this time.
Kings To Consider DeMar DeRozan Trade?
As Jake Fischer of The Stein Line writes (Substack link), rival teams are curious about which direction the Kings will take after hiring Scott Perry to replace Monte McNair as general manager.
According to Fischer, “there have been no shortage of rumbles” about the possibility of the Kings considering a trade involving DeMar DeRozan this summer.
DeRozan, 35, was acquired by Sacramento in a sign-and-trade last offseason. He will earn approximately $24.6MM in 2025/26 and $25.7MM in ’26/27 before hitting free agency in two years.
While DeRozan remained productive on an individual level in ’24/25, averaging 22.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 4.4 APG in 77 appearances, the team had a disappointing season, finishing just 40-42. The Kings were eliminated from playoff contention in the play-in tournament when they lost to Dallas.
The six-time All-Star talked last month about how “uncertainty” weighed heavily on the team during the season — Sacramento fired head coach Mike Brown, replacing him with Doug Christie, and traded De’Aaron Fox for a package that included former Bulls teammate Zach LaVine. And all of that was before the McNair/Perry change last month.
DeRozan will be entering his 17th NBA season in ’25/26 and openly wondered what his future would hold, despite being under contract for two more years.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 5/13/2025
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included how much the Mavericks improved by landing Cooper Flagg, the Rockets' options on the trade market, the Spurs' plans with the No. 2 pick, suspicions about the lottery results and more! Use the link below to read the transcript.
Sixers Promoting Jameer Nelson To Assistant GM
The Sixers are promoting former NBA point guard Jameer Nelson to assistant general manager, according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).
Shams Charania of ESPN has confirmed the news (via Twitter).
The 20th overall pick in the 2004 draft, Nelson spent 14 seasons in the NBA, averaging 11.3 PPG and 5.1 APG across 878 regular season contests, earning All-Star honors for the Magic in 2009. He last appeared in the league during the 2017/18 season, when he played a total of 50 games for the Pelicans and Pistons.
Nelson, who grew up in Chester, Pennsylvania and played his college ball at Saint Joseph’s, has been with the 76ers since 2020. He was initially named a scout for Philadelphia as well as assistant general manager of the team’s NBA G League affiliate before being promoted to GM of the Delaware Blue Coats in 2023.
Nelson, 43, has drawn strong reviews for his performance as an executive and spoke back in November about his desire to one day run an NBA team.
Grizzlies Reportedly Interested In T.J. Shorts
Point guard T.J. Shorts is a free agent after playing a starring role in France the past two seasons with Paris Basketball. The 27-year-old was named MVP of both the LNB Elite — France’s top domestic league — and the EuroCup in 2023/24 and was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team this season after leading Paris to a promotion.
According to Clément Carton of Basket Europe (subscription required; story in French), Shorts has received lucrative offers to remain in the EuroLeague, but the “most likely” outcome is that he will sign with the Grizzlies without playing in Summer League (hat tip to Sportand0).
Shorts has a strong relationship with Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo, Carton notes, having played under Iisalo in both Germany and France. In fact, Shorts said in an interview a couple years ago with Maxime Bodilis of BeBasket.fr that Iisalo was the primary reason he decided to follow the coach from Bonn to Paris.
“We have to go back to last season when he recruited me,” Shorts said about Iisalo (story via BasketNews). “He very quickly gave me his trust and allowed me to be myself on the court. This is the main reason why I followed him here, knowing that Paris would have big ambitions this year and the following one, with the EuroLeague in their sights.”
“He talks to me a lot during meetings and gives me a lot of instructions. And it’s the same off the court. He makes a lot of videos and gives me a lot of advice, even by text. He may also forward articles to me. That’s what he did recently, sending me one on Tyrese Haliburton. Clearly, he tries by all means to help me progress, and that is priceless. He’s a bit like a mentor to me. He has a lot of knowledge, and I try to take advantage of it as much as possible.”
Despite his diminutive stature — he’s listed at 5’9″ and 161 lbs. — Shorts has been highly productive in stints in Latvia, Germany and France. In 33 EuroLeague contests this season with Paris Basketball (27.1 minutes per game), the UC Davis product averaged 18.7 points, a league-best 7.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals, with a shooting slash line of .499/.415/.732.
In that same interview with Bodilis, Shorts said it would be a “dream” to play in the NBA one day. It’s worth noting that Memphis has also shown a willingness to sign small point guards, as Japan’s Yuki Kawamura spent the ’24/25 season on a two-way contract with the Grizzlies.
Jayson Tatum Carried Off With Right Leg Injury
Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum suffered a potentially serious injury in the fourth quarter of Boston’s loss to the Knicks in Game 4 of their series on Monday night.
Tatum was carried off the court after injuring his right leg on a non-contact play, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reports. Tatum took an awkward step near the top of the key and crumpled to the floor. He was unable to put any weight on the leg as he was helped off the court.
The exact nature of the injury is unclear, but it’s feared that it may involve his Achilles tendon and/or ankle. He’ll undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
“It’s tough to see a guy like him get carried off,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Celtics fell behind 3-1 in the series, but veteran big man Al Horford was more concerned about his fallen teammate.
“The loss is the loss. More importantly it’s Jayson I’m worried about,” Horford said, per Weiss (Twitter link).
New York rallied for a 121-113 win despite Tatum’s efforts. He racked up 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks.
Tatum’s five-year, designated veteran extension worth approximately $314MM kicks in next season.
Mavs Rejoice After Getting Top Pick
The Mavericks recently completed what CEO Rick Welts summed up as a “tumultuous” season. Dallas is now celebrating its unlikely lottery luck, moving up from No. 11 to the top pick.
“Just looking at that potential roster and thinking about what could happen next season, it’s a reversal of fortunes that’s really unimaginable,” Welts said, per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
Dropping Cooper Flagg into a Mavericks lineup that includes Anthony Davis and, when he recovers from his knee injury, Kyrie Irving, gives the franchise real hope of a championship in the coming seasons. All this after the firestorm created by the controversial Luka Doncic trade with the Lakers.
“I am so happy for Mavericks fans,” Welts said, per ESPN’s Michael C. Wright and Jonathan Givony. “I only got to Dallas Jan. 1 this year. Feb. 1, we broke the internet [with the Doncic trade]. I am just amazed at the depth of emotion and connection that the fan base has with this team. And what happened today, I can’t imagine a better day for Mavs fans. It’s going to really be something special. I can’t wait to get back to Dallas.”
Welts all but declared Flagg to be the team’s choice next month.
“I don’t know who we’re going to take, but should we take him, I think his résumé is pretty strong,” Welts said of the Duke star forward. “Every time he’s put in a situation that everyone wondered if he could succeed, he’s succeeded and then some.”
The Mavs’ head coach is eager to see what the team looks like with a star like Flagg added to the mix.
“Incredible day for the Mavericks,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd told Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). “We are all so excited.”
Flagg didn’t talk specifically about joining the Mavs but he indicated he’d fit right in with a team that has put a premium on two-way players. Doncic’s defensive issues was one of the reasons general manager Nico Harrison was willing to deal him.
“Being a two-way player is something I’ve done since I was a little kid, so I’m just going to keep doing that to the best of my ability,” he said, per Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal.
Welts, who worked for the league from 1982-1999, knows all about conspiracy theories involving the lottery. He heard quite a bit about that during the 1985 lottery, won by the Knicks.
“I’m the only person who was in this room and the room 40 years ago. I was in charge of the NBA draft lottery 40 years ago when Patrick Ewing won,” Welts said. “I’ve been doing conspiracy theory stories ever since. This is very surreal, personally.”
Thunder Notes: Bench, Dort, Murray, Closing Out, Lottery
The Thunder‘s deep bench shined through in Game 4 on Sunday as they tied the series with the Nuggets with a 92-87 victory. Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins had 11 points apiece and Alex Caruso supplied 10. The five reserves that coach Mark Daigneault utilized also combined for 16 rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Denver used three subs and only one — Russell Westbrook — played extended minutes. He shot 2-for-12 from the field.
“It’s never, like, ‘I wonder what we should do now,’” Daigneault said, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “It’s always frameworks that we work through during the seasons. We have a pretty good understanding of frameworks of lineups, frameworks of rotations, different levers we can pull. We’re not just throwing stuff against the wall in the highest stakes games.”
We have more on the Thunder:
- Luguentz Dort had a rough outing, shooting 2-for-10 from the field, all beyond the three-point arc. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter. Dort has struggled with his shooting in road playoff games, Lorenzi notes, but the head coach isn’t fretting. “I definitely trust the body of work over time more than small sample sizes,” Daigneault said. “If the question is whether or not I’m confident in his three-point shooting, I am. He’s the last guy I’m worried about. We also have a deep team.”
- Dort, of course, is more noted for his defensive work. The Nuggets have tried to use hard screens to dislodge him from guard Jamal Murray. “It’s been like that all year; it’s not just Denver,” Dort told The Athletic’s Kelly Iko. “I know I’m a good defender and disturb a lot of (opposing teams’) main guys. Whenever I’m off their main guy’s body, it’s good for them.”
- The Thunder lost by two points in the series opener and overtime in Game 3. Pulling out a five-point win in Game 4 shows that they’re getting better at closing out tight contests in the postseason. “Every time you take punches and you get back up, you get stronger,” Daigneault said, according to ESPN News Services. “That’s what we’re preaching to our team. We lost a tough one the other night in overtime. We stood back up (Sunday).”
- Thanks to Philadelphia’s lottery luck, moving up to the top three, the Thunder won’t have a lottery pick. The first-rounder the Sixers owe them will be top-four protected next year.