Cody Williams Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Williams, Filipowski, Blazers Arena, Henderson, Thunder

August 3rd, 2024 at 9:03am CST by Dana Gauruder

Lottery pick Cody Williams was the Jazz’s most impressive player in the Las Vegas Summer League, according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones. Williams displayed an immense skill level there after struggling in the Salt Lake City Summer League. Jones believes Williams should get immediate playing time in the NBA and go through the natural ups and downs of a rookie, rather than being sent to the G League.

Early second-rounder Kyle Filipowski showed enough skill and athleticism to make people wonder why he slid out of the first round, Jones adds. However, the seven-footer had a tough time when he slid over to the power forward spot.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Portland City Council will consider two ordinances to extend a short-term lease between the city and the Trail Blazers’ ‘Rip City Management’ for the Moda Center, according to Aimee Plante of koin.com. The current lease is scheduled to end next year but the proposed agreement would keep the Blazers at their current arena through 2030 with a possible extension into 2035. That would give Portland officials more time to develop a major renovation plan for the Moda Center, the oldest NBA arena to have never undergone a significant upgrade.
If the Trail Blazers don’t make any trades before the regular season, 2023 lottery pick Scoot Henderson will likely come off the bench, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link). He’d back up Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe. Deni Avdija, acquired in a trade with Washington, will likely start at small forward with Toumani Camara backing him up, Highkin writes, adding that the Blazers have an open two-way spot but probably won’t fill it until training camp.
The Thunder‘s over/under win total for next season is 56.5, according to BetMGM, the highest among Western Conference teams. The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussatto believes they’ll surpass that figure. Oklahoma City won 57 games last season and Mussatto considers Alex Caruso a short-term upgrade over Josh Giddey. He also sees major free agent acquisition Isaiah Hartenstein as a better backup center than Jaylin Williams.

Jazz Rumors: Markkanen, Lineup, Collins, Clarkson

July 30th, 2024 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen will become eligible to renegotiate and extend his contract on August 6. Signing on that day would make him ineligible to be traded for six months, with the trade restriction lifting on the day of the 2025 trade deadline (February 6).

Making a Monday appearance on The Drive with Spence Checketts on ESPN 700 in Salt Lake City (audio link), Tony Jones of The Athletic explained why he’s not counting on an Aug. 6 announcement.

“I would expect him to sign on August 7th, or after August 6th,” Jones said (hat tip to HoopsHype). “Lauri doesn’t want to be traded, so if he signs the renegotiation and extension, which I expect him to do, I expect him to do it after August 6th so there’s no trade talk this year. I don’t even think him signing on August 6th is even that much of an option. We’re almost 100% trending towards him signing on August 7th.

“Lauri has really taken to Utah. His family has taken to Utah. Obviously the Jazz can trade him between now and August 6th, and Lauri knows that, but Lauri has forged a really close relationship with (head coach) Will Hardy. And Will Hardy has really found a way to unlock his career in a manner that hasn’t been accomplished before. Lauri really recognizes that, understands that, and appreciates that. He wants to be a part of the rebuild.”

Jones confirms that the Jazz explored making “win-now” transactions at the start of the offseason, including pursuing Mikal Bridges. After those moves didn’t come to fruition, the expectation was that Utah might pivot to a more full-fledged rebuild by trading Markkanen. But Jones says the Jazz believe the 27-year-old’s game will age well and that he should still be in his prime when the team is ready to contend again.

“The likely scenario is Lauri signs on August 7th, the Jazz prioritize the young guys during the season, and they try to enter the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes in the draft in 2025,” Jones said.

Here are a few more highlights from Jones’ ESPN 700 radio appearance:

Later in his conversation with Checketts, Jones stressed that he doesn’t believe a Markkanen trade is likely to happen this offseason. Asked to rate the odds of a deal on a scale from one to 10, Jones said he’d “probably put it at a two” for the time being. “I think we’re trending toward the Jazz not trading Lauri,” he said. “I don’t think that there’s a package out there that they’re overly interested in.”
Asked what it would look like for the Jazz to “prioritize the young guys” in 2024/25, Jones said he expects the team to start Walker Kessler over John Collins at center while also potentially starting Keyonte George at point guard and Taylor Hendricks at power forward (with Markkanen at the three). Jones added that he could see 2024 lottery pick Cody Williams playing double-digit minutes “from day one.”
According to Jones, making sure the Jazz keep their top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick and end up in the top half of the lottery figures to be a priority for management. “I think that the front office is going to go into this with the mindset of, ‘We have to do anything we can to get a top-five pick in this draft,'” Jones said. “I believe that if the Jazz accomplish that, I think any of the top five picks in next year’s draft is a guy with franchise-level talent. … I think the Jazz realize how good this draft is. And I think they are going to act accordingly, whether they have Lauri on the roster or not.”
Jones thinks the Jazz would have liked to move Collins and/or Jordan Clarkson this offseason, but acknowledges that both veterans will probably open the season on the roster since they haven’t generated real interest on the trade market. “You can’t trade people if there aren’t people who want to trade for them,” Jones said. “John makes a little bit too much money. I don’t anticipate the Jazz being able to trade him until the last year of his contract. Jordan Clarkson is the one that surprises me because I thought he’d have a lot more of a market this summer, but it just hasn’t materialized.”

And-Ones: Brooks, Too-Early Preseason Takes, Sneed, Exum

July 29th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Dillon Brooks is continuing his impressive FIBA streak, helping lead Canada to an 86-79 win over Greece in his team’s Olympic opener. Brooks, who made a trio of three-pointers in the win, also had an impressive 2023 World Cup, averaging 15.1 points per game en route to a bronze medal.

As Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews writes, Brooks pushes himself to another level in international play.

“I like to play for my country; it gives me a lot of passion to do so,” Brooks said. “For the game itself, you have to be 40 minutes attentive to detail. All those things add a lot more to a player, and I like the ball as well.”

Brooks also impressed on defense alongside Thunder wing Luguentz Dort. According to Urbonas, when that duo shared the floor, Canada outscored Greece by 23 points.

“I’m really proud of Dillon,” national team coach Jordi Fernandez said. “This is how it looks when they let Dillon Brooks play. And it’s just not about the defensive end. With Lu Dort, he’s the best perimeter in the World Cup. But he’s extremely efficient offensively.”

Brooks said he didn’t care if his international play changed how NBA fans felt about him.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic share the honor of having the same odds for Most Valuable Player next season, but Anthony Edwards is a dark horse, Jason Jones of The Athletic writes. Zach Edey is currently the favorite for Rookie of the Year over top-two picks Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr, but Cody Williams is a player Jones believes may be getting overlooked. Jones talks through all the major awards, as well as some teams he does or doesn’t believe in.
Former NBAer Xavier Sneed signed with Bnei Herzliya Basket, a team in Israel, the club relays in a release (Twitter link). Sneed played 13 games across two seasons (2021-23) on two-way or 10-day contracts with the Hornets, Grizzlies and Jazz. He’s scored 22 points in 87 total minutes at the NBA level.
As we relayed Sunday, Australian guard Dante Exum seemed to be nearing a return from a right index finger injury. Boomers coach Brian Goorjan confirmed as much, stating that he expects Exum to return on Tuesday vs. Canada, according to Fox Sports’ Matt Logue (Twitter link).

Western Notes: Jazz, Clarkson, Draymond, Klay, Blazers, Kings

July 25th, 2024 at 8:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Within a look at the Jazz‘s potential depth chart, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune says that Jordan Clarkson hasn’t drawn any real trade interest this offseason, so it appears the veteran guard will still be on Utah’s roster when the regular season tips off this fall.

In Larsen’s view, Clarkson, Collin Sexton, and Keyonte George all possess similar skill sets as score-first guards who aren’t particularly strong on defense or super-efficient as shooters. While each of them may be best suited as a sixth man, Larsen projects George and Sexton as the starters, with Clarkson coming off the bench.

Rather than trying to start John Collins again alongside Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler in the frontcourt, the Jazz should give 2024 lottery pick Cody Williams a shot in the starting five, Larsen contends, noting that the team needs to gamble on upside and adding that Williams looks capable of fitting in as an offensive connector.

In his hypothetical Jazz depth chart, Larsen has Isaiah Collier, Taylor Hendricks, and Drew Eubanks joining Clarkson and Collins on the second unit.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Appearing on the Club 520 Podcast with Jeff Teague (YouTube link), Warriors big man Draymond Green said he’s happy Klay Thompson was able to move on from Golden State this summer — for Thompson’s sake. “I’m happy as hell he’s gone, and the reason I’m happy he’s gone is because he wasn’t happy anymore,” Green said. “As a brother, I only want what’s best for you. Not what’s best for me, not what’s best for this team, not what’s best for the organization. … To see him unhappy – I wouldn’t even necessarily say unhappy, he was uneasy though, just bothered – and to see him that way… that bothered me. … I think it was time for him.”
The Trail Blazers have announced an addition to their coaching staff, issuing a press release to officially confirm the hiring of Ronnie Burrell as an assistant under Chauncey Billups. A former UNC Greensboro standout and a professional player in Europe, Burrell spent last season on Brooklyn’s staff after serving as head coach of the Long Island Nets in 2022/23.
Jim Moran, who coached the Rip City Remix in the G League last season, is joining Mike Brown‘s staff as a Kings assistant, league sources tell Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento (Twitter links). Moran previously served as an assistant under Dwane Casey in Detroit and Terry Stotts in Portland, Cunningham notes.

Jazz’s Williams, Collier Sign Rookie Scale Contracts

July 2nd, 2024 at 7:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz have signed first round picks Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier, according to a team press release.

The 10th pick in last week’s draft, Williams will make $5,469,120 in his first season, assuming the usual 120% of the rookie scale figure given out by most teams to first-rounders. He’s due to make $24,897,090 during his first four years in the NBA.

Collier, the 29th pick, is eligibile to receive $2,512,680 in his first year and a total of $12,903,788 through his first four seasons.

Rookie scale contracts are guaranteed for the first two years, with team options on the third and fourth years.

The 6’8” Williams posted averages of 11.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 28.4 minutes per contest as a Colorado freshman. The 6’5” Collier, a 2023-24 Pac-12 All-Freshman team honoree at USC, averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.5 steals in 27 games.

Northwest Notes: Ayton, Clingan, C. Williams, Porter

June 29th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The morning after Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin took UConn’s Donovan Clingan with the seventh pick in the draft, he felt it was necessary to call starting center Deandre Ayton and explain the move, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. To his delight, Cronin found that Ayton wasn’t just understanding of the decision, but extremely supportive.

“He was like, ‘OK, where can we take this?’” Cronin said. “(He asked) How can he help me? How can I help him? What can we do together?’ His attitude was great about the whole situation.”

Quick notes that Ayton’s attitude was often a problem early in his career and even at times last season, but it has improved to the point where he’s now considered a “building block” of the franchise. Coach Chauncey Billups, who’s getting ready to fly to Spain to watch Ayton’s Bahamas team in an Olympic qualifying tournament, is excited about experimenting with Ayton and Clingan in a twin towers lineup.

“I’m willing to try things,” Billups said. “Several teams are playing big — Cleveland, Denver, Memphis … I’m going to try having (Clingan) and D.A. out there together. But it depends who is on the floor. Is it Jaren Jackson? Is it Aaron Gordon? Is it Evan Mobley?”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Clingan emphasized his desire to win during an introductory press conference Saturday in Portland, Quick adds. He credited his late mother with teaching him the importance of defense. “You have to play great defense to win games, and I want to win games,” Clingan said. “I’ll take a block off the backboard over a dunk any day of the week.”
The Jazz don’t expect first-round pick Cody Williams to make an immediate impact like his older brother Jalen Williams did in Oklahoma City, but they recognize there are benefits to having a sibling who’s already in the NBA, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “I think it is a great example for him,” general manager Justin Zanik said. “They’re going to be different. They’re not the exact same player at all. But just being able to be around that can continue to inspire and grow Cody’s passion for the game.”
The Nuggets need a roster shakeup this summer and their best option is to trade Michael Porter Jr., contends Troy Renck of The Denver Post. With Jamal Murray about to receive a max extension and Gordon possibly becoming a free agent next summer, dealing Porter would relieve some of the financial strain on an expensive roster. Renck hears that Denver has explored several trade options involving Porter and had interest in Alex Caruso before he was traded to the Thunder.

Central Notes: Cavs, Gohlke, Bucks, Pistons, DeRozan

June 26th, 2024 at 3:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers hold the No. 20 pick in tonight’s draft and currently don’t have another selection. However, they’re actively looking to get involved in Thursday’s second round, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor in a subscriber-only story. Sources tell Fedor that the Cavs have had numerous talks with each team holding a second-round pick to determine the cost of moving into Thursday’s portion of the draft. Cleveland’s own second-rounder is currently owned by the Pacers.

We have more from the Central Division:

Guard Jack Gohlke recently worked out for the Bucks, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The three-point specialist made a big splash in the NCAA Tournament when Oakland University shocked Kentucky in the opening round.
If the Bucks want to draft a center, it’s probably best to just wait and see who falls to them at No. 23 tonight, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. Nehm doesn’t believe that packaging the No. 23 and 33 picks will be enough to make a significant move up the draft board, plus there are a number of center prospects who could be available in the latter stages of the first round.
There’s a “very high” chance the Pistons will trade the No. 5 pick and move into the back half of the lottery, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic. He views the Bulls, Grizzlies, Thunder and Trail Blazers as the most likely candidates to work out a deal for that pick. Cody Williams and Tidjane Salaun could be targeted in the back half of the lottery if Detroit moves down. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has reported that the Jazz, who have the No. 10 overall pick, might look to move into the No. 5 slot.
If Paul George leaves the Clippers, they might target Bulls free agent wing DeMar DeRozan, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. There reportedly has been little traction in talks between the Bulls and DeRozan, who will be an unrestricted free agent if those negotiations fizzle.

Draft Rumors: Knicks, Sixers, Dillingham, Heat, Jazz, Lakers, More

June 26th, 2024 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

After surrendering several future first-round picks in their trade agreement for Mikal Bridges, the Knicks are now considered more likely to keep their three picks – No. 24, No. 25, and No. 38 – in this year’s draft, which begins on Wednesday night, Jonathan Givony writes in ESPN’s latest mock draft (Insider link).

The updated mock draft from Givony and ESPN’s Jeremy Woo includes several more notable tidbits, including the fact that the Sixers have conducted perhaps the fewest pre-draft workouts of any team with a first-round pick, resulting in speculation that the No. 16 selection will be traded.

Givony also provides an update on Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham, who wasn’t able to work out for teams for most of the pre-draft process due to an ankle injury. According to Givony, teams picking both earlier and later in the first round are trying to figure out where they might need to get to in order to land Dillingham, who has been considered a candidate to fall further than initially anticipated.

The Heat at No. 15 would be one option for Dillingham, as rival teams expect them to select a guard at that spot. Jared McCain, Isaiah Collier, and Carlton Carrington have also been mentioned as candidates for Miami at No. 15, Givony writes.

Here’s more on the 2024 NBA draft, which gets underway in less than 11 hours:

According to Givony, the Jazz (No. 10) have looked into some trade-up scenarios involving the Pistons‘ No. 5 overall pick. Their likely target would be UConn’s Stephon Castle, who is considered a possibility for the Hornets at No. 6 but may also come off the board at No. 4 to the Spurs, Givony explains.
Some rival executives think the Lakers will attempt to move up from No. 17 in the draft in order to target a specific player, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times, who says Providence’s Devin Carter and Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter are two prospects the team likes.
Within his final look at the Spurs‘ draft options at No. 4 and 8, LJ Ellis of SpursTalk says a rumor that San Antonio has made a promise to French forward Tidjane Salaun has been “spreading like wildfire in the draft world,” though he hasn’t been able to confirm it himself. Ellis lists Salaun at No. 5 on his big board of Spurs draft prospects.
Salaun is also a potential target to watch for the Trail Blazers at No. 7, according to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link), who identifies Donovan Clingan, Cody Williams, Dalton Knecht, and Salaun as the prospects he believes Portland is most interested in. At No. 14, Highkin views Kyshawn George, Tristan Da Silva, Kel’el Ware, and Zach Edey as the Blazers’ most likely targets.

Southwest Notes: Grant, Doncic, Pelicans Draft, Williams

June 23rd, 2024 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks are among the teams who are monitoring the availability of Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, Ian Begley of SNY TV reports. Grant is entering the second season of a five-year, $160MM contract, so the Mavericks would have to figure out a way to match salaries and add draft compensation and/or young players to entice Portland to move the veteran forward. He averaged 21.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this past season and made over 40% of his three-point attempts for the second straight year.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Luka Doncic‘s status for the Olympic qualifying tournament next month will hinge on a medical evaluation from his national team’s medical staff, Sports Illustrated’s Grant Afseth relays. Slovenian medical experts will examine the Mavericks’ superstar’s right knee, which he injured during the first round of the playoffs. Doncic also played through a left ankle injury and thoracic contusion during the postseason. Slovenia’s tournament opener in Greece will be held July 2 against Croatia.
The Pelicans hold the No. 21 pick in the draft and the New Orleans Times-Picayune’s Christian Clark provides a closer look at three prospects they might select at that spot — USC guard Isaiah Collier, Purdue center Zach Edey and Baylor center Yves Missi.
The Spurs have the No. 4 selection in the draft and a dark-horse candidate could be Colorado forward Cody Williams. The San Antonio Express-News’ Jeff McDonald explores the pros and cons of drafting Williams at that spot.

Northwest Notes: Caruso, Giddey, Jazz Draft, Smith

June 22nd, 2024 at 11:03am CST by Tristan Tucker

After issuing a candid statement on the one-for-one swap of Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso within a press release, Thunder general manager Sam Presti spoke to reporters on Friday to further explain the move.

“The opportunity to add Caruso is really unique,” Presti said, per The Oklahoman’s Justin Martinez. “Fortunately, everything lined up. If we couldn’t get the return that we wanted or the player that we wanted, we’d be in a different situation. But it worked out for everybody.”

Presti added that he’s sure Giddey would have returned and played in a bench role if the opportunity to acquire Caruso didn’t pan out. Although he praised Giddey, it was clear Presti was excited about the opportunity to add one of the league’s top guard defenders in Caruso.

“People often times look at height when they talk about wing players,” Presti said. “We look at effectiveness. His effectiveness on bigger wing players is extraordinary. … We’d rather someone who’s effective against those players than is ineffective but as tall.”

Caruso will join a Thunder team that ranked toward the middle of the pack in points allowed but registered a top-four defensive rating and ranked first in steals and blocks.

“The data on him is extremely high class,” Presti said. “It’s just another versatile player. … It’s all about the team [for Caruso]. It’s all about the technicalities and the curiosity about his own game and what it is he does well. He’s a colossal competitor, and we want to have as many of those guys as we can in the building.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Caruso, who played for the Oklahoma City Blue from 2016-17 under coach Mark Daigneault, is returning to Oklahoma City at the right time, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes in a subscriber-only piece. Caruso averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks last season while shooting 40.8% from three. He’ll look to help a Thunder team that finished first in the Western Conference this season get over the hump in the postseason.
The Jazz have an opportunity to bolster their roster with the Nos. 10, 29 and 32 picks in the 2024 draft, and they need to consider prospects who can shoot, defend or have a high feel for the game, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. In Larsen’s view, Utah should aim to take Colorado’s Cody Williams at No. 10, Kansas’s Johnny Furphy at No. 29 and Virginia’s Ryan Dunn at No. 32, if possible.
The Nuggets, who hold the No. 28 pick in Wednesday’s draft, are hosting G League Ignite forward Tyler Smith for a workout on Friday, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets. The 6’11” big man averaged 13.7 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 36.0% from three on 3.7 attempts last season.