Suns Rumors

2025 NBA Draft Picks By Team

May 16th, 2025 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets and Jazz were among the teams who left Monday’s draft lottery disappointed, as Brooklyn slipped two spots to No. 8 while Utah, the NBA’s worst team during the 2024/25 season, ended up at No. 6.

Still, while they won’t be picking as high in the lottery as they might like, the Nets and Jazz will enter this year’s draft armed with plenty of ammunition. Brooklyn controls a league-high five 2025 draft picks, including four first-rounders and an early second-rounder. Utah, meanwhile, is one of just two teams (along with the Magic) controlling four picks in this year’s draft, including a pair of first-rounders.

Four other clubs – the Spurs, Hornets, Wizards, and Thunder – own three picks apiece, so those seven teams combine to control 25 of the 59 selections in the 2025 draft.

In addition to those teams with three or more picks, 12 more clubs own a pair of 2025 draft selections, while another 10 control one apiece. That latter group includes the Mavericks, whose No. 1 overall pick is their only selection in this year’s draft.

That leaves just a single NBA team without a draft pick this year: the Nuggets. Denver traded its 2025 first-rounder to Orlando back in 2021 as part of a package for Aaron Gordon in a deal that has worked out exceedingly well for the 2023 champions and sent out its 2025 second-rounder last offseason in a Reggie Jackson salary-dump. The Nuggets could still trade into this draft, but for now they’re the only team on track to sit it out.

To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2025 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 59 selections by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…

Teams with more than two picks:

Brooklyn Nets (5): 8, 19, 26, 27, 36
Utah Jazz (4): 5, 21, 43, 53
Orlando Magic (4): 16, 25, 46, 57
San Antonio Spurs (3): 2, 14, 38
Charlotte Hornets (3): 4, 33, 34
Washington Wizards (3): 6, 18, 40
Oklahoma City Thunder (3): 15, 24, 44

Teams with two picks:

Philadelphia 76ers: 3, 35
Toronto Raptors: 9, 39
Houston Rockets: 10, 59
Chicago Bulls: 12, 45
Atlanta Hawks: 13, 22
Minnesota Timberwolves: 17, 31
Indiana Pacers: 23, 54
Boston Celtics: 28, 32
Phoenix Suns: 29, 52
Los Angeles Clippers: 30, 51
Memphis Grizzlies: 48, 56
Cleveland Cavaliers: 49, 58

Teams with one pick:

Dallas Mavericks: 1
New Orleans Pelicans: 7
Portland Trail Blazers: 11
Miami Heat: 20
Detroit Pistons: 37
Golden State Warriors: 41
Sacramento Kings: 42
Milwaukee Bucks: 47
New York Knicks: 50
Los Angeles Lakers: 55

Teams with no picks:

Denver Nuggets

Pacific Notes: Curry, Warriors, Suns, Durant, Lakers

May 15th, 2025 at 9:56pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Stephen Curry is excited about the prospect of running it back with Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green next season after that tandem played playoff-level basketball over the final portion of the season, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes.

The Warriors took Game 1 of the second round of the playoffs against the Timberwolves, but Curry was injured in that game and did not return for the rest of the series.

“Our contracts — me, Draymond, Steve, Jimmy — are all two years [more],” Curry said. “And we want this ride to last as long as possible. But it’s just about what does this team need for next year, answering those questions over the summer, everybody preparing themselves individually to get through another 82-game season hopefully with a little bit more of a comfort room down the stretch where we don’t have to have a two-month gauntlet just to make the playoffs.”

Regardless of what direction the team takes this offseason, Green believes Golden State got the hardest part of the team-building process over by acquiring Butler

“It’s harder to get guys like that through trades, through free agency,” Green said. “It just doesn’t come up often. That part is done. It puts us in a much better situation going into this offseason than last year where we were kind of looking for that.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

This offseason is a pivotal one for the Suns. After they hire their next head coach, it seems likely they’ll explore the trade market for Kevin Durant, Keith Smith of Spotrac writes in his offseason preview. Smith opines that the team should at least look into fully resetting but is more likely to try to retool around Devin Booker. Any Durant trade should return multiple rotation players on smaller salaries, and potentially draft assets to replenish a depleted collection of future picks. A smaller decision worth monitoring is what the team does with Vasilije Micic‘s $8.1MM team option. Exercising that would give the team another decent salary to include in trades, Smith notes, but declining it could create significant tax savings.
Durant won the Professional Basketball Writers Association’s Magic Johnson Award for 2024/25, per a press release. The award honors a player who best combines on-court skill with grace in dealing with media and fans. Durant also won the award in 2010/11. “We’re really pleased to honor KD again,” said PBWA president Howard Beck. “Kevin has long been one of the NBA’s most thoughtful and accessible stars. He always makes time for reporters, whether for on-the-record interviews or just informal chit-chat, and he never shies away from any topic.“
The Lakers‘ priority this offseason — outside of keeping LeBron James and extending Luka Doncic — will be to add size and athleticism around their two superstars. Jovan Buha of The Athletic explores how Los Angeles could improve its roster. If Dorian Finney-Smith opts into his $15.4MM player option, the Lakers would have four sizable expiring deals that they could potentially use in trades, in Finney-Smith, Rui Hachimura‘s ($18.3MM), Maxi Kleber ($11.0MM) and Gabe Vincent ($11.5MM).

Hornets’ Josh Longstaff Among Suns’ Head Coach Candidates

May 15th, 2025 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

Hornets assistant Josh Longstaff is among the candidates receiving consideration for the Suns‘ head coaching job, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

A veteran NBA assistant, Longstaff was first hired by the Thunder in 2010 and has since been part of coaching staffs for the Knicks, Bucks, Bulls, and Hornets. He was hired by Charlotte under Charles Lee last offseason and coached the Hornets’ Summer League team in July.

Longstaff also previously spent a season as the head coach of the Erie BayHawks, who were Atlanta’s G League affiliate at the time (2017/18). He worked for Team USA under Jeff Van Gundy during World Cup qualifiers as well, Scotto notes.

Reporting earlier this week indicated that the Suns have cast a wide net in their coaching search and have interviewed more than 15 candidates for their head coaching position. In other words, the fact that Longstaff is simply among that group doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a frontrunner or even that he’s assured of advancing to the team’s second round of meetings.

Still, reports have indicated that the Suns are likely to hire a younger, first-time head coach this time around on the heels of on-and-done seasons with a pair of veteran coaches (Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer). Longstaff, 42, would fit that bill.

Latest On Suns’ Head Coaching Search

May 14th, 2025 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

As the only NBA team currently conducting a head coaching search, the Suns are taking their time and casting a wide net, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), who reports that the team has reached out to and interviewed roughly 15-to-20 candidates.

Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic also hears from sources that the Suns have conducted more than 15 interviews and are making “great progress.”

Gambadoro says the second round of interviews will begin soon, but he doesn’t anticipate a final decision being made this week or next week. Phoenix is more likely to make a hire near the end of May or even during the first part of June.

Gambadoro’s latest report doesn’t mention any specific candidates, so it’s unclear who exactly the Suns have spoken to about the vacancy on their bench.

However, earlier reports indicated that the team was looking closely at assistant coaches from around the league, such as Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott of the Cavaliers, Sean Sweeney and Jared Dudley of the Mavericks, Royal Ivey and Ben Sullivan of the Rockets, and Dave Bliss of the Thunder, among others.

As we noted on Tuesday within our preview of the Suns’ offseason, multiple reports have stated that the team is expected to prioritize a younger, first-time head coach after firing two veteran coaches with championship experience (Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer) in the past 12-plus months.

“Unbelievable basketball IQ,” new general manager Brian Gregory recently said, per Rankin, when asked what the team is looking for in a new coach. “Tremendous communicator. Shares our vision and what we understand needs to be done to be successful in basketball in this new NBA.”

Although Phoenix wasn’t the only team to enter the spring without a permanent head coach in place, multiple clubs have decided to retain their interim coaches, so it looks increasingly likely that the Suns will be the only team to conduct a full-fledged coaching search this offseason.

Categories:
Phoenix Suns

2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Phoenix Suns

May 13th, 2025 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

After winning 49 games and making a first-round playoff exit in 2023/24, the Suns were confident that their second year with the big three of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal would yield better results.

Having not operated with a traditional point guard for much of the 2023/24 season, the Suns added Tyus Jones and Monte Morris in free agency during the summer of 2024 while also replacing head coach Frank Vogel with Mike Budenholzer.

Those changes, combined with a full season from 2024 deadline addition Royce O'Neale and the prospect of better health luck for Booker, Durant, and Beal - who suited up together for just 41 games in '23/24 - were reasons for optimism in Phoenix.

And through nine games, it looked like that optimism was warranted. The Suns raced out to an 8-1 start and sat tied with Oklahoma City atop the Western Conference standings on November 10.

However, things quickly turned south, as newcomers like Jones, Morris, and Budenholzer didn't make the sort of impact the Suns had anticipated, while Durant and Beal once again battled health issues that sidelined them for 20 and 29 games, respectively.

Most damning of all was the fact that Phoenix's so-called "big three" wasn't even effective when healthy -- in the 667 minutes that Booker, Durant, and Beal shared the court, the team was outscored by 4.1 points per 100 possessions.

The Suns finished the season with a 36-46 record, earning the ignominious honor of becoming the only NBA team that didn't clinch a top-six playoff spot, didn't claim at least a play-in berth, and didn't control a lottery pick -- each of the league's other 29 clubs fell into at least one of those categories. To make matters worse, the Suns finished the season with the NBA's highest payroll and don't control any of their own draft picks through 2031.

Put simply, running it back wasn't an option in Phoenix this offseason. The team has already fired Budenholzer and made front office changes, promoting vice president of player programming Brian Gregory to general manager while former GM James Jones transitioned into a senior advisor position. Next up? Making major changes to this underachieving roster.

The Suns' Offseason Plan

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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.

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.

Suns GM Gregory Discusses Ishbia, Coaching Search, More

May 7th, 2025 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to the media at his introductory press conference as the Suns‘ new head of basketball operations on Tuesday, general manager Brian Gregory acknowledged that his long-standing relationship with team owner Mat Ishbia was a major factor in his promotion from vice president of player programming to the top of the front office, writes David Brandt of The Associated Press.

Gregory was an assistant coach at Michigan State when Ishbia played for the Spartans as a walk-on in the early 2000s. The two men have known each other for the last 25 years and Gregory suggested on Tuesday that their “alignment,” a word he used repeatedly, will be an asset for the Suns going forward.

“I’m never going to shy away from the fact that one of the reasons I’m sitting up here is because of my relationship with Mat Ishbia,” Gregory said. “But that relationship is founded on our alignment. Shared values. Shared work ethic. We’ve been through a lot together. He trusts me and I trust him.”

Gregory, who was a coach at the college basketball level from 1990-2023 before joining the Suns’ basketball operations department, had very limited NBA front office experience. However, he noted that he has been able to “work with really every facet of the organization” over the past two years, which helped prepare him for the job. He also stated that his three-plus decades as a coach shouldn’t be discounted when discussing his qualifications.

“Thirty-plus years of basketball experience, the last two being here in Phoenix,” Gregory said, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “The knowledge and experience I think puts me in a good position to be successful in this role, but I think the thing that’s going to separate me and give me an opportunity to be successful and make a positive impact is my focus on building that identity and creating that alignment that Mat talked about a couple of weeks ago.”

Here are a few more of Gregory’s notable comments from Tuesday’s presser, via Brandt and Rankin:

On the Suns’ head coaching search:

“We’re doing an extensive process in that right now. I’m not going to give a timetable because I want to make sure we get this right. This is very, very critical for us moving forward.”

On rumored trade candidates Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal:

“I have a very good relationship with both those guys. Kevin gave me a nice hug in the weight room the other night when the news came across Twitter. Had a great dinner with Brad Beal last Thursday and we talked a little about summer plans and different things like that. My main focus, to be honest with you, is finding the right head coach for those guys.”

On the role CEO Josh Bartelstein will play in the revamped front office:

“He’s involved in every aspect of basketball operations, every single aspect of basketball operations. Josh and I have an unbelievable partnership. When you talk guys working together and getting things done, we’re right there.”

On Ishbia’s potential role in basketball decisions:

“Mat and I are a team. We are completely aligned. As the general manager, my job and my responsibility is to oversee the day-to-day operations … basketball-wise. I report to Mat Ishbia. Mat Ishbia is an owner that is involved and I like that, but he has also empowered me to build this team and to build the identity and to build the alignment that is so important.”

Rockets Notes: Offseason, Durant, VanVleet, Whitmore, Sheppard

May 6th, 2025 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Even after winning 52 games and claiming the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, the Rockets didn’t see themselves as a legitimate championship contender this spring, says Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

The Rockets, making their first playoff appearance since 2020, knew the top-seeded Thunder were much further along in their title chase, according to Fischer, who writes that Houston’s goal this season was similar to Oklahoma City’s in the last year or two — evaluating a roster heavy on recent lottery picks to collect data and get a better sense of which players are long-term keepers and which ones might not be.

With their postseason run over, the Rockets will now have to weigh whether or not to pursue a major move on the trade market this summer, Fischer writes, noting that the team is expected to bring back most of its core and “proceed judiciously” going forward. General manager Rafael Stone didn’t contradict Fischer’s reporting when he spoke to the media on Tuesday.

“The business we’re in, nobody’s untouchable,” Stone said (Twitter link via Kelly Iko of The Athletic). “But we deeply value everyone on our roster. We have those (extra draft) picks, we accumulated them so we could draft guys or upgrade our current roster. We’ll see what makes the most sense.”

As Fischer details, pundits figure to repeatedly link Suns forward Kevin Durant to Houston this summer for a number of reasons — the Rockets control several Phoenix draft assets; Durant played college ball at Texas and played in Oklahoma City alongside close friend and Rockets assistant Royal Ivey; and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was an assistant during KD’s time in Brooklyn. However, Fischer insists that “more indications than not” suggests Houston’s interest in Durant has been overstated.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

After Fred VanVleet and Udoka expressed a desire to keep the point guard in Houston going forward, Stone declined to comment on any contract specifics on Tuesday, but confirmed that the Rockets want to retain VanVleet. “He’s been the person and player that we hoped we were getting and we’re very optimistic he’ll be with us for the foreseeable future,” Stone said, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
In a story for The Houston Chronicle (subscription required), Lerner poses five burning questions facing the Rockets this offseason, starting with whether or not they keep VanVleet and whether they’ll pursue a star. Lerner also considers whether Houston will extend Tari Eason and Jabari Smith, which of their own free agents they’ll try to re-sign, and how much this year’s draft matters to the team.
The Magic and Rockets share many of the same strengths and weaknesses, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who suggests that both teams will be in the market for offensive upgrades this offseason. However, there appears to be one key difference between the two clubs, as Hollinger observes — Orlando needs to strengthen its supporting cast around star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, while Houston still needs to find an alpha dog, either inside or outside of the organization.
Within his analysis of the Rockets’ future, Hollinger points out that the team may soon need to make decisions on whether a pair of little-used rotation players are keepers. Former first-round pick Cam Whitmore has shown flashes of real promise, but hasn’t played consistently, while last year’s No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard spent most of his rookie season on the bench even though the organization reportedly thinks very highly of him. “We have had in-depth conversations with Cam probably more than anybody,” Udoka said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Lerner). “… Ton of potential there, but consistency is the main thing and he knows that.”

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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