Northwest Notes: Towns, K. Anderson, Jazz, Thunder
The Timberwolves don’t appear to be making an effort to trade Karl-Anthony Towns, Darren Wolfson of SKOR North said in his latest podcast (hat tip to HoopsHype). There has been speculation that Minnesota might be open to moving Towns because of the financial issues his contract will eventually cause, but Wolfson hears that the market has been quiet so far.
“I’m not ruling it out,” Wolfson said. “But what I can tell you in real time is I’ve checked with two teams’ front office executives very high up, two teams that make logical sense if the Wolves were to trade Karl-Anthony Towns. If they let the league know, ‘Hey, we’re interested in trading Karl-Anthony Towns’, these two teams undoubtedly would at least inquire… Well, these two executives told me, ‘So far, crickets.’ They have not had any trade dialogue with the Wolves.”
Towns’ four-year super-max extension will take effect in 2024/25, resulting in an estimated $50MM salary for that season and then escalating to a $62MM player option for 2027/28. A calf injury limited the three-time All-Star to 29 games last season, and he often appeared to be an awkward fit alongside center Rudy Gobert.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Timberwolves coach Chris Finch told Wolfson that Kyle Anderson is working out again after undergoing eye surgery following the playoffs (Twitter link). Anderson was forced to miss Game 5 of the series against Denver after inadvertently being struck in the face by teammate Anthony Edwards as they tried to block a dunk.
- The Jazz are reportedly adding two assistant coaches to Will Hardy‘s staff. Mike Williams, who was head coach of the Wizards‘ G League affiliate this season, has accepted a job with Utah, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Chad Forcier, who coached under Mike Budenholzer with the Bucks, is also expected to join the Jazz, Marc Stein states in a Substack column.
- Scheduling a workout with Villanova’s Cam Whitmore shows the Jazz are willing to consider moving up in the draft, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Whitmore is viewed as a potential top-five selection who’s expected to be off the board by the time Utah picks at No. 9. Todd examines the many options the Jazz might have with all of their three first-round selections.
- With Chet Holmgren expected to be the Thunder‘s starting center next season, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman looks at five potential backups available in the draft, either at No. 12 or in the second round.
Central Notes: Bucks Assistants, Beauchamp, Bulls, Pistons
Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin will be adding a couple of veteran assistants to his staff, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The new hires are Joe Prunty and Patrick Mutombo, who were with the Hawks and Suns this past season, respectively.
It will be Prunty’s second stint in Milwaukee, as he previously spent four seasons with the organization (2014-18), serving as interim head coach in 2017/18. He had a brief stint as interim coach of the Hawks in ’22/23 as well before they hired Quin Snyder. Prunty has been an NBA assistant for over 20 years, getting his start with San Antonio.
A former assistant with the Nuggets and Raptors, Mutombo was also head coach of the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League affiliate, before heading to Phoenix to join Monty Williams‘ staff. Williams was fired after the season ended (he was recently hired by Detroit), leaving Mutombo to find a new opportunity. He previously worked with Griffin in Toronto.
Here’s more from the Central:
- Bucks wing MarJon Beauchamp, who just completed his rookie season, said he had plans to travel to Greece on Wednesday to train with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, writes Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I’m excited – I don’t know what to expect,” Beauchamp said with a big smile. He also intends to play in Summer League next month, according to Nickel. The 2022 first-round pick was attending Griffin’s introductory press conference when he relayed the information.
- K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago weighs the pros and cons of the Bulls possibly pursuing Chris Paul if he ends up getting waived by the Suns. While Paul could help the Bulls, Johnson considers it a “long-shot scenario” at the moment, noting that signing him while retaining some of the team’s own free agents could push Chicago into the luxury tax.
- If Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson and Amen Thompson are the first four names called during the upcoming draft, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic believes the most likely scenario for the Pistons at No. 5 is selecting Villanova wing Cam Whitmore. In the event that Whitmore is taken No. 4, Edwards predicts Detroit will take Houston forward Jarace Walker instead of either of the Thompson twins. He also explores a “very, very, very unlikely” but “non-zero” scenario in which Miller falls to No. 5.
Draft Notes: Henderson, Miller, Thompsons, Hendricks, Livingston, Bates
The Hornets hold the No. 2 pick and the top contenders to be chosen at that spot are visiting Charlotte soon, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer reports.
G League Ignite point guard Scoot Henderson is scheduled to come in on Sunday, while Alabama forward Brandon Miller will visit on Tuesday. A trio of prospects also rated among the top 10 on most draft boards are also working out for the Hornets in the near future. Twins brothers Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson of Overtime Elite will work out on Friday. Villanova forward Cam Whitmore is scheduled to come in on June 17.
We have more draft-related notes:
- Speaking of the Thompson twins, they worked out for the Trail Blazers last week, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. They are ranked No. 4 and No. 5 in ESPN’s rankings.
- Another projected Top 10 pick, UCF’s Taylor Hendricks, revealed some of his future workouts while visiting the Pacers on Wednesday, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files reports. He has workouts lined up with the Pistons, Mavericks, Jazz and Thunder. He previously worked out for the Magic. The power forward is ranked No. 9 on ESPN’s Best Available list.
- The Cavaliers will work out Akron native and Kentucky forward Chris Livingston next week, according to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Eastern Michigan guard Emoni Bates will also visit soon. They could fall in the range of Cleveland’s second-round pick (No. 49 overall).
Pre-Draft Workouts: Whitmore, Pacers, Hornets, Lakers, More
The Pacers will host Cam Whitmore for an individual workout on Thursday, according to Wheat Hotchkiss of NBA.com. The Villanova forward is part of a group of prospects that are expected to come off the board shortly after the top three of Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson. Indiana holds the No. 7 pick in this year’s draft.
The Pacers welcomed Johnell Davis of Florida Atlantic, Adam Flagler of Baylor, Armaan Franklin of Virginia, Nate Laszewski of Notre Dame, Leonard Miller of G League Ignite and Isaiah Wong of Miami to a pre-draft workout on Wednesday, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Davis has since decided to pull out of the draft and return to school.
We have a few more updates on draft workouts:
- The Hornets had two six-player sessions already this week. On Tuesday, Charlotte hosted Wake Forest’s Tyree Appleby, Alabama’s Charles Bediako, Furman’s Mike Bothwell, Kentucky’s Chris Livingston, San Diego State’s Nathan Mensah and Arizona’s Courtney Ramey (Twitter link). On Wednesday, the team brought in Arizona State’s Marcus Bagley, Creighton’s Arthur Kaluma, Memphis’ Elijah McCadden, Iowa’s Filip Rebraca, UCLA’s David Singleton and Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe (Twitter link). Kaluma opted on Wednesday to remove his name from the draft pool.
- The Lakers hosted a workout Tuesday with Marcus Carr of Texas, Djordjije Jovanovic of the Ontario Clippers, Justyn Mutts of Virginia Tech, Tyger Campbell of UCLA, Anton Watson of Gonzaga and Kevin Obanor of Texas Tech, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).
- Michigan’s Jett Howard worked out for the Rockets this week, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Howard could be on the board when Houston picks at No. 20.
- DePaul forward Javan Johnson had a session with the Nets on Wednesday, his agent told Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).
- The Warriors brought in UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez for a workout on Tuesday, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Zion, McCollum, Irving, Grizzlies
Assuming Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson will be the first three picks in the draft, who will the Rockets target at No. 4? Kelly Iko of The Athletic explores that question in his first installment of the team’s big board.
With the assistance of a high-ranking scout, Iko puts Amen Thompson at the top of the list. Thompson would make a great fit for Houston defensively, given its current talent level, though there are questions about the Overtime Elite guard offensively. Villanova forward Cam Whitmore follows him on Iko’s list, thanks to his explosiveness and athleticism in the open floor.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Pelicans guard CJ McCollum dispensed career advice to oft-injured Zion Williamson, RealGM relays. Speaking on the Ryen Russillo Show, McCollum said he and Larry Nance Jr. have engaged in multiple conversations with Williamson, whose toughness was questioned when he didn’t play after Jan. 2 due to a hamstring injury. “Your ceiling is unlike anything the NBA has ever seen,” McCollum said of his advice to Williamson. “But it’s up to you to take full advantage of whatever that is. I can’t want it for you. Mom can’t want it for you. Dad can’t want it for you. Staff can’t want it for you. So, it’s up to you to decide what that looks like. You’ve got to figure out what you want to do with this game, because this game will go where you take it.”
- Following a report of a “handshake deal” with the Mavericks, along with attending Lakers games during the postseason, Kyrie Irving indicated on Instagram he’ll control the narrative of his free agency (hat tip to RealGM). “If you hear something about my career, it’s going to happen direct like this,” Irving said. “I am an independent agency. It’s just me.”
- In a subscriber-only story, Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian details the lessons that the Grizzlies learned during their abbreviated playoff run. He opines they need to be patient with the team’s core and coach Taylor Jenkins but aggressively pursue ways to improve their postseason chances.
Eastern Notes: Love, Hornets’ Workouts, Pistons
Kevin Love departed Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the first half due to a strained lower left leg, but he’ll likely play in Game 4 on Tuesday, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. The Heat big man says he’ll be “ready to go” as Miami looks to close out the series.
“It just felt like, honestly, a muscle cramp and was kind of off and on,” said Love, who was acquired by the Heat via the buyout market. “So I just wanted to ask to come out, wanted to be smart about it, tell Coach (Erik Spoelstra) that I could go back in if needed. At halftime we’d had a conversation. We were up 15. I said I was available. But then the score just got upwards of 20, 30. And from that point on, I just figured I’d get my treatment, make sure I was all good.”
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Hornets held a pre-draft workout for six prospects on Monday, the team tweets. Baylor’s Jalen Bridges, Akron’s Xavier Castaneda, Pittsburgh’s Nelly Cummings, Miami’s Jordan Miller, Appalachian State’s Tamell Pearson and Kansas State’s Nae’Qwan Tomlin were the visitors.
- Pelicans assistant Jarron Collins, Bucks assistant Charles Lee and former Overtime Elite coach Kevin Ollie remain finalists for the Pistons’ head coaching job, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets. The trio will meet with the team’s brass again this week, with Edwards adding that he wouldn’t be surprised if former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer and former Suns coach Monty Williams take the year off.
- Speaking of the Pistons, what are their lottery options now that they’ve dropped to No. 5 in the draft? Edwards explores that topic and lists a handful of prospects who could be available at that spot, including Alabama forward Brandon Miller if he slides down the draft board. If he doesn’t, Houston’s Jarace Walker or Villanova’s Cam Whitmore could be the pick.
Draft Notes: Whitmore, Black, Bailey, Podziemski, Wembanyama, Morsell
Villanova forward Cam Whitmore is held in higher esteem by The Athletic’s John Hollinger than many other draft experts. Hollinger ranks Whitmore as the No. 3 prospect in the draft, one spot ahead of Alabama forward Brandon Miller.
Hollinger believes Whitmore’s level of athleticism and scoring ability as a wing makes him a top-three prospect. Arkansas point guard Anthony Black also makes Hollinger’s top five, while his top 10 includes a couple more surprises, including Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin.
We have more draft-related notes:
- UCLA’s Amari Bailey helped himself at the draft combine in Chicago and now deserves first-round consideration, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Another combo guard, Santa Clara’s Brandin Podziemski, may also have earned a first-round ticket. On the flip side, North Carolina State guard Terquavion Smith and Kansas forward Jalen Wilson were among the prospects who didn’t make favorable impressions in Chicago, per Wasserman.
- Why is Victor Wembanyama considered the best prospect since LeBron James? The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie goes into great detail on that subject, concluding that Wembanyama has the upside to be the best player in the world at some point and the ability to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame when his career is over.
- North Carolina State guard Casey Morsell is withdrawing from the draft and returning to the Wolfpack, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweets. Morsell has one more year of eligibility remaining.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Mavs, Whitmore, Wembanyama, Pelicans
Rival NBA executives anticipate that both the Rockets (No. 4) and Mavericks (No. 10) will dangle their first-round picks in trade talks, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports within a post-lottery mock draft. Both clubs have playoff aspirations in 2023/24 after missing out this season.
Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News explores what a Mavericks trade involving the No. 10 pick might look like, speculating that Suns center Deandre Ayton and Raptors forwards OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam may be targets. While those players make some sense from Dallas’ perspective, I’d expect Toronto to seek a more substantial return for either of their forwards, while Phoenix likely won’t be prioritizing draft assets in an Ayton trade.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Which player might the Rockets select at No. 4 if they end up keeping their lottery pick? Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) explores whether Villanova wing Cam Whitmore might be the choice, noting that adding the 18-year-old would make a young Houston roster even younger. Whitmore said at this week’s combine that he can envision himself playing alongside Rockets guards Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. “They’re athletic-type guards who can score offensively and are the type of people who can get guys involved, guards who can rotate one through five,” Whitmore said. “I think it’s a great fit with athletic-type young guys who can get the job done.”
- In a column for The San Antonio Express-News, Mike Finger digs into the comparisons between former Spurs big man Tim Duncan and the team’s next franchise player, Victor Wembanyama. As Finger observes, even though Wembanyama has the potential to match what Duncan did on the court, it will be impossible in the social media era for him to stay out of the spotlight to the extent that Duncan and the Spurs did in the early 2000s.
- Christian Clark of NOLA.com identifies five prospects who could be fits for the Pelicans with the No. 14 pick in the draft, including Kansas wing Gradey Dick, Duke big man Dereck Lively II, and Central Florida forward Taylor Hendricks.
Nets Notes: Bridges, C. Jones, Kalkbrenner, Holmes, Bates
There has been speculation that Nets forward Mikal Bridges will be a target for the Trail Blazers if and when they shop the No. 3 overall pick, but John Hollinger of The Athletic is skeptical that a deal centered around that pick would appeal to Brooklyn.
As Hollinger points out, the Nets don’t control their own first-rounders in any of the next four drafts, so they have little incentive to take a step back in the short term. Plus, Bridges is signed to one of the NBA’s most team-friendly contracts through the 2025/26 season.
Alex Schiffer of The Athletic (Twitter link) says he has heard the same thing as Hollinger at the draft combine in Chicago. According to Schiffer, any rumors linking Bridges to Portland are “all talk,” since Brooklyn isn’t interested.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Many prospects in this year’s draft class have cited Bridges as a player they want to emulate at the NBA level, according to Schiffer. Iowa’s Kris Murray, Villanova’s Cam Whitmore, Pepperdine’s Maxwell Lewis, and Frenchman Rayan Rupert are among the prospects who likened themselves to Bridges. “I want to have the same trajectory and same process he did,” Rupert said. “Mikal Bridges is a big inspiration for me.”
- Xavier guard Colby Jones told Schiffer that he’s scheduled to work out for the Nets in the coming weeks. Jones is the No. 28 prospect on ESPN’s big board, while Brooklyn owns the Nos. 21 and 22 picks in next month’s draft.
- Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner and Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II are among the draft prospects who worked out for the Nets prior to the draft combine, Schiffer writes for The Athletic. Kalkbrenner, who has also auditioned for the Bulls, said that his session with Brooklyn went well, but Holmes wasn’t as positive about his workout in Brooklyn. “I didn’t do too well, I feel like, at the Nets,” Holmes said. “I feel like I could have stepped it up a bit, but it was good to learn. Great players there.”
- Former five-star recruit Emoni Bates has been linked to the Nets and said he’ll work out for them at some point in the coming weeks, according to Schiffer. An Eastern Michigan forward, Bates added that he also has workouts lined up with the Thunder, Suns, Cavaliers, Blazers, and Pistons.
- In case you missed it, Ben Simmons‘ agent said earlier this week that the former No. 1 overall pick is “progressing really well” in his injury rehab process. We have more details here.
Eastern Notes: Whitmore, Wizards, Pistons, Giannis, Bucks
The Wizards hold the No. 8 pick in the draft and Villanova forward Cam Whitmore wouldn’t mind being part of their future, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Whitmore, who grew up in Maryland, is projected as a top-10 selection.
“That’s home, the D.M.V. There’s nothing like playing at home. The fans, hopefully they would be excited to have me. We’ll see if they pick me,” Whitmore said.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Pistons had terrible luck at the lottery, dropping from No. 1 to No. 5. Trading the pick may be the way to go and James Edwards III of The Athletic explores that possibility. Edwards throws out a number of intriguing trade packages where the Pistons could wind up with Pascal Siakam, Keldon Johnson or RJ Barrett, or move up to the No. 3 spot in a deal with Portland.
- Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo had some fun on social media when a Warriors fan implored him to push for a trade to Golden State. Antetokounmpo smiled and said, “Nah, I’m not that kind of guy,” JR Radcliffe of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays. The two-time MVP cannot opt out of his contract until the summer of 2025.
- In a lengthy mailbag piece, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm writes in-depth about the Bucks’ coaching opening and why the organization parted ways with Mike Budenholzer. Nehm believes the next coach needs to have a solid plan about improving the Bucks’ half-court offense.