Mavericks Notes: Finley, Nori, Pre-Draft Workouts
After the Mavericks hired Masai Ujiri as their new president and Mike Schmitz to be their general manager, word broke that Matt Riccardi, who served as the team’s co-interim GM during the 2025/26 season, would be leaving the organization. There have been no such updates on Michael Finley, who was the Mavs’ other co-interim GM following Nico Harrison‘s dismissal in the fall.
Finley spent nearly nine years in Dallas as a player and has been part of the club’s front office since 2017. Minority stakeholder Mark Cuban, the majority owner of the team when Finley was originally hired, hopes the former guard’s stint in the basketball operations department continues — and has said as much to Ujiri.
“(Finley) is our legacy guy,” Cuban said during a special episode of the House of Haymaker show with Ben Rogers and Jeff “Skin” Wade. “You need somebody there that’s a connection to the past and knows everybody, that has been there a while. … My strong recommendation (to Ujiri) is that you keep Michael Finley.”
According to Cuban, Ujiri didn’t commit one way or the other to his plans for Finley and the rest of the front office.
“(He) just said, ‘Thank you,’ and that was it,” Cuban said.
Cuban also spoke during his House of Haymaker appearance about the Luka Doncic trade – which he said Finley called “the wrong thing to do” – and the fact that Dirk Nowitzki “didn’t agree with” the 2021 hiring of Harrison, among other topics.
We have more on the Mavericks:
- Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Tuesday, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori said he hadn’t “heard anything really” from the Mavericks about their head coaching opening so far, but had engaged in “a few conversations here and there” with the Trail Blazers and Bulls, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays. Although Nori added that his discussions with those teams hadn’t gotten “too serious” at that point, one report today suggested he’s a finalist for Portland’s head coaching job and that Dallas also has interest in interviewing him.
- Obi Agbim (Baylor), Michael Ajayi (Butler), Christian Anderson (Texas Tech), Tucker DeVries (Indiana), and Wyatt Fricks (Marshall) were in town on Wednesday to work out for the Mavericks, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Of those five players, Anderson is the most noteworthy — he’s a projected first-round pick who ranks 18th overall on ESPN’s big board.
- The Mavericks are currently armed with the ninth, 30th, and 48th overall picks in this month’s draft. In an effort to get a better sense for which players the team might be eyeing at those spots, Curtis (subscription required) takes a closer look at Ujiri’s draft history during his time in Denver and Toronto. Based on those past draft results, Curtis writes that Ujiri has shown a willingness to take a shot on versatile wings who can score and defend, as well as international prospects and score-first guards.
44 Prospects Invited To 2026 G League Combine
Earlier today, the NBA revealed the 73 prospects that have been invited to the draft combine in Chicago later this month. That group of players will be joined by a small group of standouts from the G League combine, which takes place from May 8-10 in the days leading up to the main event.
While the league typically doesn’t formally announce which prospect receive invites to the G League combine, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link) has the details, reporting that the following 44 players make up the list of invitees:
- Michael Ajayi, F, Butler (senior)
- Alijah Arenas, G, USC (freshman)
- Donovan Atwell, G/F, Texas Tech (senior)
- Nathan Bittle, C, Oregon (senior)
- Elliot Cadeau, G, Michigan (junior)
- Rafael Castro, F/C, George Washington (senior)
- Zach Cleveland, F, Liberty (senior)
- Jacob Cofie, F, USC (sophomore)
- MJ Collins, G, Utah State (senior)
- Quadir Copeland, G, North Carolina State (senior)
- Melvin Council, G, Kansas (senior)
- Tucker DeVries, G/F, Indiana (senior)
- Tre Donaldson, G, Miami (senior)
- Reynan Dos Santos, G, Mexico City Capitanes (born 2004)
- Malique Ewin, F/C, Arkansas (senior)
- Jamal Fuller, G/F, Long Island (senior)
- Isiah Harwell, G, Houston (freshman)
- Jaden Henley, G/F, Grand Canyon (senior)
- Bryce Hopkins, G/F, St. John’s (senior)
- Graham Ike, F, Gonzaga (senior)
- Kasen Jennings, G, Appalachian State (senior)
- Trey Kaufman-Renn, F, Purdue (senior)
- Keba Keita, C, BYU (senior)
- Kobe Knox, G/F, South Carolina (senior)
- Xaivian Lee, G, Florida (senior)
- Malique Lewis, F, Australia (born 2004)
- Tamin Lipsey, G, Iowa State (senior)
- Fletcher Loyer, G, Purdue (senior)
- Aidan Mahaney, G, Santa Barbara (senior)
- Robert McCray, G, Florida State (senior)
- Kevin (Boopie) Miller, G, SMU (senior)
- Mark Mitchell, F, Missouri (senior)
- Paulius Murauskas, F, Saint Mary’s (junior)
- Jaron Pierre, G, SMU (senior)
- Kowacie Reeves, G/F, Georgia Tech (senior)
- Jaylin Sellers, G, Providence (senior)
- Markhi Strickland, G, North Dakota State (senior)
- Aiden Tobiason, G, Temple (sophomore)
- Seth Trimble, G, North Carolina (senior)
- Cade Tyson, F, Minnesota (senior)
- Ernest Udeh, C, Miami (senior)
- Lamar Wilkerson, G, Indiana (senior)
- Darrion Williams, F, North Carolina State (senior)
- Noam Yaacov, G, Belgium (born 2004)
While the players invited to the G League combine generally aren’t regarded as highly as NBA prospects as those selected for the primary combine, there are always at least a handful who end up in the league on two-way or standard contracts. Last year, for instance, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Dylan Cardwell, Ryan Nembhard, Amari Williams, Will Richard, and Jahmai Mashack were among the invitees.
The G League combine will give some players who declared for the draft as early entrants an opportunity to see where they stand ahead of the draft withdrawal deadline on May 27. Not all of the players who participate in this event will remain in the draft pool.
Arenas, for instance, is the highest-rated prospect on ESPN’s board among the G League combine invitees, coming in at No. 52, but Ryan Kartje of The Los Angeles Times reported this week that he’s expected to withdraw and return to USC. As Givony notes (Twitter link), the list above is subject to change — if Arenas or other players end up declining invitations because they don’t plan to stay in the draft, they could be replaced before the event begins next Friday.
Draft Notes: 2024 Mocks, Withdrawals, Sheppard, Traore
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link) recently published a new 2024 mock draft that features lots of interesting information.
Former Dayton star DaRon Holmes II has canceled several upcoming workouts, sources tell Woo, “raising strong suspicions that he has secured a guarantee in the back part of the first round.” The mock has Holmes, who is ranked No. 45 on ESPN’s big board, going No. 28 overall to the Nuggets.
According to Givony, rival teams think the Trail Blazers, Grizzlies and Bulls have interest in moving up in the draft — possibly to No. 3, a pick the Rockets control — to select UConn center Donovan Clingan.
While the Hawks haven’t made their intentions known regarding the No. 1 pick, each team in the top five has “significant interest” in French forward Zaccharie Risacher, who looks “highly unlikely” to fall past the Wizards at No. 2, per Givony. ESPN’s mock has Atlanta selecting Risacher first overall.
The entire mock draft is worth reading in full for those who subscribe to ESPN+.
Here are a few more draft notes:
- In a separate article for ESPN (Insider link), Givony and Woo answer questions related to the early-entrant withdrawal deadline for college players to maintain their NCAA eligibility. That deadline passed on Wednesday night. Of the players who withdrew from the draft, Givony thinks Michael Ajayi (transferring to Gonzaga) has a great chance to improve his stock in 2025, while Woo views Alabama’s Jarin Stevenson as a player who could move up boards next year.
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report also updated his mock draft after the withdrawal deadline. While the top-three picks (Risacher, Alexandre Sarr and Reed Sheppard) are the same on both mocks, there are also some major differences. For example, ESPN’s mock has Colorado’s Cody Williams landing with Portland at No. 14, but Wasserman has Detroit selecting Williams at No. 5. Kel’el Ware (No. 23 in ESPN’s mock, No. 14 in Bleacher Report’s) is another player with a seemingly wide draft range.
- Kentucky guard Sheppard recently sat down for an interview with Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter video link), answering questions about his family background, NBA players he looks up to, and more.
- French guard Nolan Traore, who spent this season with Saint-Quentin in France’s top basketball division, has signed a two-year extension, the team announced (via Twitter). ESPN’s Givony was the first to report the news, writing that Traore was being recruited by major colleges as well as other professional teams from around the world. “Basketball-wise, it’s the best situation for me,” Traore told Givony. “I can play with a coach that I know, that gave me the confidence to play in the playoffs. I liked the first experience that I had with them. Playing in the FIBA Champions League [BCL] group stage next season will be exciting and was a big positive.” The 17-year-old is a projected lottery pick in 2025, according to Givony, who adds that Traore will be ranked in the top five when ESPN updates its mock draft for next year.
Mark Sears, Michael Ajayi Headline Latest NBA Draft Withdrawals
Alabama’s Mark Sears is withdrawing from the 2024 NBA draft and will return to play for the Crimson Tide after helping his team reach the Final Four this past season, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reports (Twitter link).
Coming in at No. 80 on ESPN’s best-available board, Sears was a second-team All-American and a first-team All-SEC selection in 2023/24. The 6’1″ guard averaged 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 50.8% from the field, 43.6% from three and 85.7% from the free-throw line.
“I got good feedback from the NBA,” Sears said, per Givony. “But I can still get better in a few areas. I want to show I am a dog on defense next season, continue to bring vocal leadership, and work on my body and get into better shape. NIL has changed basketball and NBA teams told me that age isn’t a factor in today’s game, so I was comfortable coming back to try and bring home a national championship to Alabama.”
Michael Ajayi, who is transferring from Pepperdine to Gonzaga, also withdrew from the draft, according to Givony (Twitter link). The 6’7″ guard averaged 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds while shooting 47.0% from beyond the arc. He made the All-WCC First Team in his first year with Pepperdine.
Ajayi is ranked No. 75 on ESPN’s big board and, according to Givony, he’ll be “closely monitored” as a senior after earning some fans during the pre-draft process.
Both Sears and Ajayi participated in the 2024 NBA Combine.
Here are more of the latest draft decisions from early entrants ahead of the tonight’s NCAA withdrawal deadline:
Withdrawing from the draft:
- Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrell is returning to the Rebels for his super-senior season after averaging 16.2 points last season, per CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein (Twitter link). Murrell is No. 77 on ESPN’s board.
- Wooga Poplar, who is transferring from Miami, is returning to school. He’s visiting Oregon next week, according to Rothstein (Twitter link). Poplar averaged 13.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in his junior season after helping Miami reach the Final Four in 2023.
- Princeton guard Xaivian Lee is returning to school for his junior season, per Givony (Twitter link). Lee averaged 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game en route to a First-Team All-Ivy League nod.
- Former Campbell guard Anthony Dell’Orso is transferring to Arizona for his junior season, according to Givony (Twitter link). He averaged 19.5 points per contest and shot 38.0% from three.
- Malik Dia is transferring from Belmont to Ole Miss for his junior season (Twitter link via Rothstein). He averaged 16.9 points and 5.8 rebounds last season after starting his collegiate career at Vanderbilt.
- Jalon Moore is returning to Oklahoma for his senior season (Twitter link via Rothstein). Moore began his career at Georgia Tech before joining the Sooners in his junior season.
- In case you missed it, Arizona guard Caleb Love is withdrawing from the draft for his super-senior season with the Wildcats.
NBA Announces 78 Invitees For 2024 Draft Combine
The NBA announced today (via Twitter) that 78 prospects have been invited to attend this year’s draft combine, which will take place in Chicago from May 12-19.
In addition to those 78 players, a handful of standout players from the G League Elite Camp, which is also held in Chicago just before the combine begins, are expected to receive invites to stick around for the main event.
Not all of the prospects invited to the combine will end up remaining in the 2024 draft pool, since some are early entrants who are testing the waters while retaining their NCAA eligibility. College players must withdraw from the draft by the end of the day on May 29 if they wish to preserve that eligibility, while non-college players face a decision deadline of June 16. The feedback they receive from NBA teams at the combine may be a deciding factor for players who are on the fence.
Here’s the list of players who have been invited to the 2024 draft combine:
(Note: For players in international leagues, the country listed is where they had been playing, not necessarily where they’re from.)
- Michael Ajayi, F, Pepperdine (junior)
- Melvin Ajinca, G/F, France (born 2004)
- Trey Alexander, G, Creighton (junior)
- Izan Almansa, F, G League Ignite (born 2005)
- Reece Beekman, G, Virginia (senior)
- Adem Bona, F/C, UCLA (sophomore)
- Trevon Brazile, F, Arkansas (sophomore)
- Jalen Bridges, F, Baylor (senior)
- Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite (born 2004)
- Carlton Carrington, G, Pitt (freshman)
- Devin Carter, G, Providence (junior)
- Stephon Castle, G, UConn (freshman)
- Ulrich Chomche, C, NBA Academy Africa (born 2005)
- Cam Christie, G, Minnesota (freshman)
- Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State (senior)
- Donovan Clingan, C, UConn (sophomore)
- Isaiah Collier, G, USC (freshman)
- Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado (senior)
- Pacome Dadiet, G/F, Germany (born 2005)
- N’Faly Dante, C, Oregon (super-senior)
- Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Nikola Djurisic, G/F, Serbia (born 2004)
- Ryan Dunn, F, Virginia (sophomore)
- Zach Edey, C, Purdue (senior)
- Justin Edwards, G/F, Kentucky (freshman)
- Kyle Filipowski, F/C, Duke (sophomore)
- Trentyn Flowers, G/F, Australia (born 2005)
- Johnny Furphy, G/F, Kansas (freshman)
- Kyshawn George, G/F, Miami (FL) (freshman)
- Tyon Grant-Foster, G, Grand Canyon (senior)
- PJ Hall, C, Clemson (senior)
- Coleman Hawkins, F, Illinois (senior)
- Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite (born 2005)
- DaRon Holmes II, F, Dayton (junior)
- Ariel Hukporti, C, Germany (born 2002)
- Oso Ighodaro, F, Marquette (senior)
- Harrison Ingram, F, UNC (junior)
- Bronny James, G, USC (freshman)
- A.J. Johnson, G, Australia (born 2004)
- Keshad Johnson, F, Arizona (super-senior)
- David Jones, F, Memphis (senior)
- Dillon Jones, F, Weber State (senior)
- Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (senior)
- Note: Kalkbrenner indicated this week that he intends to return to school, so it’s unclear if he’ll continue to go through the pre-draft process.
- Alex Karaban, F, UConn (sophomore)
- Bobi Klintman, F, Australia (born 2003)
- Dalton Knecht, G, Tennessee (super-senior)
- Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette (senior)
- Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona (senior)
- Jared McCain, G, Duke (freshman)
- Kevin McCullar, G, Kansas (super-senior)
- Yves Missi, C, Baylor (freshman)
- Ajay Mitchell, G, UC Santa Barbara (junior)
- Jonathan Mogbo, F/C, San Francisco (senior)
- Tristen Newton, G, UConn (super-senior)
- Juan Nunez, G, Germany (born 2004)
- Quinten Post, F/C, Boston College (super-senior)
- Antonio Reeves, G, Kentucky (super-senior)
- Zaccharie Risacher, F, France (born 2005)
- Jaxson Robinson, G/F, BYU (senior)
- Tidjane Salaun, F, France (born 2005)
- Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest (junior)
- Payton Sandfort, G/F, Iowa (junior)
- Alexandre Sarr, F/C, Australia (born 2005)
- Baylor Scheierman, G/F, Creighton (super-senior)
- Mark Sears, G, Alabama (senior)
- Terrence Shannon, G, Illinois (super-senior)
- Jamal Shead, G, Houston (senior)
- Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky (freshman)
- KJ Simpson, G, Colorado (junior)
- Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite (born 2004)
- Cam Spencer, G, UConn (super-senior)
- Nikola Topic, G, Serbia (born 2005)
- JT Toppin, F, New Mexico (freshman)
- Jaylon Tyson, G, California (junior)
- Ja’Kobe Walter, G, Baylor (freshman)
- Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana (sophomore)
- Jamir Watkins, G/F, Florida State (junior)
- Cody Williams, F, Colorado (freshman)
It’s worth noting that the NBA and the NBPA agreed to a few combine-related changes in their latest Collective Bargaining Agreement. Here are a few of those changes:
- A player who is invited to the draft combine and declines to attend without an excused absence will be ineligible to be drafted. He would become eligible the following year by attending the combine. There will be exceptions made for a player whose FIBA season is ongoing, who is injured, or who is dealing with a family matter (such as a tragedy or the birth of a child).
- Players who attend the draft combine will be required to undergo physical exams, share medical history, participate in strength, agility, and performance testing, take part in shooting drills, receive anthropometric measurements, and conduct interviews with teams and the media. Scrimmages won’t be mandatory.
- Medical results from the combine will be distributed to select teams based on where the player is projected to be drafted. Only teams drafting in the top 10 would get access to medical info for the projected No. 1 pick; teams in the top 15 would receive medical info for players in the 2-6 range, while teams in the top 25 would get access to info for the players in the 7-10 range.
Regarding that last point, Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link) has the details on the top 10 played out this year, noting that the composite ranking was generated based on a combination of publicly available rankings and feedback from a panel of experts, as well as a retained-scouting service.
Sarr is considered the No. 1 overall prospect, per Givony, so only teams drafting in the top 10 will get access to his medicals. Buzelis, Castle, Clingan, Risacher, and Topic are in the 2-6 range, while Dillingham, Holland, Knecht, and Sheppard round out the top 10.
Draft Notes: Brazile, Bradshaw, Traore, More Early Entrants
Arkansas junior forward Trevon Brazile won’t be playing for new Razorbacks head coach John Calipari next season. Brazile tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he has decided to forgo his remaining college eligibility and enter the 2024 NBA draft.
“I’m 100 percent into the draft,” Brazile said. “Arkansas made a big hire with John Calipari. I’m happy for the program, but the main thing for me is keeping a one-track mind. I am going out for my dreams in the NBA.”
The No. 42 overall prospect on ESPN’s big board, Brazile had an up-and-down season in his return from ACL surgery, averaging 8.6 points and 5.9 rebounds in 25.7 minutes per game while shooting .488/.353/.695.
According to Givony, Brazile is a candidate to improve his stock during the pre-draft process, since NBA evaluators are intrigued by his combination of length and mobility, as well as his ability to space the floor on offense and protect the rim on defense.
Here are several more draft-related notes and updates:
- Freshman center Aaron Bradshaw is one of several Kentucky players entering the 2024 draft. He announced on Instagram that he’ll test the waters while retaining his NCAA eligibility and also will enter the transfer portal. Bradshaw averaged just 13.7 minutes per game in his first college season, registering 4.9 PPG and 3.3 RPG. He’s the No. 73 prospect on ESPN’s top-100 list.
- French forward Armel Traore, the No. 80 prospect on ESPN’s board, has declared for the draft, he tells Givony (Twitter link). A 6’9″ forward with a 7’3″ wingspan, Traore has had a productive season for Blois Basket in France’s top league, Givony notes.
- Initially thought to be testing the draft waters, Miami forward Norchad Omier has hired an agent and intends to keep his name in the draft pool, as Michelle Kaufman of The Miami Herald details.
- The following players are also among the early entrants for the 2024 draft. They’re testing the waters unless otherwise indicated:
- Jabri Abdur-Rahim, G/F, Georgia (senior) (link via Joe Tipton of On3 Sports)
- Michael Ajayi, F, Pepperdine (junior) (Twitter link)
- Jalen Blackmon, G, Stetson (junior) (Twitter link via Jeff Borzello of ESPN)
- Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida (junior) (Twitter link)
- Jalen Cook, G, LSU (senior) (Twitter link)
- Note: Cook’s announcement doesn’t say anything about retaining his NCAA eligibility, so we’re assuming he intends to go pro.
- Robert McCray, G, Jacksonville (sophomore) (Instagram link; hat tip to RookieScale.com)
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his 2024 mock draft following the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard are the top NCAA players in Wasserman’s mock, coming off the board at No. 2 and 3, respectively.