Western Notes: Warriors, Jazz, Fleming, Plumlee
The Warriors‘ dynasty is looking increasingly difficult to replicate in the tax apron era, observes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Many around the league thought the Thunder had an excellent chance to become the first repeat champion since Golden State went back-to-back in 2017 and 2018, but they were eliminated in the Western Conference finals by San Antonio.
The Spurs, who have a player in Victor Wembanyama unlike any other in NBA history, are now in a 2-0 deficit against the Knicks, who feature a lineup full of veterans that have won 13 straight playoff games. Regardless of which team wins the NBA Finals, it will be the league’s eighth different champion in eight years.
The Warriors won three titles and made five consecutive trips to the Finals at the end of the last decade. No team has even made two straight trips to the Finals, let alone won back-to-back championships, since Golden State did it during that five-year span.
“Just mindset,” Shaun Livingston, who was on all of those teams, told Poole. “We wanted to win over everything — and be remembered for such. We knew we had a moment, so we could squeeze the juice.”
As Poole notes, that dynasty was set up by a unique contract situation, as Stephen Curry was the fourth-highest paid player on the team when he won back-to-back MVPs in 2015 and 2016. That, combined with a huge cap spike, which was barred in the latest CBA, enabled the Warriors to sign Kevin Durant in the 2016 offseason.
“That’s a huge reason,” Livingston said.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- After moving up to No. 2 in the draft lottery, the Jazz will face a difficult yet welcome decision regarding their starting lineup, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Assuming Walker Kessler is re-signed and ready to play by the start of next season following shoulder surgery, he will “definitely” join Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in Utah’s massive starting frontcourt, Todd writes. The other two starters will likely come down to Keyonte George, Ace Bailey and whomever the Jazz select with the second overall pick.
- Rasheer Fleming showed flashes of upside as a rookie in 2025/26 and the Suns forward is hoping to take strides forward this summer, he told Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “Just keep progressing on my game,” Fleming said. “Overall, just working on different areas of my game. My shot. Handle. Making reads. Slowing down. Just everything overall for me. The defense is going to keep progressing. Just working on a little bit of everything.” Fleming said that while he’d welcome a chance to earn a starting role, he’s more focused on holistic improvement. The 31st overall pick of last year’s draft plans to play in Summer League, he confirmed to Rankin. “It’s going to be really good,” he said. “Especially having those NBA reps now. I’m excited. It’s going to be fun. Last year, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I didn’t play much, but this year, it’s going to be really good.”
- In an interview with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, veteran center Mason Plumlee talks about his time with the Hornets and what his role has been with the Spurs.
Suns Notes: Offseason, Free Agents, Rookies, Ishbia
Within his Suns offseason preview at the Third Apron (Substack link), Yossi Gozlan writes that Phoenix should “seriously consider” reconstructing its roster by trading its top players — including Devin Booker — to acquire draft picks.
As Gozlan explains, the Suns far exceeded external expectations by winning 45 games in 2025/26, ultimately advancing to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. However, he thinks the current roster is “likely at its ceiling,” which is why he advocates for a tear-down.
Despite being something of a feel-good story this season, the Suns still have a relatively bleak long-term outlook, according to Gozlan, because they have so few valuable assets and an unenviable cap situation. In no small part because of the dead money owed to Bradley Beal, Phoenix will have to dump salary to avoid the luxury tax just to try and re-sign some of its own free agents, a group that includes Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Mark Williams.
Gozlan acknowledges the team appears unlikely to trade Booker and other veterans like Dillon Brooks, but says there’s a good chance that both of those players’ values could be at high points right now, and moving off Booker’s salary in particular would create far more financial flexibility going forward.
Here’s more on the Suns:
- In a story breaking down each player’s role and contract situation ahead of 2026/27, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (subscription required) reports that the Suns and Gillespie are already discussing a new contract, and hears the 26-year-old point guard could sign a deal worth $40MM over four years. As for starting center Williams, who will be a restricted free agent if he’s given a $9.6MM qualifying offer, Rankin suggests he’s not a lock to return next season. For what it’s worth, Gozlan viewed Williams as a sign-and-trade candidate, pointing to the Bulls as a team that could make sense as a suitor.
- It will be an important offseason for Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea, who just finished their rookie campaigns, Rankin states in another article (subscriber link). Maluach could become Phoenix’s starting center next season if the team decides not to retain Williams, while Fleming has a chance to become the starting power forward if he can improve some of his weaknesses, Rankin writes. As for Brea, who spent this season on a two-way deal, he’ll have to take significant strides forward if he wants to crack the rotation in ’26/27.
- In an exclusive interview with Rankin (subscription required), owner Mat Ishbia acknowledges other teams will have interest in the aforementioned free agent trio, but says the team would like to retain them and the feeling is mutual. He also stands behind the decision to trade Kevin Durant to Houston last year. “We knew we had to do it, to make the trade. We knew we were going to make the trade. What we had to do is make sure we got the right things that were aligned with our identity,” Ishbia told Rankin. “We look at it, we got four guys. We got Dillon, Jalen (Green), Khaman and Rasheer because we used those picks to get the 31st pick (in the second round). Those players, could they all start next year, could they start the year after? Those are all four great players. So we feel great about what we did. … I think we did a very good job with it. You look at it now, it turned out to be a great trade for us. Not everyone said that the day we did it, but it turned out to be a fantastic trade for us and a huge part of our resetting our identity with those guys and building for the future as well.”
Suns Notes: Green, Booker, Williams, Allen, Fleming, Brooks
Injuries prevented Jalen Green from contributing to the Suns for most of the season, but he made up for it with 36 points and eight three-pointers in Friday’s play-in victory over Golden State, writes Doug Haller of The Athletic. It was a satisfying performance for Green, who was limited to 32 regular season games, mostly due to a hamstring injury he suffered during training camp that led to a long and frustrating healing process.
“Getting injured in the first place, coming back,” he recalled. “Getting injured again, coming back. I think it happened like three or four times. It was hard.”
Green admitted that he enjoyed eliminating the Warriors, who defeated his Houston team in seven games last year in his first playoff appearance. Even so, he was grateful for a post-game chat with Stephen Curry, whom he credits for helping to develop his game, relays Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“He was just telling me to handle business in OKC,” Green said. “Coming from Steph, it means a lot to chop it up with him and just hear from him at the end of the day, just because I was maybe 16 years old when he was having me come out to Oakland just to work out with him. So he’s kind of been somewhat of a mentor. I was able to get his number and reach out throughout these years. So he’s been kind of something like a mentor. And playing against him is always great. He’s one of the greatest shooters — greatest players of all time.”
There’s more from Phoenix:
- Devin Booker and Draymond Green both got tossed from Friday’s game after a prolonged shouting match late in the fourth quarter, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Booker downplayed the heated exchange in a post-game session with the media. “It’s nothing man,” he said. “I’ve been there before and I understand the situation. My big brother used to beat me in NBA Live back in the day and I’d throw a fit. He’s a competitor. He loves the sport.”
- Mark Williams (left foot soreness) and Grayson Allen (left hamstring) are listed as questionable for Sunday’s series opener at Oklahoma City, Rankin states in a separate story. Both players sat out Friday’s game, although Williams played 22 minutes in Tuesday’s play-in contest against Portland. Allen, who was injured on April 10, was on the active roster on Friday but wasn’t used.
- Rasheer Fleming looks like part of the Suns’ future after a promising rookie season, Rankin adds in another piece. Phoenix traded up to the top of the second round in last year’s draft to get Fleming, who made his first career start in the season finale and posted 16 points. “It’s been a great experience, honestly, on both ends,” he said. “For me to be able to watch and to be able to be on the floor throughout the season, it’s been great.”
- The Suns’ playoff appearance will result in a $1MM bonus for Dillon Brooks, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). The bonus had been classified as unlikely because Phoenix didn’t qualify for the postseason last year.
Pacific Notes: Porzingis, Dunleavy, I. Jackson, Fleming
Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis is optimistic he’ll be able to play more often to close the 2025/26 season, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN. After missing six games because of an illness, the Latvian big man returned to action on Saturday against Oklahoma City, finishing with nine points, five rebounds, five assists and a block in 23 minutes.
“I believe I will be healthy now,” Porzingis said. “This is what I really feel. Not to sell anything because I’ve been in and out, out again. But this time, I really feel this is it.”
Porzingis’ health issues date back to last season with the Celtics when he contracted a virus that limited his availability down the stretch. He told The Athletic prior to this season that he was eventually diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). The malady, combined with injury issues, limited him to 17 games with the Hawks before he was traded to Golden State last month.
“Especially getting traded somewhere else, I wanted to get out there as soon as possible,” Porzingis said. “Sitting out a couple games was stinging me a little bit. Today was OK. Feeling a little heavy, shot not in a good rhythm yet.”
As Slater notes, head coach Steve Kerr caused a stir last week when he said he was told Porzingis didn’t have POTS, calling it “misinformation.” Kerr later called it a “stupid mistake” to talk about Porzingis’ health.
“It wasn’t ideal,” Porzingis said of Kerr’s mix-up. “Because it put something out again, so people start talking again. I told Steve it was OK. I know he didn’t mean anything, didn’t want to create hype around my health. He just said what he knew at the moment.”
Veteran forward/center Draymond Green complimented Porzingis after Saturday’s loss, tweets Nick Friedell of The Athletic.
“The game’s a lot easier when he’s on the floor,” Green said.
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- Appearing on 95.7 FM’s Willard and Dibs show, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. explained his rationale for acquiring Porzingis, as Will Simonds of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. “I think the thought process for us on the trade was the opportunity to get a player of his quality, who, when healthy, is pretty good, pretty unique,” Dunleavy said in part. “Like, what he can do on the defensive end, what he can do on the offensive end. And then we had to calculate what we thought the ability and the chances of him being healthy and playing a bunch for us. We felt pretty good about that. We still do.” Porzingis is expected to play on Tuesday against Chicago after sitting out Monday’s loss at Utah.
- Clippers big man Isaiah Jackson is getting an opportunity to play after Yanic Konan Niederhauser was ruled out for the season due to a foot injury, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Head coach Tyronn Lue was pleased with Jackson’s performance after Saturday’s road victory in Memphis, when the the 24-year-old had 12 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and a block in 25 minutes. “Just how he plays hard. He plays hard and competes,” Lue said of Jackson, whom the Clippers acquired last month in a trade with Indiana. “He’s a guy that can switch and guard the basketball, offensive rebound, runs the floor, and can get behind the defense on pick-and-rolls. Tonight, like I said, it was just a game for him, and we needed his athleticism and his ability to switch. He did a good job for us.”
- Suns forward Rasheer Fleming hasn’t played much as a rookie this season, but the 31st overall pick in last year’s draft capitalized on his opportunity during Sunday’s win over Charlotte, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Fleming had a career-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in a career-high 23 minutes off the bench. “It was super impressive,” star guard Devin Booker said. “Just the willingness to wait for his moment and seize it. He’s still all ears and he still wants to learn more. He’s got a big effect on winning basketball games.“
Suns’ Rasheer Fleming Discusses Goals For Rookie Season
There was reportedly a minor bidding war for Rasheer Fleming ahead of day two of this year’s draft, with teams vying to move up to No. 31 to select the former Saint Joseph’s forward. The Suns won that bidding war by sending Minnesota the No. 36 pick and a pair of future second-rounders.
Fleming is coming off an impressive junior season in which he averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks per game in 35 appearances (31.1 minutes), with a shooting line of .531/.390/.743. In July, Phoenix signed the 21-year-old to a four-year, $8.7MM contract using the second-round pick exception. He got three fully guaranteed years, with a fourth-year team option.
In a recent interview with Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Fleming discussed a handful of topics, including his approach to his rookie season.
“Honestly, my main goal is obviously be the best player I can be, but I think I can do that by starting off on the defensive end,” said Fleming, who emphasized that his offense would develop from there.
First-year head coach Jordan Ott has similar expectations for the young power forward.
“He’s really high on me on the defensive end and getting me on the floor doing that,” Fleming said of Ott. “He sees the potential offensively, too, but his main focus for me is, he was telling me the other day, to focus on getting us more possessions. Whether that’s defensively, like getting steals, guarding people, defensive rebounds or on the offensive end with offensive boards. Just getting us more possessions.”
Rankin notes that Fleming made three appearances during Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 7.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals while shooting 50.0% from the field and 36.4% from long distance in 16.8 minutes per game.
“It was a great experience overall,” Fleming told Rankin. “I know it’s not technically an NBA floor, but just to be in the NBA-type of game. It was a fun and good experience for me. Just getting the feel and the pace of the NBA game and getting ready for the season. It was really cool.”
As for what he’s currently focused on, the New Jersey native said he’s trying to improve his on-court decision-making by being a little more methodical.
“I’m trying to not slow down in the sense of running slow or anything like that, but just slowing my pace down a little bit,” Fleming said. “I feel like I’m rushing sometimes when I’m doing certain things like when I’m shooting sometimes or about to make a decision. Just slowing things down a little bit and I’ve been getting really good at that over time in practice. I’ve just been slowing my pace down a little bit.”
Suns Sign Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, Koby Brea
The Suns have officially signed all three of their 2025 draft picks, according to NBA.com’s transaction log. That trio consists of No. 10 overall pick Khaman Maluach, No. 31 pick Rasheer Fleming, and No. 41 selection Koby Brea.
That No. 10 pick was one of the primary assets the Suns received from Houston in their blockbuster Kevin Durant deal. While Maluach was widely expected to come off the board in the top eight picks on June 24, he slipped to No. 10, giving Phoenix an opportunity to nab its potential center of the future.
Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 21.2 minutes per contest during his first and only college season at Duke. While his box-score numbers don’t jump off the page, the 18-year-old has an impressive frame (a height of 7’1″ and a wingspan of 7’7″), is one of the youngest players in this year’s draft class, and has the potential to excel in the NBA as a defensive anchor and a rim-runner and lob threat on offense.
Maluach’s rookie scale deal is expected to pay him roughly $6MM in his rookie season and a total of $27.4MM across his first four years in the NBA, as our breakdown of this year’s rookie scale shows.
There was a minor bidding war for Fleming ahead of day two of this year’s draft, with teams vying to move up to No. 31 to select the former Saint Joseph’s forward. Phoenix won that bidding war by sending Minnesota the No. 36 pick and a pair of future second-rounders.
Fleming is coming off an impressive junior season in which he averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks per game in 35 appearances (31.1 minutes), with a shooting line of .531/.390/.743. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), he signed a four-year, $8.7MM deal using the second-round pick exception and got three fully guaranteed years, with a fourth-year team option.
As for Brea, Phoenix drafted him after trading up to No. 41 using the 52nd and 59th overall picks in a deal with the Warriors. The 6’7″ wing, who played four seasons at Dayton before spending his fifth and final college season with Kentucky, is an excellent shooter, having made 317-of-730 (43.4%) three-pointers during his NCAA career.
Brea signed a two-way contract.
Seven-Team Kevin Durant Trade Officially Finalized
The seven-team trade that sends star forward Kevin Durant and free agent big man Clint Capela (via sign-and-trade) to Houston is now official, according to press releases from several teams, including the Rockets.
“Having played against Kevin and coached him before, I know he’s the type of competitor who fits with what we’ve been building here in Houston,” head coach Ime Udoka said in a statement. “His skill level, love of basketball, and dedication to his craft have made him one of the most respected players of his generation, and my staff and I are excited to work with him.”
The move sets a new NBA record for most teams involved in a single trade. The terms of the deal are as follows:
- Rockets acquire:
- Kevin Durant (from Suns)
- Clint Capela (sign-and-trade; from Hawks)
- Suns acquire:
- Jalen Green (from Rockets)
- Dillon Brooks (from Rockets)
- Daeqwon Plowden (from Hawks)
- The draft rights to Khaman Maluach (No. 10 pick; from Rockets)
- The draft rights to Rasheer Fleming (No. 31 pick; from Timberwolves)
- The draft rights to Koby Brea (No. 41 pick; from Warriors)
- Either the Thunder’s, Mavericks’, or Sixers’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable; from Rockets)
- Lakers acquire:
- The draft rights to Adou Thiero (No. 36 pick; from Nets)
- Warriors acquire:
- The draft rights to Alex Toohey (No. 52 pick; from Suns) and the draft rights to Jahmai Mashack (No. 59 pick; from Rockets)
- Note: Mashack’s rights will be sent to the Grizzlies in a subsequent trade.
- The draft rights to Alex Toohey (No. 52 pick; from Suns) and the draft rights to Jahmai Mashack (No. 59 pick; from Rockets)
- Timberwolves acquire:
- The draft rights to Rocco Zikarsky (No. 45 pick; from Lakers)
- Either the Warriors’ or Nuggets’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Suns)
- Either the Suns’ or Rockets’ 2032 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable; from Suns/Rockets)
- Note: The Suns, not the Rockets, retain the least favorable of the two picks.
- Cash (from Lakers).
- Note: $3.25MM, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
- Nets acquire:
- Either the Clippers’ 2026 second-round pick or the most favorable of the Celtics’, Pacers’, and Heat’s 2026 second-round picks (whichever is least favorable; from Rockets)
- The Celtics’ 2030 second-round pick (from Rockets)
- Hawks acquire:
- David Roddy (from Rockets)
- The right to swap their own 2031 second-round pick for the Rockets’ 2031 second-round pick (56-60 protected; from Rockets)
- Cash (from Rockets)
- Note: $85,300, per Marks (Twitter link).
Word first broke on Wednesday that the Durant trade was being expanded to be completed as a seven-team deal. For the most part, it was just a matter of folding separate draft-night trade agreements into a single transaction.
In addition to the original Durant blockbuster (story), this transaction incorporates trade agreements between the Suns and Nets (story), Suns and Warriors (story), Suns and Timberwolves (story), and Lakers and Timberwolves (story), as well as the sign-and-trade deal sending Capela from the Hawks to the Rockets (story).
The only two new additions to this deal are Plowden and Roddy, who are both entering the second year of two-way contracts. The addition of Plowden ensures that the Hawks are “touching” a second team besides Houston in the deal. He’s being waived by the Suns, reports Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
In exchange for sending out Plowden, the Hawks are filling that newly opened two-way slot with Roddy, a former first-round pick who spent more than half of the 2024/25 season in Atlanta on a standard contract.
Attaching the Capela sign-and-trade deal into this transaction has cap-related benefits for the Rockets, who would otherwise have had to send out a separate matching salary in order to sign Capela to his reported three-year, $21MM deal.
However, for the most part, amalgamating all those draft-night deals is just about streamlining the process for several teams, allowing them to take part in (or wait out) fewer trade calls and get their newly acquired rookies under contract sooner.
Knicks Notes: Free Agency, Diawara, Borrego, Coaching Search
Memphis shooting guard Luke Kennard and Detroit point guard Dennis Schröder are among the targets the Knicks could pursue in free agency, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Those are probably the best-case scenarios for New York given its limited resources, and there should be league-wide demand for both players, so the team may have to consider other options.
As Edwards explains, assuming they pick up Ariel Hukporti‘s $1.96MM option and decline a $3.5MM option on P.J. Tucker, the Knicks will have 10 players under contract with a total payroll of $196.3MM, which is already above the first apron and a little more than $10MM away from the second apron.
That leaves New York with the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception and minimum-salary contracts to fill out the roster, possibly along with second-round pick Mohamed Diawara.
Other free agents Edwards mentions as MLE possibilities are Cleveland guard Ty Jerome, Phoenix guard Tyus Jones and former Orlando guard Gary Harris. He adds that Knicks free agents Landry Shamet and Delon Wright could return on minimum salaries and points to Charlotte guard Seth Curry and Indiana center Thomas Bryant as other potential minimum-salary additions.
There’s more from New York:
- The Knicks haven’t decided if Diawara, a 20-year-old French power forward, will be with the team next season or if he’ll be stashed overseas, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. A league source tells Bondy that the Frenchman is expected to play in the Las Vegas Summer League next month. Diawara didn’t put up great numbers in France this season, but Bondy notes that the Knicks are intrigued by his athleticism and his 7’4″ wingspan. Bondy also hears that New York attempted to trade up for the top pick in the second round to grab St. Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming, who went to Phoenix instead.
- Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego‘s interview for the Knicks’ coaching vacancy will take place this weekend, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). He’ll be the fourth candidate to interview, joining Taylor Jenkins, Mike Brown and Micah Nori.
- Andy Miller, an NBA agent who represents several members of the Mavericks‘ coaching staff, recently criticized the Knicks for their unusual approach to their coaching search, which included asking permission to interview five head coaches who are already under contract, per Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. “I don’t really know where Jason Kidd is in his process with the Knicks,” Miller said on Sirius XM Radio, “because I don’t really know what the process is with the Knicks. … I don’t even know if the Knicks know what their process is.”
Suns To Acquire No. 31 Pick Rasheer Fleming From Timberwolves
7:20 pm: Fleming has officially been drafted at No. 31, using the pick the Suns agreed to acquire from Minnesota. Charania reported on ESPN’s draft broadcast (Twitter video link) that the Celtics were believed to be eyeing Fleming at No. 32, so Phoenix moved ahead of Boston in order to be able to select him.
6:01 pm: The Suns have reached their third trade agreement of the day, having struck a deal with the Timberwolves for the No. 31 overall pick, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Charania, in exchange for the first pick of the second round, Minnesota will receive No. 36 and a pair of future second-rounders from Phoenix. Those future second-rounders are the least favorable of the Nuggets’ and Warriors’ 2026 picks and the most favorable of the Suns’ and Rockets’ 2032 picks, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
Saint Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming is the top target for the Suns at No. 31, Charania adds (via Twitter). Fleming is coming off an impressive junior season in which he averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks per game in 35 appearances (31.1 minutes). He posted a shooting slash line of .531/.390/.743 for the Hawks.
According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), Fleming was a top-20 prospect on the Suns’ board entering the draft.
Phoenix came into the day with the 52nd and 59th overall picks in the second round, but was clearly intent on moving up. The Suns initially agreed to acquire No. 36 from Brooklyn for two future second-rounders before trading up from there to No. 31. The club also made a separate deal with the Warriors, sending Golden State No. 52 and No. 59 in exchange for No. 41.
For now then, the Suns appear poised to use the 31st overall pick on Fleming, then would be on the board 10 picks later at No. 41 — if they haven’t traded it before then.
None of these deals will be made official yet, since they involve picks the Suns are acquiring from Kevin Durant trade, which can’t be formally completed until July for salary-cap reasons.
12 Prospects Will Be In Green Room For Draft’s Second Round
After all 24 prospects who were invited to the green room for the first round of the 2025 NBA draft were selected on Wednesday, at least a dozen new prospects will be in the green room on Thursday for the second round, per the NBA.
As Steve Popper of Newsday relays (via Twitter), the following 12 players will be present in the green room at Barclays Center:
- Izan Almansa, F/C, Perth
- Koby Brea, G/F, Kentucky
- Johni Broome, C Auburn
- Rasheer Fleming, F, Saint Joseph’s
- Kameron Jones, G, Marquette
- Bogoljub Markovic, F/C, Mega Basket
- Alijah Martin, G, Florida
- Saliou Niang, G/F, Trento
- Micah Peavy, G/F, Georgetown
- Noah Penda, F, Le Mans
- Javon Small, G, West Virginia
- Adou Thiero, F, Arkansas
The NBA has already updated the list once to add one extra name (Penda), so it’s possible another player or two will be added before the draft resumes this evening. As Popper tweets, there are expected to be other draft-eligible prospects attending the event in the stands.
Not all of the players in the green room are consensus top-59 prospects — Alamansa and Niang were at No. 64 and No. 72, respectively on ESPN’s last pre-draft big board, for instance.
However, the second round is typically less predictable than the first round, with teams’ decisions sometimes hinging on what sort of contract a player is willing to accept. A prospect who is willing to accept a two-way contract offer might have a better chance of being drafted in the mid-to-late second round than one seeking guaranteed money and a 15-man roster spot. Certain teams may also be targeting players who are willing to play overseas for a year or two before getting an NBA opportunity.
Hopefully all 12 of the prospects listed above will hear their names called on Thursday night and no one is still left in the green room when the draft concludes.