Wizards’ Kispert Undergoes Thumb Surgery, Out For Season
Wizards wing Corey Kispert will miss the rest of the 2024/25 season after undergoing surgery on Tuesday in New York City to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, the team announced (via Twitter).
According to the Wizards, Kispert is expected to make a full recovery from the injury – which he sustained in the third quarter on Saturday vs. Denver – prior to the start of next season.
Kispert made 61 appearances off the bench for the Wizards this season, averaging 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 26.3 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .451/.364/.852. A talented outside shooter, the former Gonzaga standout has knocked down 38.2% of 5.2 three-point attempts per game over the course of his four-year NBA career.
Kispert was one of 11 players to sign a rookie scale extension during the 2024 offseason, having finalized a four-year, $54MM deal that will go into effect in 2025/26. He’s the second of those 11 rookie extension recipients to be ruled out with a season-ending injury in the past 24 hours — Pelicans swingman Trey Murphy sustained a shoulder injury on Monday that will prevent him from suiting up again in ’24/25.
With Kispert sidelined for the rest of the season and Bilal Coulibaly likely in the same boat due to a hamstring injury, there will be more playing time open on the wing in D.C. for players further down on the depth chart.
AJ Johnson, Jaylen Martin, and Colby Jones are among the players who should be in line for increased roles. All three established new career highs in minutes on Monday in Portland with Kispert on the shelf — Johnson played 35 minutes, Martin played 28, and Jones logged 25.
Wizards, Bucks Have Discussed Middleton, Kuzma
The Wizards and Bucks have explored a potential trade that would involve Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton and Washington forward Kyle Kuzma, two league sources tell Josh Robbins and David Aldridge of The Athletic. As we relayed on Monday, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) previously reported that the Bucks have had conversations about pursuing Kuzma.
Swapping Middleton for Kuzma would allow the Bucks to move below the second tax apron, Robbins and Aldridge outline, saving them money and generating more roster flexibility while also allowing them to avoid having their 2032 first-round pick become “frozen” at season’s end.
However, Kuzma is in the midst of the worst season of his career and The Athletic’s duo says the Wizards would be seeking draft capital in order to acquire Middleton, who has battled injuries in recent years.
A straight-up swap of the two players also wouldn’t quite be possible due to the difference in their salaries, so for matching purposes, the Wizards would have to send out a second player along with Kuzma ($23.5MM cap hit; $26.5MM apron hit) in order to take back Middleton ($31.7MM cap hit; $34MM apron hit).
The Bucks are operating about $6.5MM above the second apron and acquiring a second player would keep them above that threshold. So if getting out of second-apron territory is a goal, they’d need to either find a third-team facilitator or send out a second player themselves.
It’s unclear how much traction the two teams have gained in their talks, according to Robbins and Aldridge. When healthy, Middleton is a more valuable all-around player than Kuzma, but he also has been more injury-prone, is four years older, and is more expensive. Middleton holds a $34MM player option for next season, while Kuzma will make $21.5MM in 2025/26 and $19.4MM in ’26/27 on his declining contract.
As for the Wizards, they’re more willing to trade Kuzma now than they were a year ago, when they passed on an opportunity to send him to Dallas, according to The Athletic. But Robbins and Aldridge also note that the forward’s value is at its lowest point, given his struggles this season (.420/.281/.602 shooting), so it may not be the right time for Washington to move him.
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- Washington is interested in using its $12.4MM trade exception to take on an unwanted contract in order to add more future draft assets, league sources tell Robbins and Aldridge. The club is operating nearly $12MM below the tax line, so it could use most of that exception without going into tax territory.
- Malcolm Brogdon, Marvin Bagley III, and Richaun Holmes are among the other players on expiring or pseudo-expiring contracts whom the Wizards are willing to move, according to The Athletic. Bagley and Holmes aren’t positive assets and Brogdon’s trade value probably isn’t better than neutral, but their expiring money could be useful to a team looking to move off a multiyear contract.
- None of the rival teams that have spoken to The Athletic’s duo have heard anything about Jordan Poole being available on the trade market. Poole’s sizable contract remains a potential impediment, but the Wizards are also happy about how he’s performed and bought into the team’s youth movement this season, Robbins and Aldridge explain.
- While Corey Kispert isn’t off the table in trade talks, the poison pill provision will make any deal more challenging and the Wizards have genuine interest in keeping the fourth-year sharpshooter around through their rebuild, league sources tell The Athletic.
Southeast Notes: Butler, Kispert, Banchero, Hornets
Wizards two-way guard Jared Butler is stepping up in recent games and has impressed each time he’s gotten a chance at extended minutes this season, The Washington Post’s Varun Shankar observes. Over the past three games, Butler is averaging 19.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists while finishing with a positive plus/minus in three Washington losses. He registered season highs of 26 points and seven assists on Wednesday against Philadelphia.
The Wizards were without Jordan Poole for all three of Butler’s recent big games and Malcolm Brogdon for two of those outings. In the 11 games this season in which Butler has played 10 or more minutes, he’s averaging 11.4 PPG and 4.1 APG on .477/.406/.714 shooting.
“Just settles us down, gets us organized, has the ability to get in the paint, create for himself, create for others,” head coach Brian Keefe said. “His defense is really good, too — pressuring the ball, picking up full court. He’s doing the stuff that we want him to.”
Butler originally signed with the Wizards on a two-way deal in the summer of 2023 before having that deal converted late last season. Facing a roster crunch last October, the Wizards waived him but were able to re-add him on a two-way contract after no team put in a claim for the former Baylor guard. If Washington clears a standard roster spot this season, Butler is a candidate to have his two-way deal converted.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- After an ankle sprain sidelined him for five games last month, Corey Kispert has found his confidence again, Shankar writes in another story for The Post. Since Dec. 19, Kispert is shooting 43.1% from beyond the arc on 5.9 attempts per game while averaging 13.5 PPG. In his last two games, Kispert scored a season high of 23 points in each outing while making a combined nine threes.
- Magic star forward Paolo Banchero will make his return to game action on Friday against the Bucks after missing over two months with an oblique injury, NBA insider Chris B. Haynes reports (Twitter link). Banchero warmed up on Thursday after being ruled questionable, but was ultimately deemed out until tomorrow. While the re-introduction of Banchero into the lineup is obviously a boon for Orlando, it will likely take an adjustment period before the Magic are firing on all cylinders again after they went 19-14 without him, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes. “Finding that flow again is going to take some time and we all understand that,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “It’s going to be us being able to watch the film, get on the court together and that’s going to take some time.”
- The Hornets snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Suns on Tuesday, with the quartet of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Mark Williams playing together for just the eighth time, Shane Connuck of The Charlotte Observer writes. “We have enough in that locker room when it comes to talent. We have enough in that locker room when it comes to competitiveness. We just have to sustain it for four quarters,” head coach Charles Lee said. “We did that tonight, and we need to continue to just stack good days over good days, and we’ll come out on the other side of all of it.“
Injury Notes: Doncic, Mavs, Barnes, Poeltl, Beal, Wizards, Harris
Luka Doncic (left heel contusion) has been ruled out for the Mavericks‘ game vs. the Clippers on Thursday, while Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness) is questionable to play, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link).
There was some good news on the injury front for Dallas, however, as neither Naji Marshall nor Maxi Kleber is on the injury report for Thursday’s game. Marshall has missed five of the Mavs’ past six games while battling an illness; Kleber was unavailable for the past three due to an illness and a rib injury.
- Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was originally expected to miss “several weeks” due to an ankle sprain, but just 10 days after sustaining that injury, he has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s game against Brooklyn after fully participating in Wednesday’s practice (Twitter links via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). “I’m so happy that it wasn’t as serious as I thought it was going to be,” Barnes said. In other Raptors injury news, starting center Jakob Poeltl is considered day-to-day with a bilateral groin strain and will miss Thursday’s contest.
- After missing the Suns‘ past two games with swelling in his right knee, star guard Bradley Beal “did everything” in practice on Wednesday and the team is “hopeful” he’ll be able to play Thursday against Indiana, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer (story via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). Beal has been listed as probable to suit up.
- Wizards guards Malcolm Brogdon, Kyshawn George, and Corey Kispert aren’t on the injury report for Thursday’s game vs. Charlotte and should be available to play, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Brogdon has been out since December 5 due to a hamstring strain, while both George and Kispert have been recovering from left ankle sprains since Dec. 3.
- Magic guard Gary Harris, who has been unavailable since November 25 due to a left hamstring strain, has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s game vs. Oklahoma City, notes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Harris has been averaging 17.2 minutes per game in his first 16 outings of the season before suffering that injury in his 17th appearance.
Wizards Notes: Arena, Kispert, Carrington, Injury Report
Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, D.C., has put forth a proposal for the city to buy Capital One Arena from Monumental Sports, the Wizards‘ parent company, according to Michael Brice-Saddler and Sam Fortier of The Washington Post.
The plan proposes the city buy the arena for $87.5MM, with that money coming out of a $515MM fund that city council approved earlier this year for renovations and expansions to the building. The idea would be to lease the arena back to the Wizards, with that lease extending through at least 2050.
D.C. already owns the land under Capital One Arena, Brice-Saddler and Fortier write, and if Monumental maintains control of the building, Ted Leonsis‘ company would be required to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes back to city on the money it receives for arena renovations, which are projected to cost $800MM in total (with at least $285MM being contributed by Monumental). That wouldn’t be the case if the arena is sold to the city.
“This is the deal that was always contemplated when Mayor Bowser and the D.C. Council approved a $515 million improvement in Capital One Arena,” deputy mayor for planning and economic development Nina Albert said in a statement. “This is the best structure to effectuate that; it is what enables an efficient use of public money to be fully reinvested in this project.”
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- Wizards sharpshooter Corey Kispert said on Tuesday that he felt a “huge sense of relief” after finalizing a four-year, $54MM contract extension with the team ahead of Monday’s deadline, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I’m excited to get the deal done and secure the future for my family and play for this organization and ultimately now just really focus on the season,” Kispert said. “I tried to think that I was focused here anyways, but the amount of relief that I felt afterwards made me realize that subconsciously it was weighing on me. So I’m happy that’s out of the way now and I can play.”
- Four rival talent evaluators who spoke to The Athletic were “almost universally optimistic” about rookie guard Carlton Carrington‘s long-term outlook, according to Robbins. One of those four scouts expressed confidence that Carrington can become one of the better players from this year’s draft, while another went even further. “I think he’s the best young prospect on the Wizards,” the second scout said. “I think he has a chance to be the best point guard in this previous draft class, and if he’s a 10-year NBA starter, it’s not going to shock me.”
- With the exception of Malcolm Brogdon (thumb) and Saddiq Bey (ACL), the Wizards’ entire roster is expected to be healthy for the team’s regular season opener on Thursday vs. Boston, head coach Brian Keefe said this week (Twitter link via Robbins). That means Alex Sarr (calf) and Bilal Coulibaly (finger) should be good to go after missing Washington’s last two preseason games.
Extension Notes: Kuminga, Kispert, Johnson, Gordon, Bridges
Although the Warriors think Jonathan Kuminga has All-Star potential, they weren’t willing to sign him at this time to the kind of long-term rookie scale extension he was seeking without a more concrete belief that he’ll reach that level, writes Monte Poole of NBC Bay Area.
[RELATED: No Extension For Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors]
As Poole explains, no one on Golden State’s roster besides Stephen Curry is making $30MM+ per year and Kuminga was seeking a deal that was worth “well beyond that amount.” While the Warriors aren’t opposed to making that sort of commitment to the fourth-year forward, they want to see more from him this season before signing off on such a significant contract.
“He took a leap last season,” one source told Poole. “They want to see another one before they make that investment. He’s still under their control. If Kuminga has a strong season, I know they’ll take care of him.”
Without a rookie scale extension in place, Kuminga will be a restricted free agent in 2025, giving the Warriors the right to match any offer sheet he signs with a new team.
Here are a few more notes from around the NBA on the contract extensions that did and didn’t get done on Monday:
- Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link) provides the year-by-year breakdown of Corey Kispert‘s four-year, $54MM+ extension with the Wizards, which will be worth $13.975MM in each of the first two years, then $13.05MM in years three and four. As previously reported, the final year is a team option.
- Jalen Johnson‘s five-year, $150MM extension with the Hawks will have a flat structure, with $30MM annual cap hits, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
- As part of his extension with the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon picked up his $22.84MM option for 2025/26 rather than turning it down and getting a 40% raise (to $31.98MM) for that season. The Nuggets will be subject to the repeater tax and increasing tax rates next season, so the structure of the deal will allow them to save a projected $60MM in tax penalties for ’25/26, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
- Tony Jones and Sam Amick of The Athletic take a closer look at the impact of the Gordon extension, with Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth weighing in on why the team felt the need to get a deal done: “In many ways, Aaron is the heart and soul of the team. He does a lot of things on the floor that makes us go. The guys rally around him in the locker room, and now with this agreement, we can move forward as a unit. We are built as a team to go deep into the playoffs.”
- The Knicks made the best extension offer they could to Mikal Bridges prior to Monday’s deadline, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, New York was capped at approximately $61MM over two years due to extend-and-trade restrictions, whereas the team will be able to offer about $156MM over four years next offseason, so Bridges was always expected to hold off on a new deal.
- Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) takes a look at what’s next for some of the top players who didn’t sign rookie scale extensions by Monday’s deadline, including Kuminga and Bulls guard Josh Giddey, as well as highlighting a few of the notable veterans who remain eligible to sign extensions during the season, like Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram.
Wizards Sign Corey Kispert To Four-Year Extension
5:16pm: Kispert’s extension is official, the Wizards announced in a press release.
“Corey is someone who positively impacts our environment daily. He consistently shows up for the organization as both a player and a teammate, embodying the passion and professionalism we value,” Dawkins said in a statement. “We are excited that he has the opportunity to continue his growth and development in Washington. He’s a relentless worker who has added to his game each season. We look forward to his further evolution in the coming years.”
3:53pm: The Wizards are signing swingman Corey Kispert to a four-year, $54MM rookie scale extension, agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman tell Marc Stein (Twitter link).
The deal will include a team option on the fourth year, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Kispert, 25, has been a regular part of Washington’s rotation since being selected out of Gonzaga with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He averaged a career-high 13.4 points per game last season while also chipping in 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 25.8 minutes per night across 80 outings (22 starts).
Kispert’s calling card is his ability to knock down outside shots. Over the past two seasons, he has converted 40.2% of 5.6 three-point attempts per contest, making him a valuable floor-spacer.
Since Kispert was drafted by the Wizards’ previous front office, it wasn’t clear leading up to Monday’s extension deadline whether the current decision-makers would value him highly enough to sign him to a long-term deal.
However, president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins showed last fall in extending Deni Avdija that they’re willing to lock up young talent if the price is reasonable, even if that player was a carryover from the previous regime and isn’t necessarily a lock to be in the team’s long-term plans — Avdija was traded this July.
It’s possible Kispert could eventually emerge as a trade candidate too for the rebuilding Wizards, though moving him in 2024/25 would be tricky due to the poison pill provision.
A full four-year mid-level exception contract in 2025 is projected to be worth just over $60MM, so Kispert’s contract will come in a little below that figure.
Kuminga, Suggs, Giddey Among Extension Candidates Seeking $30MM+ Annually
The deadline for teams to sign players to rookie scale contract extensions falls on Monday and will force several clubs to make tough decisions.
The Warriors have two players under consideration for rookie scale extensions: Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. As we relayed Friday evening, Moody appears more likely than Kuminga to receive an extension by Monday. Moody is in line to receive minutes at the wing spot in the wake up Klay Thompson‘s departure, and NBA insider Jake Fischer reports he could earn more than $10MM per season on his extension (Threads link).
However, Kuminga is seeking a near-max contract that would pay him north of $30MM annually. According to Fischer, the Warriors have “never seemed intent” on paying the forward that kind of money ahead of the season. That tracks with earlier reporting, which suggested that both sides are content to wait to see if Kuminga takes another step forward in 2024/25 and helps propel the team back into contention as its second- or third-best player. In that scenario, he would presumably be rewarded in restricted free agency next offseason.
Moody averaged 8.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last season while Kuminga broke out, averaging 16.1 PPG on 52.9% shooting from the field.
We have more on this year’s rookie scale extension candidates:
- According to Fischer, Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson is facing a similar situation to Kuminga. However, there’s “far more optimism” that the Hawks and Johnson will finalize a deal worth north of $30MM each year, which is said to be the starting point for negotiations with the former Duke standout. Johnson broke out in a big way last season, jumping from 5.6 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 2022/23 to 16.0 PPG and 8.7 RPG. He’s primed to be a long-term fixture in Atlanta as one of the Hawks’ franchise cornerstones.
- Magic guard Jalen Suggs is seeking an extension worth more than $30MM annually in talks with Orlando, NBA insider Marc Stein reports (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether or not Orlando is prepared to make that sort of offer, but Suggs emerged as one of the best defensive guards in the league last season, earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team, averaging 12.6 PPG and 1.4 SPG, improving his outside shooting to 39.7%, and helping the young Magic to a 47-win season.
- Immanuel Quickley‘s five-year, $162.5MM contract with the Raptors is said to have set a benchmark for young guards across the league, Fischer says, confirming previous reporting. Bulls guard/forward Josh Giddey is also seeking at least $30MM per year on his next extension. However, the Bulls are more interested in seeing how Giddey fits with the team before committing that kind of money to him. Chicago traded Alex Caruso for Giddey in June.
- The Rockets haven’t been willing to this point to approach a maximum-salary deal for either Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun, according to Fischer. We relayed Friday that the Rockets have held productive conversations with both players, submitting offers to each, but that those offers were below the max. Fischer indicates that Houston is completely fine with not agreeing to terms with either before the year begins.
- Clippers guard Bones Hyland and Nets young players Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe are not expected to agree to terms on a rookie scale extension, according to Fischer. However, there remains some optimism that Hornets guard Tre Mann, Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson and Wizards wing Corey Kispert will be able to sign extensions by Monday’s deadline.
- Quentin Grimes has emerged as a real candidate to receive an extension by Monday, according to Stein (Twitter link). Grimes was acquired by the Mavericks in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr. this offseason and he’s averaged 8.5 PPG across three NBA seasons. His deal would presumably be in the ballpark of Moody’s, perhaps a bit more than $10MM per year.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Miller, Salaun, Carrington
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, new Hawks big man Larry Nance Jr. singled out Jalen Johnson and Vit Krejci as players who have impressed him in training camp, tweets Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com.
“He dominated practice today,” Nance said of Johnson. “He was awesome. He was knocking down threes in transition. He’s been really, really impressive, and I’m trying to push him into speaking some more and leading the group and breaking the huddles and stuff like that, because he’s going to be a guy in this league and with that comes ‘heavy is the head that wears the crown.’ He’s going to wear the crown one day, and he is being groomed for that.”
Nance, who was acquired from the Pelicans this offseason in the Dejounte Murray trade, said he wasn’t very familiar with Krejci’s game before he joined Atlanta, but that has quickly changed.
“The dude can really play,” Nance said of Krejci. “He passes, he dribbles, he can shoot it. He’s shooting the heck out of it. And he defends. … Vit has been super impressive.”
Johnson is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason ahead of the final season of his rookie contract, while Krejci just signed a new four-year contract with Atlanta over the summer.
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- With several new players on the roster, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder is trying to figure out which lineup combinations work best together, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Snyder suggested that the starting lineup is very much up in the air, and could change over the course of the season. “So, I think the question really is, ‘How does our team function?’” Snyder said Thursday. “And the other part of it is, people will focus on the first game as, like, a definitive statement about something. And, we have an 82-game (regular) season. Well, say that we’ll have focus on that in the first (exhibition) game. And, we could start anybody we want, and there’ll be different starters, I think, throughout the year, based on a lot of things, there’ll be different lineups, and it’s something we have to continue to observe and see how guys play together, see who complements each other, see what rotations look like.”
- Hornets wing Brandon Miller is coming off a strong debut season in which he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. While he has a reputation as a scorer, Miller has set an unusual goal for the 2024/25 season, per Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer. “I want to lead the team in charges taken,” said Miller, who added that he wants to be an “elite two-way player.” As Fowler writes, the rookie led the team several hustle stats last season, including charges taken. The 21-year-old Miller also wants to add muscle to his lean frame.
- French forward Tidjane Salaun, whom the Hornets selected No. 6 overall in June, may have a lengthy learning curve as he enters his rookie season. But the team has been pleased with Salaun’s competitiveness, work ethic, and constant desire to improve his game, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “It’s for sure a lot for Tidjane right now,” head coach Charles Lee said. “I think the terminology is a lot different than what he’s experienced — the physicality, the pace of the game. He’s in different positions on the floor, but he’s done a really good job of paying attention and asking questions.”
- Wizards wing Corey Kispert says rookie guard Carlton Carrington has a great on-court mentality, according to Chase Hughes of The Monumental Sports Network (Twitter link). “I mean, he flips the switch, man,” Kispert said. “He’s the most friendly, talkative, bubbly guy off the court. And then as soon as the ball goes up, he turns into a killer. You want guys like that on your team and you hate playing against guys like that on other teams.”
Trade/Draft Rumors: Kuzma, Kings, Kispert, Durant, Raptors, More
Exploring a potential deal for Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma on Wednesday, the Kings discussed a framework that would have sent their No. 13 overall pick to Washington as part of the package and moved Sacramento down to No. 26, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. If that deal had happened, the Wizards would’ve had a third lottery pick to go along with No. 2 and No. 14, but no agreement was reached and Washington ultimately traded up from No. 26 to No. 24 instead.
Still, after agreeing to trade Deni Avdija to Portland on Wednesday, it seems safe to assume the Wizards will continue to listen to inquiries on their veteran players, including Kuzma, Fischer writes. Fischer has also heard that fourth-year Washington sharpshooter Corey Kispert is generating trade interest from rival teams (Twitter link).
Here are a few more trade and draft rumors as we prepare for day two of the 2024 draft:
- Just in case more confirmation was required after various reports – and team owner Mat Ishbia – stated that the Suns have no plans to trade Kevin Durant, general manager James Jones reiterated that message on Wednesday night, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “It’s the stuff that gets clicks and that everyone wants to talk about, but I think I said it specifically back on May 19th when I was asked are we trading Kevin Durant,” Jones said. “I said no then, I’ll say no now. I’ll continue to get asked.”
- According to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, the Raptors are expected to receive significant interest in the No. 31 pick ahead of the resumption of the draft on Thursday, with presumed first-round picks like Johnny Furphy, Kyle Filipowski, and Tyler Kolek still on the board (those are also the top three remaining prospects on ESPN’s best-available list). Vecenie has Furphy penciled in at No. 31 in his mock draft of the second round, writing that most league sources expected the Kansas wing to be drafted in the top 23.
- Former G League Ignite big man Tyler Smith is viewed as another prospect who could entice a team to trade for an early second-round pick, Fischer reports.
- Elsewhere in his second-round mock, Vecenie says Spanish point guard Juan Nunez has been connected to the Timberwolves by league sources throughout the pre-draft process, while San Francisco forward/center Jonathan Mogbo has been frequently linked to the Knicks. Minnesota and New York currently control the 37th and 38th picks, respectively, with New York also picking at No. 51.