Atlantic Rumors: Vucevic, Shamet, Nets, Murray-Boyles
Veteran center Nikola Vucevic is considered highly likely to switch teams this summer after finishing the season with the Celtics, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Vucevic, who was traded from Chicago to Boston in February in the final year of his contract, took on a significant role in Boston’s rotation, averaging 23.4 minutes per night in his first 11 outings with his new team. However, he sustained a fractured finger in his 12th game as a Celtic and wasn’t able to return until the final week of the regular season, resulting in less consistent minutes during the postseason.
Vucevic, 35, averaged just 9.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per game in 16 regular season appearances with the Celtics, shooting 43.9% from the floor and 34.0% on three-pointers. Those shooting numbers were well below his career rates, while his PPG and MPG represented his lowest averages since his rookie year in 2011/12. Vucevic will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Rival suitors are “already starting to circle” in anticipation of pursuing Knicks wing Landry Shamet in free agency, according to Stein. Shamet has received minimum-salary contracts in each of the past two seasons, but he should be in line for a raise this summer after making 39.2% of his three-pointers during the regular season and playing a key reserve role for New York during its run to the NBA Finals. Shamet was out of the rotation in the first round, but he has scored double-digit points in six of the team’s past nine games, dating back to the second round. The Knicks will hold Shamet’s Early Bird rights, giving them the ability to make a strong offer, though re-signing him would push them deeper into tax/apron territory.
- Mexican forward Karim Lopez, who spent the last two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers, told Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) that he and Tennessee forward Nate Ament are working out for the Nets on Tuesday. Although both Lopez and Ament are viewed as potential lottery picks, it would be a surprise if either player goes as high as No. 6, which is the pick Brooklyn controls.
- While the Raptors could be active on the trade market this offseason, don’t expect standout rookie Collin Murray-Boyles to go anywhere, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star, who suggests last year’s No. 9 overall pick is virtually untouchable. Smith’s advice for how to react to any trade rumors involving Murray-Boyles? “Stop reading, delete that source from every aspect of your reading/social media network, and take a cleansing shower.”
NBA Invites 14 Prospects To Draft Green Room
A total of 14 draft-eligible players have been invited to the NBA’s green room for the 2026 draft so far, according to Jeremy Woo of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the first round of invitations was sent out on Tuesday.
The 14 prospects who have been invited to the green room are as follows, sorted by their rank on ESPN’s big board:
AJ Dybantsa (BYU)- Darryn Peterson (Kansas)
- Cameron Boozer (Duke)
- Caleb Wilson (UNC)
- Keaton Wagler (Illinois)
- Darius Acuff (Arkansas)
- Mikel Brown (Louisville)
- Kingston Flemings (Houston)
- Nate Ament (Tennessee)
- Aday Mara (Michigan)
- Brayden Burries (Arizona)
- Karim Lopez (Mexico)
- Labaron Philon (Alabama)
- Christian Anderson (Texas Tech)
A pair of Mara’s former Wolverines teammates, Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 12) and Morez Johnson (No. 14), are the only players ranked in the lottery on ESPN’s board who have yet to be invited to the green room. However, it seems safe to assume their invitations are still coming — the league typically sends out those invites in two or three waves.
The players invited to the green room can typically feel pretty confident about their chances to be first-round picks, since the league only decides who to invite after asking teams to vote on the 25 prospects whom they expect to come off the board first. Still, it’s not always a lock. In 2024, for instance, green room invitees Kyle Filipowski and Johnny Furphy had to wait until the second day of the draft to hear their names called.
In 2025, all 24 prospects who were invited to the green room by the NBA for the first day of the draft were among the 30 first-round picks. The league subsequently invited 12 more players to be in the green room for the second round a day later.
Draft Rumors: Wizards, Dybantsa, Ament, Burries, Johnson, More
While the Wizards continue to evaluate their options with the first overall pick and have not yet decided who they’ll select, sources around the NBA continue to think BYU wing AJ Dybantsa is their “most likely target,” according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.
Regardless of where he ends up, Dybantsa believes his new team could make a quick rise up the standings, similar to what’s happened with the Spurs the past couple seasons, writes Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press.
“It won’t take that long, especially with my adaptability and my work ethic,” Dybantsa said Monday. “I think that will be, I’m not going to say easy, but pretty similar to what these guys do in terms of the forecast.”
Vecenie’s mock draft features several other bits of sourced intel and speculation. He writes that there’s a good deal of intrigue about what the Clippers (fifth) and Nets (sixth) will do right after the top four.
Both teams have been linked to the several guards projected to go in that range, Vecenie notes, and there have been rumors about both clubs exploring the possibility of moving down as well. Los Angeles and Brooklyn have also been connected to Michigan center Aday Mara, Vecenie adds, though it’s not clear if that would be in a trade-down scenario.
Here are a few more rumors ahead of the draft, which will take place June 23-24:
- Both Vecenie and Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints have heard rumblings about the Nets potentially being interested in Nate Ament. As Vecenie writes, last year’s draft showed that Brooklyn’s front office is less concerned with position and more interested in adding players it has highest on its board. With that in mind, Vecenie has the Nets selecting Darius Acuff, though Vecenie acknowledges that’s more based on him viewing the Arkansas star as the best available player at that spot rather than any inside knowledge of the way Brooklyn might be leaning.
- The Hawks (eighth) have explored trade-down scenarios, Vecenie writes, and while they could use a long-term replacement for Trae Young, Vecenie has them selecting Mara.
- Vecenie and Siegel both have the Mavericks taking Brayden Burries with the ninth pick. Siegel cites speculation that Burries’ agents at Klutch Sports are trying to angle their client to Dallas, while Vecenie says other lottery clubs are trying to figure out why the Arizona guard hasn’t worked out for many teams. Either way, Burries is expected to draw interest from teams trying to win next season, according to Vecenie, who hears the Mavericks are exploring a number of possibilities at No. 9.
- Vecenie has gotten the impression that Yaxel Lendeborg might fall out of the lottery, possibly because he’s the oldest player projected to go in that range. Siegel has heard similar speculation, writing that the Michigan forward’s floor appears to be either Oklahoma City (No. 17) or Charlotte (No. 18).
- On the other hand, both Vecenie and Siegel suggest Lendeborg’s teammate Morez Johnson is a player on the rise, with sources telling ClutchPoints some teams view the Wolverines forward/center as a lottery lock. Vecenie thinks Johnson is unlikely to fall past 15th, which is one spot outside of the lottery. For what it’s worth, both authors have the Hornets selecting Johnson 14th overall.
- Ament, Karim Lopez, Chris Cenac, Jayden Quaintance and Ebuka Okorie are among the prospects who appear to have a wide draft range, according to Vecenie. Lopez, for instance, could be in play anywhere from No. 11 to around No. 25.
Scout Discusses Building Around Cooper Flagg
The Mavericks are entering an important offseason as they look to build their team around star rookie Cooper Flagg. They have the ninth, 30th, and 48th overall picks in the 2026 draft, along with a new front office headlined by new president Masai Ujiri and first-time general manager Mike Schmitz.
NBA draft scout James Barlowe spoke recently about the options facing Dallas this summer as they look to add another cornerstone alongside Flagg, per Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal.
Barlowe points to more consistent outside shooting as a need for the team moving forward. He highlights Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville), Kingston Flemings (Houston), Brayden Burries (Arizona), and Nate Ament (Tennessee) as likely top options when the Mavs are on the board, and calls Brown the top long-term guard prospect, given his ceiling as a shooter and play-maker. Brown is seventh on ESPN’s big board by Jeremy Woo, with Flemings ranked one spot lower at No. 8.
As teams like the Knicks, Spurs, and Thunder have shown, having as many players as possible with positional size who can dribble, pass, and shoot can make a huge difference in terms of injecting versatility and unpredictability in a team’s offense, which is why Barlowe says the team shouldn’t hesitate if Brown is available when they’re at the podium.
While Ujiri has a reputation for valuing positional size above all things, due largely to the team he built in Toronto, Barlowe calls that an oversimplification, saying, “He’s a rule changer instead of a rule follower.”
The Mavs also face a decision on Kyrie Irving, who is expected to be healthy after missing this season with an ACL tear. They could value Irving as a scorer and play-maker alongside Flagg, in which case it would behoove them to draft a guard who could play alongside Irving until it’s time to inherit more responsibility. However, Barlowe also believes that a smart front office would at least explore what Irving could return in trade if it helps continue to build a young foundation around Flagg.
Another option for Dallas would be to look into moving down in the draft, either with pick No. 9 or 30, to continue compiling future assets — the Mavs have very limited access to future draft picks after this summer.
Draft Notes: Dybantsa, Acuff, Ament, Alexis, Hoosiers
In a one-on-one interview with Ari Alexander of 7News Boston (Twitter video link), AJ Dybantsa praised both the Wizards and the Jazz and said he was confident he’ll end up being the No. 1 overall pick in a few weeks, as Jackson Payne of The Deseret News relays. Washington controls the first pick and Utah holds the second.
The former BYU star, who’s widely projected to be a top-two pick, pointed out that trades are always a possibility and said he’ll be content no matter where he ends up.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” Dybantsa told Alexander. “Anyone can trade up, anyone can trade down, but I’m going to be happy with anybody.”
Here’s more on the 2026 NBA draft:
- Darius Acuff, a projected mid-lottery pick, was in Chicago on Friday for a workout with the Bulls, reports Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). The ex-Arkansas guard also worked out for the Nets on Wednesday and has upcoming sessions with the Jazz and Bucks, according to Wasserman. Acuff is coming off one of the most productive seasons for a freshman guard in NCAA history, though there are question marks about his defense. Chicago, which held a workout on Tuesday featuring four other possible lottery picks, controls the fourth and 15th selections in the first round, while Brooklyn holds the sixth pick and Milwaukee has the 10th.
- While there has been chatter about the Nets being high on Nate Ament, the projected lottery pick hasn’t worked out for Brooklyn to this point, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). The 6’10” forward is another one-and-done prospect, having spent his freshman season at Tennessee.
- Indiana forward Sam Alexis said he’s in regular communication with former Hoosiers teammates Tucker DeVries and Lamar Wilkerson, who are also regulars in the pre-draft workout circuit, per Tony East of Forbes and Circle City Spin (Twitter video link). Alexis, a senior in 2025/26, worked out for the Pacers on Friday. He said the ex-Hoosiers are helping one another prepare by sending tips about what each team likes to do during the sessions. “It’s helpful,” Alexis said. “It’s a lot. (It helps) you mentally prepare for (the workout).” When asked by East if he wanted to be the first player to attend a team’s workout to help DeVries and Wilkerson, Alexis smirked. “Nah, I want to be the last one,” he said with a laugh.
Central Notes: Bulls, Pacers, Cavaliers’ Offseason
The Bulls hosted a pre-draft workout on Tuesday featuring Keaton Wagler (Illinois), Kingston Flemings (Houston), Nate Ament (Tennessee) and Morez Johnson (Michigan), league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports.
Chicago currently controls the fourth, 15th, 38th and 56th picks in this year’s draft, which will take place on June 23 and June 24. Wagler, Flemings and Ament are all projected lottery picks, while Johnson has been moving up draft boards and could go in the top 14 as well.
Since none of those prospects are expected to go in the top four, rival teams are curious whether the Bulls might be open to moving down from No. 4 or possibly move up from No. 15 to add a second lottery pick, O’Connor writes.
We have more from around the Central:
- Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times examines the forwards who are under currently under contract with the Bulls, including the impending free agents, writing that Leonard Miller deserves to have his $2.4MM team option exercised after he flashed some intriguing tools down the stretch last season. While Chicago would probably be happy to part Patrick Williams, the $54MM he’s owed over the next three seasons makes his contact “unmovable,” in Cowley’s view.
- The Pacers were originally planning to host Purdue point guard Braden Smith and California forward Chris Bell as part of Friday’s group workout, but they will be replaced by UMBC guard DJ Armstrong and Kansas guard Tre White, the team announced (via Twitter). No reason for the change was given. The Pacers don’t currently control a draft pick, though it’s possible the team could acquire one (or more). Smith, an Indiana native, was a consensus All-America selection each of the past two seasons and is ranked No. 38 on ESPN’s big board.
- The Cavaliers have some difficult decisions to make this summer after a somewhat disappointing 2025/26 campaign, Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron (Substack link) writes in his offseason preview. Cleveland was the only team to finish over the second tax apron in ’25/26, Gozlan observes, which means the team’s 2033 first-round pick will be “frozen” (unable to be traded) for multiple seasons. Moving below the second apron figures to be a high priority for the Cavaliers, likely with the assistance of a lower cap hit for James Harden, Gozlan adds. Operating over the first but under the second apron would allow Cleveland to aggregate salaries in trades, among other eased restrictions.
Thunder Notes: SGA, Caruso, Game 7, Ament
Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had an underwhelming Western Conference finals to this point, largely struggling against San Antonio’s smothering defense, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscriber link).
The reigning back-to-back MVP also hasn’t converted the looks he normally makes, Martinez notes. During the regular season, the Canadian guard shot 55% when he was open (defined as 4-6 feet of space), but he’s only converting 37% of his open looks against the Spurs.
“I’m not too sure, to be honest,” Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked why his shots aren’t falling at their usual rate. “A lot of the shots that I’m shooting, I’ve shot plenty of times before, and they feel good. They’re just not going in.”
Gilgeous-Alexander was visibly tired after Thursday’s Game 6 loss in San Antonio, according to Martinez, but the 27-year-old is confident he and the team will bounce back in Saturday’s do-or-die Game 7 in Oklahoma City.
“It’s too late to abandon my work, my game and who I am this late in the season,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I’ve got to trust it and live or die by it.”
Here’s more on the Thunder:
- While Gilgeous-Alexander has struggled with his shot, the opposite has been true for veteran Alex Caruso, who’s averaging 15.3 points per game while knocking down 55.6% of his three-pointers through six games against the Spurs. For context, the 32-year-old averaged 6.2 PPG and shot a career-low 29.3% on threes in 56 regular season games, well below his career rate of 36.5%. Caruso never questions the competitiveness of his teammates, per Martinez (Twitter video link). “It puts you at ease knowing you’re going to get the best from each guy. They’re going to go out there and put their best foot forward and do what they need to do to sacrifice for the team and try to win the game, which is all you can do,” Caruso said. “All you can ask for is to go out there and play your best and let the results fall where they may. Looking around the locker room, there’s no doubt in my mind that the guys are ready to go to war for each other.”
- Aside from the double-overtime classic in Game 1, the other five games of the Western Conference finals have been pretty lopsided, with an average margin of victory of 17 points, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes in his preview of Game 7. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports also previews the Game 7 matchup between the Spurs and Thunder, noting that OKC doesn’t believe being at home will be a major advantage. “Anything can happen in a Game 7,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s win or go home. It being in your building is nice, but it doesn’t really mean anything. You have to go out there and be the better basketball team or else your season’s done and that’s what it comes down to.”
- Projected lottery pick Nate Ament confirmed to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports that he had a 1-on-0 workout with the Thunder earlier this week (Twitter video link). The Tennessee forward said the workout was “super tough endurance wise.” Oklahoma City currently controls the 12th, 17th and 37th picks in June’s draft, though there have been rumors that the team might try to move up.
Draft Rumors: Thunder, Boozer, Bulls, Warriors, Lendeborg, Mavs
Two executives who spoke to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints about next month’s draft suggested they could envision the Thunder packaging several assets, including this year’s 12th and 17th overall picks, in order to try to trade into the top four to land Duke forward Cameron Boozer.
However, it seems unlikely that any teams near the top of the draft would be amenable to such a deal for a few reasons. For one, this year’s top four prospects are considered to be in a tier of their own. It’s also probably safe to assume that no teams will be eager to help the defending champion Thunder land another potential franchise cornerstone on a rookie scale deal unless they’re significantly overpaying to do so.
For what it’s worth, the Bulls – who have the No. 4 overall pick – would only have interest in trading that selection if they were moving up, not down, sources tell Siegel.
Even if the Thunder aren’t able to move that high in the draft, there’s an “overwhelming belief” that they won’t simply remain at No. 12 and No. 17 and draft two rookies, Siegel writes. Oklahoma City is expected to be aggressive on the trade market, which could mean trading one or both of those picks either to move up or for future draft assets.
Here are a few more draft-related rumors from Siegel:
- If they hang onto the No. 11 pick, the expectation is that the Warriors will be targeting a prospect who can step in and contribute right away. According to Siegel, Golden State is hoping this offseason to add an “impactful” guard who can play on or off the ball next to Stephen Curry, though that may not happen in the draft — Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton have been mentioned by league sources as the types of veteran free agents the team may be looking at.
- The Warriors (No. 11), Hornets (Nos. 14 and 18), Spurs (No. 20), and Pistons (No. 21) are among the teams with interest in Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg, Siegel reports. With the exception of Golden State, each of those clubs might have to trade up to have a shot at drafting Lendeborg, since he’s widely projected to be a late lottery pick. Multiple sources tell Siegel that Charlotte’s interest in Lendeborg is considered “real” and they’ll explore the possibility of moving up.
- Based on the fact that Masai Ujiri has long prioritized length and athleticism, league sources who have spoken to Siegel have identified Tennessee’s Nate Ament and Baylor’s Cameron Carr as two potential targets to watch for the Mavericks, who control the ninth overall pick.
Draft Rumors: Wizards, Jazz, Mara, Bucks, Nets, Kings, Suns
While AJ Dybantsa has emerged as the “presumptive favorite” to be selected No. 1 overall in next month’s draft and is the first player off the board in the latest mock draft from ESPN, Jeremy Woo reiterates that rival teams don’t view the BYU forward as a lock to be taken by the Wizards with the top pick.
As Woo writes, there’s a consensus top four in the 2026 draft, with Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson joining Dybantsa in that group. However, there isn’t a consensus No. 1. Peterson goes No. 2 to the Jazz in Woo’s mock, followed by Boozer at No. 3 (Grizzlies) and Wilson at No. 4 (Bulls).
Team sources tell Woo that Peterson “came across as quiet but serious” in interviews at last week’s combine and “handled that part of the process well.” Peterson faced questions about the cramping issues that plagued his freshman season at Kansas, Woo writes, and NBA clubs are still waiting for his medicals.
There was plenty of chatter about the Jazz potentially moving up to No. 1 at the combine, according to Woo, who says any talk on that front is speculative at this time. Like Sarah Todd of The Deseret News, Woo suggests the Jazz are far more likely to stay at No. 2 and take the best player available rather than trade up.
Here are some more rumors on the upcoming draft:
- Michigan center Aday Mara, one of the stars of the NCAA tournament as the Wolverines won their first championship since 1989, is selected by the Hawks with the eighth pick in Woo’s mock. Atlanta is expected to consider several guard prospects at that spot, but the Spanish big man is rising up draft boards and is considered a lock to be selected in the lottery, Woo reports.
- Milwaukee only controls the 10th pick in the 2026 draft, but rival teams tell Woo that the Bucks have been acting as though they’ll end up with multiple selections. As Woo notes, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last week that the Bucks are listening to trade offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo, with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps citing a growing belief around the league that the two-time MVP will be moved before the draft.
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports has also updated his mock draft, and although he has Brooklyn taking Illinois guard Keaton Wagler at No. 6, he hears from league sources that the Nets have been connected to Mara and Tennessee forward Nate Ament. Woo has also heard the Nets aren’t considered a lock to take a guard, and suggests Brooklyn will consider moving up or down in the draft. For what’s worth, Woo and O’Connor both have Ament going 10th overall to the Bucks.
- The Kings, who control the seventh pick, are “widely believed” to be targeting Arkansas guard Darius Acuff, according to ESPN and Yahoo Sports. As O’Connor writes, there are several connections between Acuff and Sacramento’s front office, plus the Kings need a point guard.
- Phoenix currently only has one pick (47th overall), but league sources tell O’Connor the Suns will explore the possibility of acquiring a first-round selection.
Southeast Notes: Hawks’ Draft Picks, Jakucionis, Magic
The Hawks will likely have at least a couple top guard prospects available to choose from when they’re on the clock with the eighth overall pick, writes Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscriber link).
Atlanta found success in the second half of last season without using a traditional point guard, but if the team wants to find a play-maker to replace Trae Young, Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown and Brayden Burries are among the players who could still be on the board.
If the Hawks decide to go with a wing or a big man, Nate Ament, Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg and Jayden Quaintance could be options, as Cunningham and his Atlanta Journal-Constitution colleague Lauren Williams suggest (subscription required).
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- In the same story, Williams lists a handful of players the Hawks might consider with their second first-round pick at No. 23 overall. Houston big man Chris Cenac, Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz and Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson are a few of the prospects mentioned. Atlanta also controls a late second-round selection (No. 57), Williams notes.
- Kasparas Jakucionis opened his rookie season in the G League, but he became a Heat rotation regular about a third of the way into 2025/26, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The Lithuanian guard, who turns 20 years old later this month, impressed head coach Erik Spoelstra with his work ethic and competitiveness. Now the 2025 first-round pick is trying to level up his game this offseason. “Just get stronger in the weight room,” said Jakucionis. “And then on the ball and off the ball, just work on my handles, try to get tight on my handles, get into the paint with two feet, try to make the right read from there. Get some more paint touches, for sure. And off the ball, it’s just about spacing, shooting, and running basically.”
- Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel examines what moves the Magic might make this offseason aside from hiring a new head coach to replace Jamahl Mosley. Pulling off another major trade might be more complicated since the Magic have fewer draft assets at their disposal after last summer’s Desmond Bane blockbuster, Beede observes, and their free agent additions might be limited to minimum-salary players due to their financial situation.