Northwest Notes: Jazz, Grimes, OKC, Moody, Wolves, Nuggets
The Jazz are hosting a pre-draft workout on Thursday that will includes Houston’s Quentin Grimes, Providence’s David Duke, and San Diego State’s Matt Mitchell, sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic.
Jones categorizes it as an important session for the Jazz, who like Grimes as a potential target at No. 30 and want to get a closer look at Mitchell, who has worked out for more than 10 teams and is considered a draft riser.
Sources tell Jones that other prospects the Jazz are eyeing as possibilities at No. 30 include Nah’Shon Hyland, Ayo Dosunmu, Miles McBride, Herb Jones, Joel Ayayi from Gonzaga, Joshua Primo, and Jared Butler.
- Arkansas wing Moses Moody visited the Thunder in Oklahoma City earlier this week, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee tweets. Moody is the 16th-ranked prospect on ESPN’s big board, so he could play be in play for OKC at No. 16 or 18 next Thursday.
- Now that Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore have formally been approved as minority stakeholders in the Timberwolves, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic examines the challenges facing A-Rod and Lore, who will assume majority control of the franchise by 2023. As Krawczynski observes, there are similarities between the Wolves’ current situation and the one that Marc Lasry, Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan inherited in 2014 when they bought the Bucks, though it’s probably unrealistic to expect the next seven years in Minnesota to play out like the last seven in Milwaukee.
- The Nuggets put forth a “full, all-hands-on-deck organizational effort” to ensure longtime assistant Wes Unseld Jr. got a head coaching job, Denver’s president of basketball operations Tim Connelly told Fred Katz of The Athletic. Connelly said he informed the Wizards that Unseld “is one of the brightest minds I’ve ever been around.”
- South Carolina wing A.J. Lawson worked out today for the Nuggets, according to Adam Zagoria of Forbes (Twitter link).
Northwest Notes: Lillard, Blazers, Hernangomez, Nuggets
While it doesn’t look at this point like the Trail Blazers will seriously explore Damian Lillard trades this offseason, that doesn’t mean they’re not getting calls about their All-NBA point guard. Front office sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer that the Heat, Kings, Knicks, Rockets, and Sixers have been the most aggressive suitors for Lillard as of late.
With no Lillard trade request imminent, the Blazers are more likely to pursue upgrades around the star guard, though O’Connor notes that the team’s trade assets are somewhat limited. Portland doesn’t have any draft picks this year and rival teams aren’t particularly high on young players like Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little, according to O’Connor. The club’s best bet for a deal that reshapes the roster and increases its ceiling might involve CJ McCollum and Ben Simmons, O’Connor adds.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Former WNBA guard Edniesha Curry has joined Chauncey Billups‘ new Trail Blazers coaching staff, tweets Jason Quick of The Athletic. Curry had been an assistant for the men’s basketball team at the University of Maine since 2018.
- When Juan Hernangomez dislocated his left shoulder earlier this month, it appeared to end his chances of playing for Spain at the Tokyo Olympics. However, Spain’s final 12-man roster for the games includes the Timberwolves forward, a signal that Hernangomez’s injury isn’t as serious as initially believed. Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press has the story.
- The Nuggets brought in Miles McBride, Joshua Primo, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Alan Griffin, Damien Jefferson, and Zaccheus Darko-Kelly for a pre-draft workout on Monday, then hosted David Duke, Jalen Crutcher, Aaron Henry, Colbey Ross, Terry Taylor, and Ethan Thompson for a group workout on Tuesday, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter links).
Pacific Notes: Oubre, Kings Workouts, Lakers Workouts, Suns Arena
Warriors free agent wing Kelly Oubre sat down with Stadium’s Shams Charania for an interview on Wednesday to discuss his up-and-down season with in Golden State, as well as his free agency plans.
“This season obviously wasn’t my best showing, but at the end of the day, I know what I’m capable of and I think the whole world knows what I’m capable of,” Oubre said.
Oubre, who has never lacked confidence, spoke on why he feels he stands apart from other free agents in this year’s class: “I’m a worker. I wouldn’t always get better and you wouldn’t be able to see improvements in my game somewhere each and every year if I wasn’t working continuously and staying locked in and focused on my craft. I think that puts me at an advantage over a lot of other free agents.”
An unrestricted free agent, the 25-year-old will try to find a permanent home after bouncing around from the Wizards to the Sunsto the Warriors over the last few seasons.
We have more from around the Pacific Division:
- Stanford one-and-done wing Ziaire Williams had a workout with the Kings on Wednesday, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The 6’8″ shot creator had a turbulent freshman year, but was a top recruit coming out of high school. Anderson also writes that Moses Moody appears to have worked out for the Kings, as he posted a photo of himself in a Kings practice jersey to Instagram on Friday. Anderson tweeted a screenshot of a similar Instagram post last night from Kai Jones. The Kings have the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft.
- The Lakers worked out six prospects today, tweets Lakers reporter Kyle Goon: Miles McBride, Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden Springer, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Mac McClung and Balsa Koprivica. The Lakers have the 22nd pick, and McBride, Dosunmu and Springer are all rumored to potentially be in that range.
- The Suns’ arena is getting a new name, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The arena will be called The Footprint Center moving forward.
Hawks Notes: Prunty, J. McMillan, Workouts, Collins
Joe Prunty and Jamelle McMillan are expected to become part of Nate McMillan‘s revamped coaching staff with the Hawks, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
Prunty, who began working as an NBA assistant in 1996, has spent time with a total of seven different teams and briefly served as the interim head coach of the Bucks during the 2017/18 season. Prunty, who last coached in the NBA in 2018/19 as a Suns assistant, was the head coach of the Team USA squad that played in the AmeriCup qualifiers earlier this year. He and Nate McMillan worked together in Portland from 2008-10.
Jamelle McMillan, who is Nate’s son, has spent most of his career with the Pelicans, including several years as an assistant under Alvin Gentry. He joined the Suns for a season in 2018/19 before rejoining the Pelicans, but was let go in 2020 when Stan Van Gundy was hired by New Orleans.
Here’s more on the Hawks:
- After previously sharing a lengthy list of prospects who have worked out for the Hawks (or will do so soon), Chris Kirschner of The Athletic continues to add to that list. According to Kirschner (Twitter links), Atlanta is also auditioning Derrick Alston Jr., McKinley Wright IV, Chaundee Brown, Matt Coleman III, Nojel Eastern, Joshua Primo, Ibi Watson, Quade Green, Olivier Sarr, Feron Hunt, and Vrenz Bleijenbergh prior to the draft.
- Kirschner teamed up with John Hollinger of The Athletic to preview the Hawks’ offseason, digging into how much a contract for John Collins and an extension for Kevin Huerter might cost the team. Collins’ situation will be much trickier than Huerter’s, according to Hollinger, who wonders if Atlanta can avoid a max deal for a Collins and re-sign him to something in the $100-110MM range.
- In the second half of their Hawks offseason primer, Kirschner and Hollinger consider possible targets for Atlanta on the trade market and in the draft. Hollinger points to Miles McBride and Trey Murphy as two prospects who might be fits for the club with the No. 20 pick.
Draft Notes: Executive Roundup, Duarte, Monyyong, Lakers, Mini-Combine
In a Draft Confidential column for The Athletic, Hall-of-Fame reporter David Aldridge interviews anonymous team executives and college coaches to get their inside scoop on the 2021 draft’s burning questions.
Some of the topics discussed: the Jalen Green versus Jalen Suggs debate, who will be the fourth guard taken after Suggs, Green, and Cade Cunningham are off the board (James Bouknight, Moses Moody, Davion Mitchell, and Keon Johnson are the top candidates), draft promises, some of the late risers (Joshua Primo, Nah’Shon Hyland, Miles McBride, and others), and a whole lot more.
We have more news from the draft:
- Former Oregon guard Chris Duarte worked out for the Wizards on Thursday, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The 24-year-old sharpshooting guard also had workouts scheduled with the Thunder and Pelicans.
- Ruot Monyyong had a workout with the Kings on Thursday, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Monyyong isn’t expected to be drafted, but could be a candidate for a two-way contract or Summer League invitation.
- The Lakers worked out six players today, tweets Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register: Nah’Shon Hyland, Austin Reaves, Trey Murphy III, Oscar Da Silva, DJ Funderburk, and Chaundee Brown Jr. Hyland and Murphy are projected to be first-round picks, and could be in play for the Lakers with the No. 22 selection.
- 11 players participated in a mini-combine in Minneapolis, in front of 25 teams, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The participants were: McKinley Wright IV, Jalen Crutcher, Denzel Mahoney, Moses Wright, Nikita Mikhailovskii, Matt Coleman III, Colbey Ross, Jordan Schakel, Matt Mitchell, Brandon Rachal, and M.J. Walker.
Draft Notes: McBride, McNeil, Liddell, Ramey, Wheeler
West Virginia guard Miles McBride has decided to remain in the draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. McBride told Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins on Friday, sources tell Greg Carey of Metro News.
“This was definitely a difficult decision,” McBride said. “Huggs has done so much for me. I love West Virginia, the fans and the entire city of Morgantown. Leaving will be hard, but it’s always been my dream to play in the league. Leaving now gives me the best chance to do that.”
The 20-year-old was a second-team All-Big 12 selection as a sophomore, averaging 15.9 points, 4.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 29 games. He is ranked 33rd in ESPN’s list of the top 100 prospects and had a strong showing at last week’s combine in Chicago.
“The main reason was the feedback I got from the NBA’s undergraduate advisory committee. Being drafted in the late first to early second round is what I’ve heard the most,” McBride said. “I had a great week at the NBA combine and at my pro day, meeting with NBA teams and hearing from them directly how interested they are in me.”
There’s more on the draft:
- West Virginia will keep Sean McNeil, who is expected to withdraw from the draft and return to school for his senior season, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. The shooting specialist averaged 12.2 PPG this year and connected at 38.8% from three-point range.
- Ohio State power forward E.J. Liddell has decided to forgo the draft and return for another season with the Buckeyes, Givony writes in a separate story. Liddell had a breakout season as a sophomore, posting 16.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. “This was a pretty difficult decision,” he said. “No one in my family has ever been this close to getting to a professional league. After many conversations with my parents and coaches, I understood that returning was the best thing for me. Anyone can get signed to play in the NBA. I absolutely could have gotten a contract. But it’s not about getting in the NBA, it’s about staying in for the long term.”
- Texas guard Courtney Ramey and Kentucky guard Sahvir Wheeler are also pulling out of the draft, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter links).
Draft Notes: Workouts, Aluma, T. Williams, Hurt, McBride
The Timberwolves and Jazz are hosting pre-draft group workouts in Minneapolis from July 8-11, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, the event will be open to all 30 NBA teams and the goal will be to have 48 prospects participate over that four-day period.
In past years when teams have brought in groups of prospects for pre-draft workouts, they’ve typically hosted six players at a time. If the event in Minneapolis follows a similar pattern, it could showcase two groups of six players apiece on each day from July 8-11.
Here’s more on the upcoming draft:
- Virginia Tech forward Keve Aluma is returning to school for another year, he announced on Twitter. Aluma had been testing the draft waters after 15.2 PPG and 7.9 RPG in 22 games (30.6 MPG) as a junior in 2020/21.
- Purdue forward Trevion Williams is also pulling out of the draft and heading back to school, per a Twitter announcement. Williams put up 15.5 PPG and 9.1 RPG in 28 games (25.1 MPG) for the Boilemakers as a junior this year, earning All-Big Ten honors.
- Duke forward Matthew Hurt has workouts on tap with the Celtics, Thunder, Pelicans, Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).
- West Virginia guard Miles McBride has worked out for the Knicks and Celtics in addition to interviewing with several teams, tweets Alder Almo of Empire Sports Media.
Draft Notes: Mayer, Murphy, Duarte, Ayayi, Combine
Baylor forward Matthew Mayer, who had been set to attend the draft combine in Chicago this week, is withdrawing from both the combine and the draft, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Mayer, ranked as this year’s No. 63 overall prospect by ESPN, was a candidate to be selected in the second round and almost certainly would’ve received a two-way deal or a training camp invite if he went undrafted. However, the 6’9″ junior has decided to return to the national-champion Bears for another year.
Givony expects another college season to boost Mayer’s draft stock, since he should be in line for a larger role at Baylor. The forward could be a Big 12 Player of the Year candidate and a potential 2022 first-round pick, says Givony.
Here’s more on the 2021 NBA draft:
- Potential first-round pick Trey Murphy III has decided to hire an agent, he told Givony. Murphy will remain in the draft and forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility after averaging 11.3 PPG on .503/.433/.927 shooting in 25 games (29.6 MPG) at Virginia as a junior.
- Oregon’s Chris Duarte and Gonzaga’s Joel Ayayi were among the players who turned down combine invites, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Wasserman hears that Duarte may not have wanted to give up a week of working with his personal trainer, while Ayayi’s camp is confident in his draft outlook without the combine, though there are no indications he has received a promise.
- Cameron Thomas of LSU and Isaiah Jackson of Kentucky are withdrawing from this week’s combine, tweets Jeremy Woo of SI.com. Both players are projected first-round picks.
- In his preview of the draft combine, Givony (Insider link) identifies Alabama guard Josh Primo, Arizona State forward Marcus Bagley, West Virginia guard Miles McBride, and Texas Tech wing Terrence Shannon as some of the players with the most at stake this week. They all rank between Nos. 32 and 41 on ESPN’s big board and will be looking to establish themselves as first-rounders.
Full List Of 2021 NBA Draft Combine Participants
The NBA has revealed via press release its list of 69 players who have been invited to next week’s draft combine in Chicago and who are expected to attend. The combine will take place from June 21-27.
While several of the prominent names at the top of the draft will opt to skip the event – most notably, presumed number one pick Cade Cunningham and Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs – there are several high-profile prospects set to attend. Evan Mobley, widely considered a likely choice for the No. 2 pick as well as potential top-five picks Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Green headline the class of participants this year, along with potential lottery picks Moses Moody, Corey Kispert and Scottie Barnes.
According to the press release, players will conduct interviews with NBA teams, participate in five-on-five games, and go through shooting, strength and agility drills throughout the week-long event. It’s likely that the more high-profile names will focus more on the interviews than the drills.
The press release also confirms that a select number of standout players from the G League Elite Camp will be invited to participate in the Combine as well.
Here’s the full list of 69 names announced by the NBA today, in alphabetical order:
- Max Abmas, G, Oral Roberts (sophomore)
- Ochai Agbaji, G, Kansas (junior)
- Marcus Bagley, F, Arizona State (freshman)
- Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State (freshman)
- Charles Bassey, C, Western Kentucky (junior)
- Brandon Boston Jr., G/F, Kentucky (freshman)
- James Bouknight, G, UConn (sophomore)
- Greg Brown, F, Texas (freshman)
- Jared Butler, G, Baylor (junior)
- Julian Champagnie, G/F, St. John’s (sophomore)
- Justin Champagnie, G/F, Pittsburgh (sophomore)
- Josh Christopher, G, Arizona State (freshman)
- Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn (freshman)
- Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois (junior)
- David Duke, G, Providence (junior)
- Kessler Edwards, F, Pepperdine (junior)
- Luka Garza, C, Iowa (senior)
- RaiQuan Gray, F, Florida State (junior)
- Jalen Green, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Quentin Grimes, G, Houston (junior)
- Sam Hauser, F, Virginia (senior)
- Aaron Henry, G/F, Michigan State (junior)
- Ariel Hukporti, C, Lithuania (born 2002)
- Matthew Hurt, F, Duke (sophomore)
- Nah’Shon Hyland, G, VCU (sophomore)
- Isaiah Jackson, F, Kentucky (freshman)
- David Johnson, G, Louisville (sophomore)
- Jalen Johnson, F, Duke (freshman)
- Keon Johnson, G, Tennessee (freshman)
- Herb Jones, F, Alabama (senior)
- Kai Jones, F, Texas (sophomore)
- Johnny Juzang, G/F, UCLA (sophomore)
- Corey Kispert, F, Gonzaga (senior)
- Jonathan Kuminga, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Scottie Lewis, G, Florida (sophomore)
- Isaiah Livers, F, Michigan (senior)
- Makur Maker, C, Howard (freshman)
- Sandro Mamukelashvili, F/C, Seton Hall (senior)
- Tre Mann, G, Florida (sophomore)
- Matthew Mayer, G/F, Baylor (junior)
- Miles McBride, G, West Virginia (sophomore)
- Davion Mitchell, G, Baylor (junior)
- Evan Mobley, F/C, USC (freshman)
- Isaiah Mobley, F, USC (sophomore)
- Moses Moody, G, Arkansas (freshman)
- Trey Murphy III, G, Virginia (junior)
- Daishen Nix, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- John Petty Jr., G, Alabama (senior)
- Yves Pons, G/F, Tennessee (senior)
- Jason Preston, G, Ohio (junior)
- Joshua Primo, G, Alabama (freshman)
- Roko Prkacin, F, Croatia (born 2002)
- Neemias Queta, C, Utah State (junior)
- Austin Reaves, G, Oklahoma (senior)
- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, F, Villanova (sophomore)
- Terrence Shannon Jr., G/F, Texas Tech (sophomore)
- Day’Ron Sharpe, F/C, North Carolina (freshman)
- Jericho Sims, F/C, Texas (senior)
- Jaden Springer, G, Tennessee (freshman)
- DJ Steward, G, Duke (freshman)
- Cameron Thomas, G, LSU (freshman)
- JT Thor, F, Auburn (freshman)
- Isaiah Todd, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Trendon Watford, F, LSU (sophomore)
- Joe Wieskamp, G/F, Iowa (junior)
- Ziaire Williams, F, Stanford (freshman)
- McKinley Wright IV, G, Colorado (senior)
- Moses Wright, F, Georgia Tech (senior)
- Marcus Zegarowski, G, Creighton (junior)
Draft Notes: Giddey, Pro Days, Combine, G League Elite Camp
Potential lottery pick Josh Giddey isn’t expected to attend the NBA draft combine in Chicago or any pre-draft workouts, tweets Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Instead, scouts will get a look at Giddey later this month when his Australian team travels to Las Vegas for exhibition games with Team USA, Spain, Nigeria and Argentina.
The 6’8″ shooting guard has been moving up draft boards and ranks No. 13 on ESPN’s latest list of prospects. Giddey, 18, played this season with the Adelaide 36ers and averaged 10.9 points, 7.1 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game.
There’s more draft news to pass along:
- The NBA has scheduled 20 pro days for some of the top-rated players in the draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). They will take place from June 26-29 following the combine and will feature prospects such as Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Corey Kispert, James Bouknight, Greg Brown, Ayo Dosunmu, Charles Bassey, Max Abmas, Jaden Springer, and Jared Butler. Also tentatively scheduled for pro days are Trey Murphy, Josh Christopher, Marcus Bagley, Gabriele Procida, Johnny Juzang, Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland, Aaron Henry, Herb Jones, Miles McBride, Santi Aldama and Zsombor Maronka (Twitter link).
- German center Ariel Hukporti has received an invitation to the combine, Givony tweets. Hukporti, 19, played in Lithuania this season and is ranked 45th on ESPN’s big board. USC sophomore Isaiah Mobley has also been invited, Givony adds (via Twitter).
- Duke shooting guard DJ Steward has been invited to take part in the combine as well, according to JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link). Steward averaged 13 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game as a freshman with the Blue Devils.
- Mac McClung has received an invitation to the G League Elite camp, according to Wasserman (Twitter link). The former Texas Tech guard will try to earn a spot in the combine. Haowen Guo of the Chinese national team has also been invited to the Elite camp, Givony tweets.