Southeast Notes: McCollum, Reneau, Dybantsa, AD, LeBron
After they finished last season by winning 20 of their final 26 games, CJ McCollum is eager to see what the Hawks can accomplish in 2026/27, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required). McCollum played an important role in that late-season success, averaging 18.7 points and 4.1 assists in 41 games after being acquired from Washington in January. He expects the team to be even better after having time to build chemistry.
“I’m just excited to be able to have a full training camp,” he said. “Like I was traded in the middle of the season, so I’m excited about that. Excited about the growth and the potential that a lot of the young guys have, and the experiences that we were able to have this last season competing for a playoff spot, making the playoffs, and then playing against a really good team.”
Atlanta met New York in the first round and took a 2-1 series lead before the Knicks launched a historic 13-game winning streak on their way to the NBA title. McCollum believes the Hawks will eventually benefit from facing such a powerful playoff opponent.
“It teaches you how to be better and make moments,” he said. “It teaches you how to execute. Also teaches you how to prepare. So I’m really just excited about the opportunity to have some more growth moments together as a team.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Malik Reneau scored 19 points Saturday in 18 minutes off the bench to help the Magic defeat Boston and finish with a 4-1 record in the Las Vegas Summer League, per Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). The 6’9″ forward, who agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Orlando following last month’s draft, was one of several players to see increased minutes as the Magic rested four rotation members. “I liked our aggressiveness,” Reneau said. “The way we came out on that defensive end, we got some stops and (were) able to run out and get some easy baskets in transition.”
- Wizards owner Ted Leonsis calls AJ Dybantsa a “next-generation prototype,” and his arrival has created a level of optimism in Washington that hasn’t been felt for a long time, observes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Teaming Dybantsa with Trae Young and Anthony Davis, who were acquired in trades last season, along with a solid core of young prospects, might make the Wizards a factor in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Young said the team will be holding workouts in Los Angeles this summer, and Dybantsa is eager to learn from his veteran teammates. “When you’re playing with a guy of that stature, I’ll definitely get easy shots from him if nothing else,” Dybantsa said of Young. “[AD] was the No. 1 pick many years back, so he’s been through a lot of the stuff that I’ve got to go through.”
- The Wizards don’t fit the profile of what LeBron James was looking for in free agency, but Davis revealed that he had “conversations” with his former Lakers teammate about coming to Washington (Twitter video link from Chase Coburn).
Jazz Notes: Peterson, Hinson, Bates, D. Ainge
Jazz guard Darryn Peterson faced some questions about his competitive desire from fans and the media due to the cramping issues that plagued his freshman season at Kansas, but people who know him best nearly universally describe the No. 2 overall pick as having a “killer” mentality on the court, writes Jason Batacao of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Part of the reason why Peterson was regarded as the preseason frontrunner to be selected with the top pick was because he outdueled AJ Dybantsa (who ended up going No. 1) and Cameron Boozer (No. 3) in high school. Peterson was renowned for his work ethic and professionalism as a senior at Prolific Prep in Napa, California, according to Batacao.
“It’s not going to be loud with Darryn, and it’s not going to be braggadocious behind the scenes,” said Prolific Prep head coach Ryan Bernardi. “In his mind he’s a killer, and he will have those games circled. Listen, we had AJ Dybantsa the year before, and Darryn’s work ethic, his impact on the game, his leadership … it blew AJ’s out of the water.”
Here’s more on the Jazz:
- Peterson’s assistant coach at Kansas, Kurtis Townsend, called Peterson the Jayhawks’ “bona fide leader” despite the uncertainty and drama that came with his injury absences, Batacao adds. Townsend believes Peterson will use the questions he faced leading up to the draft as motivation going forward. “I think it’s scary to think about what he’s going to be like three years from now,” Townsend told The Salt Lake Tribune. “He’s just going to keep getting better and better.”
- Within a story about Utah’s three two-way players — Blake Hinson, Trey Alexander and Tamar Bates — Sarah Todd of The Deseret News reports that Hinson has lost more than 20 pounds since the end of last season. “Blake’s had a great summer — he’s lost a bunch of weight,” Jazz assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski said. “He’s going to shoot a really good percentage, but it’s the other areas of the game that the conditioning improvement have allowed him to make an impact defensively. Just the way he moves offensively and defensively, he’s really taken a step forward.”
- According to Todd, the Jazz have been cautious with Bates during Summer League action because the former Missouri guard is still battling some soreness in his left foot. Bates spent most of last season on a two-way deal with Denver, but his rookie season was derailed in December when he underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his left foot. He was waived by the Nuggets in March and caught on with Utah earlier this month.
- Jazz CEO Danny Ainge will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in October, per Dick Harmon of The Deseret News. Ainge’s former BYU teammates praised the ex-NBA guard and questioned why it took so long for him to receive the honor, Harmon writes.
Wizards Notes: Dybantsa, Johnson, Riley, Young, Ewing
AJ Dybantsa‘s Summer League run is over after two games, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who hears from Wizards summer league coach T.J. Sorrentine that the No. 1 overall pick will be shut down for the team’s remaining games in Las Vegas. A pair of 2025 first-rounders, Tre Johnson and Will Riley, also won’t play in those contests, Robbins adds.
Players on NBA contracts often don’t play a full Summer League schedule, especially if they have little left to prove in Las Vegas. That has been the case for Dybantsa, who racked up 50 points and 14 rebounds in his first two games, as well as Johnson (26 points in his only game) and Riley (50 points in two games, including 32 on Sunday), according to Sorrentine.
“It’s a culmination of camp all the way through the games,” the Wizards’ coach said. “It’s not just what (everyone’s) seen on TV. We’ve had a good camp, a lot of good practices and shootarounds and a couple of good games.”
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- In addition to Dybantsa, Johnson, and Riley, the Wizards are carrying 11 other players on standard contracts, and all 11 – including Anthony Davis and Trae Young – were in Las Vegas over the weekend for a three-day veteran mini-camp, Robbins writes in another story for The Athletic. As Robbins observes, while it’s common for veterans to show up at Summer League, it’s rare for a team to have its entire roster in attendance — the Wizards believe it’s a testament to the culture they’re developing. “We’ve been trying to build a culture for the past two years, since I got drafted at least, and I think it’s showing right now,” George said. “I mean, there was no way I was missing summer league, and I think by me being here, Alex (Sarr) being here, Bilal (Coulibaly) being here, it just attracted all the other vets. I think it shows a lot that everybody’s around.”
- Speaking to Robbins, Young acknowledged that he’s heard the criticism the Wizards have received for giving him a four-year, $213MM deal – this year’s largest free agent contract – but said he’s eager to prove his doubters wrong. “I know if we win, winning takes care of everything,” Young said. “I can’t really get caught up in what people are thinking or what people are saying right now. What’s done is done. So I’m going to make sure the people that believe in me are proved right.”
- Meanwhile, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins pushed back on the idea that investing so heavily in Young will hamstring the Wizards as they look to build a contender in the coming years. “I think we continue to keep our optionality and flexibility,” Dawkins told Robbins. “It actually helps us so that we’re bringing someone in that’s going to allow us to raise the level of the group sooner, and we can make more answers on all of our players.”
- Patrick Ewing spoke to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link) about leaving his position as the Knicks’ basketball ambassador for a role as a Wizards assistant, explaining that he still has the “coaching bug” and that he has continued to live in the D.C. area. “I enjoy teaching,” Ewing said. “I enjoy trying to give back to a lot of these young kids.” Ewing added that he’s bullish on the Wizards’ young talent and believes the team can “make some noise” in the Eastern Conference in the coming years.
Southeast Notes: Miller, Dybantsa, Peterson, Veesaar, Mitchell
The Hornets have been discussing a potential rookie scale extension with former No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller, head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson confirmed on Saturday (Twitter video link via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer).
“I’ve had conversations with Brandon and his representation,” Peterson said. “They know that we want Brandon here for a very, very long time. I won’t get into particulars. Bottom line is we want Brandon Miller here for a very long time.”
Miller, who is extension-eligible until the day before the 2026/27 regular season begins in October, averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steal on .435/.383/.892 shooting splits in 65 games last season (30.3 minutes per game).
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Although neither player shot the ball particularly well, AJ Dybantsa outdueled Darryn Peterson to lead the Wizards to a victory over the Jazz on Thursday at the Las Vegas Summer League, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Dybantsa was the first overall pick in last month’s draft, while Peterson was selected No. 2. Dybantsa looked the part of a leading man, says David Aldridge of The Athletic. “Everything felt normal,” Dybantsa said afterward. “I think my game kind of is built for the NBA — me getting in transition a lot, me getting downhill a lot, and me being able to make plays for my teammates.” The 19-year-old forward finished with a game-high 27 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.
- Hawks big man Henri Veesaar, the 52nd pick in the 2026 draft, had a slow start in the first two games during the Salt Lake City Summer League. However, he’s made a concerted effort to be more assertive over his past two contests, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscriber link). “I feel like that kind of was me all the time in college as well,” said Veesaar, who recorded 14 points (on 5-of-8 shooting), six rebounds and a block in 19 minutes in Thursday’s win. “The physicality, I’m not running away from it. I like the contact. I don’t mind it at all. So just keeping that and being also aggressive, being able to kind of find myself in this offense and being a learning experience, kind of over the Summer League, trying to learn a new offense in a couple days. And I felt like after the first two games, I’ve really been able to kind of apply it.” The Estonian center has set some impressive screens this summer, Williams notes, something he works on with his coach, former NBA big man Sean May.
- Heat point guard Davion Mitchell is traveling to Greece later this month to work out with and get to know new teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Mitchell already had plans to attend a NBPA event in Spain next week, so he won’t have to travel far to begin the process of developing a rapport with the two-time MVP. “Immediately after I found out [about the trade], I got his number and I texted him,” Mitchell said this week in Las Vegas. “Obviously, during the summer, people will move around. So, I’ll just go where he’s at because I’m already going to be over there anyway.” Mitchell added that he’s been working on catch-and-shoot three-pointers and has lost weight this offseason in an effort to improve his mobility and conditioning on the defensive end.
Jazz Notes: Peterson, George, Summer League, Trade Exception
Although Darryn Peterson opted not to visit Utah to work out for the Jazz during the pre-draft process, he has made it clear since being selected second overall by the team last month that he’s embracing his new NBA home, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. After several years of tanking, the Jazz appear ready to take a significant step forward in 2026/27 after acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr. at last season’s trade deadline and then drafting the former Kansas guard.
“What excites me the most is being able to be a part of the young core,” Peterson told ESPN. “It’s just a great basketball organization. I think everyone would agree with me, and we’ve kind of talked about it: It’s time to win. So, to be a part of that is like a dream come true for me.”
The Jazz believe Peterson and fourth-year guard Keyonte George have the potential to become one of the best backcourts in the NBA, according to MacMahon, who says head coach Will Hardy‘s plan is to have both players share the responsibilities of handling the ball and initiating the offense rather than labeling one of the two as the team’s “point guard.”
“I think it’s really exciting,” Hardy said. “It gives us some flexibility. It’s going to take a little bit of time for us to get the rhythm of it perfect. But they have a tremendous amount of potential together, both sides of the ball. We need to let them live in the environment together a little bit and try to see what they do. I’m going to try my best not to over-coach them early because there’s a lot that I can learn from watching them play off of each other.”
We have more on the Jazz:
- The NBA initially signed off on a plan to have George formally serve as an assistant coach for the Jazz’s Thursday game at the Las Vegas Summer League, but after reviewing the situation and “relying on precedent,” the league has reversed course, reports Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Still, MacMahon writes that George has been a “constant” presence around the Summer League team so far, attending every practice and taking on a mentorship role with Peterson. “Every day, he’s been pushing me and telling me what he sees and telling me what I need to be better at in practice and games,” said Peterson, who already knew George through their mutual skills trainer Phil Beckner, MacMahon notes. “He’s going into year four now. So, I don’t know if that’s a vet or not, but to me, that’s a vet. He’s been here in the league four years, so he’s somebody I would definitely lean on throughout the season.”
- Ahead of the Jazz’s Thursday night showdown in Las Vegas against AJ Dybantsa and the Wizards, Jason Batacao of The Salt Lake Tribune explores what could be a brewing rivalry between the top two picks in this year’s draft.
- Although the Las Vegas Summer League hasn’t yet tipped off, fans got an early look at Peterson at the Salt Lake City Summer League and the No. 2 pick made a very strong first impression, racking up 53 points and 14 assists in just over 55 total minutes across his two outings. Peterson’s impressive performance headlines five SLC Summer League takeaways shared by Sam Foster of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Walker Kessler‘s new four-year, $129.5MM contract with the Lakers has a starting salary of $30,108,821, Hoops Rumors has learned. That means the trade exception the Jazz generated as a result of their Kessler sign-and-trade deal is worth $15,054,411, half of that figure. We explain within our glossary entry on base year compensation why Utah’s trade exception in this case is worth 50% of Kessler’s salary instead of the full amount.
And-Ones: Fields, Project B, Butler, Summer League, Rozier
Former Hawks general manager Landry Fields has been hired to the run the men’s basketball division for Project B, a global startup basketball league on track to begin play next winter, according to reports from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
As previously reported, the league – which has secured commitments from several notable WNBA players – wants to bring in current and former NBA players, as well as top young prospects from outside the NBA for its developmental program. While no men’s basketball players have signed yet, Fields will be tasked with identifying global talent to join the league, Fischer says.
Project B, which intends to travel around Europe and Asia, has offered players equity in the league on top of their salaries, per Fischer and Vorkunov.
After being let go by the Hawks during the spring of 2025, Fields had been working since January as the president of league operations for Overtime Elite.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA guard Jared Butler, a 2021 second-round pick who appeared in 148 regular season games for four teams from 2021-25, has signed a two-year extension with Crvena Zvezda on the heels of a successful first season with the Serbian team, per a press release (Twitter link). The former Baylor star averaged 13.3 points and 3.7 assists in 19.8 minutes per game across 31 EuroLeague outings in 2025/26.
- Ben Golliver of ESPN identifies 30 players – one from each NBA team – to watch at the Las Vegas Summer League, while Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports one-ups him by singling out 50 players to watch in Vegas. Both lists are heavy on rookies, starting with the top four picks in the draft: Wizards forward AJ Dybantsa, Jazz guard Darryn Peterson, Grizzlies big man Cameron Boozer, and Bulls forward Caleb Wilson.
- Michael R. Sisak of The Associated Press shares an update on Terry Rozier‘s legal situation, writing that a U.S. district judge denied a request to modify the veteran guard’s bail conditions to allow him to practice and play with potential witnesses in his sports gambling case. Rozier’s attorneys have argued that the bail conditions essentially make it impossible for him to sign with an NBA team, though it seems pretty safe to assume no club would be willing to bring him aboard anyway unless he’s cleared of all charges. Rozier is accused of taking a bribe to leave a game early so that bettors could cash in on several “under” prop bets.
AJ Dybantsa Among First-Round Picks To Sign On Thursday
Five first-round picks have signed their rookie scale contracts throughout the day on Thursday.
A couple of the players are expected to take part in the Salt Lake City and California Classic Summer Leagues, which will take place before the Las Vegas Summer League, so their teams are taking the opportunity to get them under contract ahead of practices this week and their SL debuts over the weekend.
In past years, we’ve devoted full stories to each of the 30 first-round picks signing his rookie scale contract, but since most of those deals are a mere formality and the salary terms are predetermined, we’ll likely try relaying most of them in round-up form this year, like we’ve done below. That only figures to change if there’s something unusual to note about a particular signing, such as a player accepting below the usual 120% of his rookie scale amount.
Here are the players who have signed their rookie scale contracts on the first day of the new league year, per the NBA’s transaction log and/or announcements from their teams. We’ve included their tentative contract details (based on 120% of the rookie scale) and links to our stories from when they were drafted last week.
- AJ Dybantsa (Wizards): First-year salary of $14.7MM; four-year total of $66.9MM (story)
- Kingston Flemings (Hawks): First-year salary of $7.3MM; four-year total of $33.4MM (story)
- Morez Johnson Jr. (Mavericks): First-year salary of $6.8MM; four-year total of $30.7MM (story)
- Allen Graves (Raptors): First-year salary of $4.1MM; four-year total of $19.7MM (story)
- Cameron Carr (Lakers): First-year salary of $3.3MM; four-year total of $16.8MM (story)
And-Ones: Summer League, Expansion, Lottery, Kostas, More
The NBA has formally announced the schedule for its Las Vegas Summer League, which tips off on Thursday, July 9.
The most notable of the games scheduled for that first Thursday is a matchup between Wizards vs. the Jazz at 9:00 pm Eastern time, which should pit the top two picks in the draft against one another, with AJ Dybantsa suiting up for Washington and Darryn Peterson taking the court for Utah.
A day later, on Friday at 8 pm ET, the No. 3 overall pick Cameron Boozer and the Grizzlies are scheduled to square off against No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson and the Bulls.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- As Marc Stein of The Stein Lines notes (via Twitter), NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in multiple media appearances ahead of the draft, including during a spot on The Dan Patrick Show (Twitter video link), that if the league moves forward with expansion to Seattle and/or Las Vegas, the plan would be for the new team(s) to begin competing in the 2028/29 season.
- Although the NBA’s new draft lottery format is only officially in place through the 2029 draft, Silver said during a pre-draft interview with ESPN on Tuesday that the league doesn’t plan to revert to a system in 2030 that rewards tanking. “Part of the agreement with the teams was that this system would be in place for three years,” Silver said, per Devon Henderson of The Athletic. “In essence, it’s grandfathered in. We all agree that would give us an opportunity to assess how this is working, and also look at some other approaches, which we thought, in fairness, the teams needed to be built in over time. But most importantly, we will not be returning to a system where there is an incentive to be bad.”
- It’s safe to say it won’t be this week’s biggest news involving an Antetokounmpo, but former NBA forward Kostas Antetokounmpo, one of Giannis’ brothers, is nearing a multiyear deal with the Greek team Aris B.C., according to Stefan Acevski of Eurohoops. Kostas played for Aris in 2025/26 while on loan from Olympiacos.
- Cavaliers point guard Dennis Schröder, the lone NBA player on the roster, is the headliner for the German national team for its upcoming 2027 World Cup qualifying games against Israel and Cyprus. Dario Skerletic of Sportando has the details.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at the free agent market for point guards this offseason, ranking the options available from James Harden at No. 1 to the “radioactive” Terry Rozier at No. 36.
Wizards Draft AJ Dybantsa With No. 1 Overall Pick
As long expected, the Wizards have used the first overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft to select AJ Dybantsa.
Dybantsa, a 6’9″ forward out of BYU, was the leading scorer in college basketball in 2025/26, averaging 25.5 points per game to go along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 35 appearances (34.8 minutes per game). He shot 51.0% from the field, 33.1% from three-point range, and 77.4% on free throws in his freshman season.
An excellent athlete with tremendous size for a wing, Dybantsa is incredibly difficult to stop once he gets moving toward the basket. He’s strong, draws lots of fouls — he led the country in both free throws attempts and free throws made — and thrives in the mid-range, as ESPN’s Jeremy Woo writes.
While Dybantsa overwhelmed his opponents at the college level and should have no trouble creating his own shot in the NBA, he’s quite ball-dominant at this point in his development in part because his outside shot lags behind other parts of his game, Woo notes. The 19-year-old also didn’t play particularly well defensively for the Cougars, though he has the physical attributes to become a plus on that end.
Dybantsa has been considered a candidate to go first overall since he was a freshman in high school and showed tangible progress as a decision-maker and play-maker at BYU. He’s viewed as an elite prospect, but will need to keep improving on both ends to reach his franchise-player potential, per Woo.
The Wizards were linked to Dybantsa as soon as the draft lottery took place last month. He’ll immediately become the face of the organization after Washington traded for a pair of veteran multi-time All-Stars in Trae Young and Anthony Davis in 2025/26.
Part of the reason Washington was connected to Dybantsa is he’s a logical fit as a jumbo-sized wing alongside a small point guard in Young and a center/forward in Davis. The 19-year-old, who was a consensus first-team All-American, will join a young core that includes Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson and Will Riley.
The Wizards have been in rebuilding mode the past few seasons, but their transactions — including agreeing to give Young essentially a four-year, maximum-salary contract — and lottery luck mean they’ll be looking to make the playoffs, or at least be in the play-in mix, sooner rather than later.
Scouts, Execs, Coaches Weigh In On Draft’s Top Prospects
In his annual series for The Athletic, David Aldridge spoke to NBA scouts and executives as well as college coaches to get a better sense of how the top prospects in the 2026 draft are viewed.
Aldridge’s three articles focus on the players considered to be the best guards, wings and big men in the 2026 class. Each article is unlocked and free to read, as is the corresponding draft guide from The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie.
One Eastern Conference scout had the following view of Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, who’s viewed as a probable top-two pick.
“Darryn has the higher floor (over AJ Dybantsa). He’s going to be really good. Can he be a core player, a Steph (Curry) or Klay (Thompson)? I think he has the ability to be Klay-level. He’s really, really good. I went to a few practices, and he’s as good as any college player I’ve seen. It wasn’t like it was a bunch of first-round picks around him, like if he was at Duke. … His high school team was the same way — it wasn’t great.
“Teams try to take him out. I saw him shoot with his left hand on four straight possessions: a jumper, a layup off the glass. … There’s a lot of poise to him. I don’t like anybody doing the Kobe Bryant, ‘I’ve got Mamba Mentality.’ I don’t really like that. He’s a quiet kid. He’s not going to seek attention. I think he’s closer to Kawhi (Leonard) than Kobe in terms of personality.”
An anonymous East executive said he’d select Dybantsa, the top wing prospect, with the No. 1 overall pick.
“For me, I’m taking AJ No. 1. Wings who are close to 6’10” with an elite first step like that, high-level athlete, can play one through four, defend one through four, get to the foul line at will. He’s getting to the foul line because dudes can’t keep up with him. He does have a little of that Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), like, pump fake and draw into you. But he can also jump off the rim and dunk it on somebody, one dribble to the rim. With the rules and the NBA space, how much ground you can use to operate, I think AJ’s going to be a real problem. Positional size, just someone you can really build an offense around. And he’s going to be a plus defender with more coaching and when the game slows down for him. The shooting needs to develop a little bit; that’s the one weakness in his game.
“(Defensively), I think you’re betting more on the tools than the feel. He doesn’t think the game defensively right now. He’s thinking, I’m the star of the team. If I can make a play with my athleticism defensively, I’ll do it. If not, I’m just gonna wait for the ball to go to the other end of the floor. I think it’s more maturity than anything else. But the physical tools, and the size, and the frame that can get stronger. … His floor is he’ll never be a liability defensively, just because of the physical baseline alone. Will he ever be a stopper? I don’t know. He’s so young, and his frame is just a ball of clay. The athleticism is so unique. It’s more so the game slowing down, where you’ll maybe see an uptick defensively. … Teams will hunt the bad defenders in the playoffs. AJ’s not going to be someone you hunt. You can’t. ‘Cause if you just hunt him, he’s just going to sit down and say ‘Beat me, then.’”
That same executive spoke highly of Duke big man Cameron Boozer, who’s considered likely to be drafted third overall.
“I’m taking Cam (over Caleb Wilson). He’s not flashy, he’s not as athletic as those guys, but I’m a big believer in basketball IQ, and processing, translating (to the NBA). And I think he’s at the top of the list with basketball IQ, processing and maturity. He’s a high-level passing forward. His ability to make reads at a standstill, low post, high post, middle of the floor, it’s pretty impressive. Can shoot the ball at 6’9″. Size and shooting is a premium in the league. I think he can play both frontcourt positions. He’s probably more of a four. I wouldn’t love him anchoring the paint at the five defensively. But he just knows where to be positionally. Lateral mobility isn’t great. But he’s strong, he’s mature, he can rebound the ball, finish defensive plays. Once he grabs a rebound he’s an elite outlet passer.
“He plays fast. He’s going to be able to advance the ball. Productive, smart, the size and shooting, the frontcourt value there, there’s a lot to like. High-motor player. Is he going to be a No. 1 option on a championship team? I’m not there with him to that extent. But I think he’s going to be an elite complementary player. I can see him being the second or third-best player. Maybe second-best player, but he can definitely be the third-best player on a contender. Going back to EYBL, they win. Peachtree championships, ACC championships, he had success in the NCAA tournament, even though their season was heartbreaking. I hear the skeptics about the finishing around the rim, he’s not going to be able to bully guys. I just think his processing is so high he’s going to figure it out.”
Each article features many more quotes on several other prospects aside from the top three, with Wilson viewed as the fourth player in the top tier. All the stories are worth checking out to get an unvarnished look at how the players are perceived before the first round begins on Tuesday evening.