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Chet Holmgren

And-Ones: Wembanyama, Russia, Draft’s Top 75, East Asia League

June 16th, 2022 at 10:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Victor Wembanyama, the potential No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, may be leaving Asvel of the EuroLeague, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. The 7’3” big man has an opt-out clause that must be exercised before June 26. He signed a three-year deal with Asvel last summer but only averaged 6.5 PPG and 3.8 RPG in 13 games last season. Paris Basketball, which will be competing in EuroCup next season, is pursuing him, according to L’Equipe.

We have more from around the basketball world:

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Draft Rumors: Top 3, Kings, Sharpe, Wizards, OKC, Hornets, Bulls

June 15th, 2022 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest 2022 mock draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) still has Jabari Smith going to the Magic, Chet Holmgren to the Thunder, and Paolo Banchero to the Rockets.

Givony says the Magic continue to cast a wide net as they evaluate their options at No. 1, but rival executives “overwhelmingly” expect them to ultimately land on Smith. The Rockets, meanwhile, watched Banchero work out in Memphis and then brought him to Houston for an individual workout, according to Givony, who writes that the team seems “high on (his) talent, skill, and fit.”

While Givony’s newest mock doesn’t include a shake-up in the top three, there are some changes elsewhere in the lottery and further down in the first round. ESPN’s draft guru also shares a handful of draft-related tidbits. Here are some of the highlights:

  • According to Givony, Keegan Murray‘s chances of being the No. 4 pick may be gaining momentum, since Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and incoming head coach Mike Brown reportedly like him and Sacramento isn’t Jaden Ivey‘s preferred landing spot. However, Givony notes that the Kings have been willing in past years to draft players they haven’t worked out — plus, the pick is considered to be available via trade if there’s a team that wants to move up to snag Ivey.
  • Although Shaedon Sharpe is viewed as a legitimate candidate to be selected at No. 5 by the Pistons, he didn’t separate himself in a recent 3-on-3 workout that also included Bennedict Mathurin and Dyson Daniels, Givony writes. ESPN’s new mock has Mathurin and Daniels going sixth and seventh overall, ahead of Sharpe at No. 8.
  • The Wizards‘ lottery pick (No. 10) is widely thought to be available in a deal that would send a “proven backcourt player” to D.C., per Givony.
  • The Thunder are reportedly looking to trade up from No. 12 to acquire another pick in the top half of the lottery, according to Givony, who says Ivey and Sharpe may be among Oklahoma City’s targets.
  • Rival teams don’t believe the Hornets will keep both the 13th and 15th overall picks. Givony has also heard from rival clubs that the Bulls don’t love their options at No. 18 and are open to trading that pick, possibly in a package with guard Coby White.
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Draft Notes: Green Room, Draft Targets, Comps, Mock, Minott

June 14th, 2022 at 2:42pm CST by Rory Maher

The list of prospects invited to the green room on draft night has expanded to 16, tweets ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. The list includes all of the top-16 ranked players on ESPN’s big board: Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, Keegan Murray, Dyson Daniels, Shaedon Sharpe, Bennedict Mathurin, AJ Griffin, Jalen Duren, Johnny Davis, Ousmane Dieng, Malaki Branham, Mark Williams, Jeremy Sochan and Ochai Agbaji.

A source tells Givony that the list could expand further, with four more invites still a possibility. The draft is nine days away.

Here are some more draft-related notes:

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Draft Notes: Wesley, Sotto, Rockets, Timberwolves

June 13th, 2022 at 8:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Notre Dame shooting guard Blake Wesley has upcoming workouts scheduled with the Grizzlies, Heat and Bulls, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Wesley told Robbins he had already worked out for the Spurs, Cavaliers, Bucks and Pistons.

A potential first-round selection, the 6’5” Wesley is ranked No. 27 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list.

We have more draft-related news:

  • International center prospect Kai Sotto will return to NBA team workouts this week on the West Coast after nursing a sprained ankle, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com tweets. He already worked out for the Knicks, Magic and Hawks, among others. The 7’3” big man from the Philippines spent last season in Australia’s National Basketball League, averaging 7.5 PPG and 4.5 RPG for the Adelaide 36ers.
  • The Rockets are sitting at the No. 3 spot and will presumably take the remaining big man in the trio of Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero, unless there’s a draft-day surprise. The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen picks the brains of some NBA executives and a college coach to get a handle on how the trio’s skills will translate to the NBA.
  • The Timberwolves brought in six prospects on Monday, Andrew Slater tweets. That group included Tyson Etienne (Wichita State), Jermaine Samuels (Villanova), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown,) Justin Lewis (Marquette), Fanbo Zeng (G League Ignite) and Kalob Ledoux (Louisiana Tech).
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O’Connor’s Latest: Sixers, Collins, Blazers, Cavs, Magic

June 13th, 2022 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers are exploring potential trades involving the No. 23 pick in the 2022 draft and Danny Green‘s expiring $10MM contract, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reports within his latest mock draft.

Because they owe their unprotected 2023 first-round pick to Brooklyn, the Sixers can’t trade their 2022 first-rounder until after it has been used. However, they could reach a tentative trade agreement on or before draft night and make that pick on another team’s behalf, officially completing the deal after the draft.

Using Green’s expiring contract as a salary-matching piece would also be a little tricky, since it’s currently non-guaranteed, meaning it would count as $0 for outgoing purposes. The Sixers could guarantee some or all of Green’s $10MM salary to make it more useful in a trade. But the more money they guarantee, the less appealing it will be as an asset to a potential trade partner, since Green is expected to miss most or all of next season after tearing his ACL.

Here’s more from O’Connor:

  • The Hawks are looking to acquire a lottery pick and are dangling John Collins, league sources tell The Ringer. It sounds like Atlanta also wouldn’t be opposed to including the No. 16 pick in the right deal. The Trail Blazers, who hold the seventh overall pick, are one of the teams the Hawks have talked to, says O’Connor.
  • O’Connor is the latest reporter to hear from sources that the Cavaliers would like to re-sign Collin Sexton and bring back point guard Ricky Rubio, and to confirm that the Pistons are among the teams with interest in Sexton.
  • Chet Holmgren “has some supporters” within the Magic‘s front office, but O’Connor believes “all indications” point to Orlando selecting Jabari Smith with the No. 1 overall pick.
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Draft Notes: Green Room, Houstan, Nembhard, O’Neal, Gillespie

June 9th, 2022 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There were no surprises in the 11 green room invitations forwarded to the draft’s top prospects. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony confirmed that the list includes Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, Keegan Murray, Shaedon Sharpe, Dyson Daniels, Bennedict Mathurin, AJ Griffin, Jalen Duren and Johnny Davis. Approximately four more green room invites will be sent out next week, a source tells Givony.

We have more draft news:

  • Michigan’s Caleb Houstan and Gonzaga’s Andrew Nembhard, who both hail from Canada, will work out for the Raptors on Friday, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. They’re both considered late first-round or second-round prospects and Toronto has the No. 33 overall pick.
  • LSU forward Shareef O’Neal, son of Shaquille O’Neal, worked out for the Bucks on Thursday, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. The younger O’Neal will visit the Lakers, Cavaliers, Hawks and Wizards in the very near future.
  • Villanova guard Collin Gillespie also worked out for the Bucks on Thursday, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets. He’ll soon visit the Suns, Nuggets, Jazz and Trail Blazers. Gillespie is ranked at No. 64 on ESPN’s Best Available list.
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Draft Notes: J. Smith, Magic, Holmgren, Mohammed, Duren

June 9th, 2022 at 2:27pm CST by Rory Maher

Auburn forward Jabari Smith, a projected top-three pick, worked out for the Magic on Thursday, reports Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter video link). The Magic hold the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft and Smith has been linked to Orlando multiple times.

Smith believes he’d be a good fit for a young Magic team, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press relays.

“I think I can fit in it really well,” Smith said. “Seeing the guys and seeing the players, this is a young team, one of the youngest in the league. So, adding me would just add another young player who was hungry and got a lot left in the tank. So, I’ll add some energy and just another person wants to come in and work and get this organization where it needs to be.”

Smith added that his strong two-way play and drive to win separates him from the other top prospects.

“I just think it’s my will to win that sets me apart,” Smith said, per Reynolds. “I don’t really care about stats and glamour and all that. I just want to really win and play to win every game.”

Smith also said he has an upcoming workout with the Thunder, who control the No. 2 pick, but has no other workouts planned, Reynolds writes. Smith’s full post-workout media session can be found right here.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren, another projected top-three pick, has a workout scheduled with the Magic next week, reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (via Twitter).
  • Georgetown’s Aminu Mohammed has worked out for the Nets, Hawks, Spurs and Bulls, and has upcoming workouts with the Kings and Trail Blazers, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Mohammed also worked out for the Wizards on Wednesday, as we previously relayed.
  • Memphis center Jalen Duren, who is one of the youngest players in the draft after graduating from high school a year early, believes he’s ready for the NBA, writes Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com. “I wouldn’t have made this jump if I didn’t feel like I was ready mentally, physically or skill-wise. I mean, where I’m at, I love the challenge, that’s why I decided to go to college early. It was a great challenge, it helped me develop,” Duren said. The 18-year-old had a solo workout for Portland earlier this week and is a projected lottery pick.
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Draft Rumors: Top Two Picks, Daniels, Nembhard, Matkovic, More

May 24th, 2022 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

Magic executives have made it clear they’ll do their homework on all their options for the No. 1 pick, even beyond Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren, and Paolo Banchero, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link).

However, most NBA teams believe that process will be a formality and consider Smith to be the clear favorite to become the Magic’s pick, according to Givony. NBA executives also overwhelmingly view Holmgren as the probable No. 2 pick for the Thunder, Givony adds.

Givony and his fellow ESPN draft expert Mike Schmitz shared several more tidbits based on their conversations with talent evaluators at last week’s combine in Chicago. Let’s round up a few highlights…

  • NBA teams were “buzzing” about Dyson Daniels‘ performance in Chicago at his Pro Day, comparing him to NBA players like Tyrese Haliburton and Khris Middleton, according to Givony, who has moved the G League Ignite wing up to No. 6 on ESPN’s big board.
  • Andrew Nembhard‘s willingness to play through a minor quad injury and his strong performance in the second game of the combine scrimmages helped boost his stock. The Gonzaga guard “leapfrogged” a handful of players who sat out the scrimmages and has a legitimate shot to be drafted near the end of the first round, says Givony.
  • Croatian big man Karlo Matkovic was one of the under-the-radar risers as a result of his combine showing. He’s considered far more likely to be drafted than he was a week ago, and his agency says he’s had more requests for private workouts than he has available dates, per Givony.
  • Mark Williams‘ 9’9″ standing reach will make him the longest player in the NBA, according to Schmitz, who says the Duke center has a chance to be selected ahead of Jalen Duren in the lottery.
  • Canadian prospect Leonard Miller looked a step slow during the combine scrimmages and now appears more likely to attend college at Arizona or join the G League Ignite rather than staying in the draft, writes Givony.
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Draft Notes: Combine, Draft Traders, Withdrawals

May 20th, 2022 at 5:52pm CST by Rory Maher

In his article about the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated says that while some rival teams think the Thunder will pick Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren No. 2, he’s heard “quite a few educated theories” that they might favor Duke’s Paolo Banchero instead — assuming the Magic take Auburn’s Jabari Smith No. 1, which isn’t a given.

Banchero is more physically ready for the NBA than Holmgren and has displayed impressive perimeter skills and passing for a power forward, but Oklahoma City plays its cards close to the vest, so don’t expect to know which player the Thunder will wind up picking until draft night, Woo writes.

Within the same piece, Woo says Shaedon Sharpe, who’s considered a wild card in the lottery due to not playing at all for Kentucky, is a near-certainty to be picked in the top five or six, as his “unusual talent and athletic ability has successfully captured the attention of the entire NBA this week.”

Woo also lists a handful of scrimmage standouts from Thursday who may have boosted their draft stocks, including North Carolina State’s Terquavion Smith, Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams, and Purdue’s Trevion Williams, among others.

Here are some more draft-related notes:

  • Within his aggregate mock draft, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto says rival executives believe the Hornets and Timberwolves are among the teams who might be draft traders. Charlotte controls the 13th, 15th and 45th picks, while Minnesota holds the 19th, 40th, 48th and 50th picks.
  • Three juniors, Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, Dayton’s Toumani Camara and Saint Louis’ Yuri Collins, are withdrawing from the draft and returning to their respective schools, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (All Twitter links). Jackson-Davis had a strong season for the Hoosiers in 2021/22, averaging 18.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. However, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to attend the combine, which may have contributed to his decision. He’s ranked No. 66 on ESPN’s big board, while Camara and Collins are unranked.
  • Souley Boum has also withdrawn from the draft, as Rothstein relays (via Twitter). Boum played for UTEP last season, averaging 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals, but will transfer to Xavier for his final collegiate season.
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Fischer’s Latest: Magic, Holmgren, Bamba, Kings, Sharpe

May 20th, 2022 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

Rival executives and league personnel view Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren as the most likely pick for the Magic at No. 1 in next month’s draft due to the front office’s affinity for length, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and general manager John Hammond have gravitated toward lanky players with huge wingspans since arriving in Orlando and did the same during their days in Milwaukee, Fischer observes, citing Giannis Antetokounmpo, John Henson, Thon Maker, Jonathan Isaac, and Mohamed Bamba as examples.

Fischer also points to Holmgren’s good relationship with last year’s No. 4 overall pick Jalen Suggs – they played together at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis – as another reason why the Magic may be leaning toward the Gonzaga star.

Whether the Magic end up drafting Holmgren or another top big man prospect like Auburn’s Jabari Smith, league personnel increasingly believe that Bamba is increasingly likely to leave the team this summer, Fischer says. Bamba is eligible for restricted free agency, but there may not be room for him in a frontcourt that would include Holmgren or Smith, Wendell Carter, and the returning Isaac.

Here’s more from Fischer:

  • There’s a “strong belief” among rival executives that the Kings, who badly want to get back to the playoffs, will explore trading the No. 4 pick, according to Fischer. Holmgren, Smith, and Paolo Banchero are the consensus top three players in the draft class, but a number of prospects are in play at No. 4, so there may be a team that feels compelled to move up to snag its preferred target, Fischer writes.
  • League personnel view the Trail Blazers at No. 7 and the Pelicans at No. 8 as other good candidates for trades among lottery teams, per Fischer. The Thunder, Grizzlies, and Spurs, all of whom own multiple first-round selections, are worth monitoring for possible trade-up scenarios, and there are a few teams that may want to move their first-rounders for future picks due to salary cap or luxury tax concerns, Fischer adds.
  • Shaedon Sharpe is considered the wild card of the lottery and could come off the board as high as No. 4, Fischer says. Some executives told Bleacher Report that Sharpe could realistically have been a candidate for No. 1 overall if he had played at all at Kentucky. Given how little Sharpe has played in the last year, he’s regarded as a high-risk, high-upside pick.
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