Reed Sheppard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Kawhi, Morant, Sheppard, Blazers

January 9th, 2025 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking on Wednesday to reporters, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said that he was in full support of star forward Kawhi Leonard stepping away from the team to be with family who had been affected by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Lue added that “a few people on the staff” were also impacted by the fires and weren’t with the team in Denver on Wednesday.

“You definitely have to take care of home,” Lue said. “And so (Leonard) totally had my support, 100%. Going back, checking on his family and kids and making sure they’re well. And he got back, and they’re doing OK, so just happy and thankful for that.”

Leonard is still rounding into form after missing most of the first half of the season while recovering from an offseason procedure on his knee. Speaking to Law Murray of The Athletic, the two-time Finals MVP said his first two games back have felt like his “preseason.”

“I’m happy the knee is responding well. That’s what I’m more focused on than anything,” Leonard said. “But, you know, it’s hard to not want to be as aggressive as I want to be on the floor. It’s going to be a time to come. Once my lungs and my legs get there, start building up, I’ll start really assessing my play and seeing what I need to do better.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who has been out since December 27 due to a shoulder injury, has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Houston, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Memphis has lost three of the five games Morant has missed within the last couple weeks, so his return – whether it comes on Thursday or in another game or two – will be a welcome one.
After being assigned to the G League this week for the first time, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard responded exactly like you’d want a No. 3 overall pick to respond, racking up 49 points, eight 3-pointers, and eight assists in his first game with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Tuesday. Sheppard has had a hard time establishing himself as a regular rotation player this season for a deep Houston squad, but Tuesday’s performance in his NBAGL debut was a reminder of his upside as a scorer and shooter.
In his latest mailbag, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link) discusses various Trail Blazers topics, with a focus on trade scenarios. Highkin believes it would be in the Blazers’ best interests to move Jerami Grant before the February 6 deadline, though he acknowledges that trades involving players on big contracts have become more challenging in the current CBA landscape. Highkin still considers Grant the most likely of Portland’s top trade candidates to be moved, ahead of (in order) Anfernee Simons, Robert Williams, and Deandre Ayton.

Southwest Notes: Sheppard, Adams, Williamson, Murray, Grimes

January 6th, 2025 at 5:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Reed Sheppard was touted as a strong Rookie of the Year candidate after the Rockets selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in last June’s draft. However, Sheppard has found it difficult to get into an offensive groove, averaging just 3.3 points and 1.2 assists in 11.6 minutes off the bench during his first 30 games. Now, Houston has assigned Sheppard to its NBA G League club, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the G League team tweets.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

After missing all of last season due to right knee surgery, Rockets center Steven Adams says his knee is “back to normal,” Ben Dubose of Rockets Wire relays. Adams has been playing limited minutes but racked up eight points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes against the Lakers on Sunday. “It’s back to normal,” he said. “It’s been progressing more and more. We’ve been keeping an eye on it, and my comfort with the team has just been progressing, as we planned.”
Zion Williamson is getting close to returning to action. Williamson participated in the Pelicans’ 5-on-5 practice on Monday and coach Willie Green stated “there’s a chance” he could suit up sometime this week, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets. Williamson, who hasn’t played since Nov. 6 due to a left hamstring strain, is listed as questionable to play against Minnesota on Tuesday, according to the team’s injury report.
The Pelicans have posted back-to-back victories for the first time since the first two games of the season. They snapped a 15-game road losing streak on Sunday, beating the Wizards in Washington after beating them at home on Friday. Dejounte Murray notched his first triple-double since New Orleans acquired him in the offseason. “He’s keeping the game simple and making solid decisions and he’ll continue to build from there,” Green told Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
In the short run, Mavericks guard Quentin Grimes has been thrust into the role of primary play-maker with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving sidelined by injuries. It’s an opportunity to prove Dallas can rely on him to provide offense as the team’s third play-maker, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes. “Big opportunity for me, for sure, knowing we’re not gonna have Luka for a while, and then Kyrie was out,” said Grimes, who delivered a season-high 26 points and six assists against Cleveland on Friday.

And-Ones: All-Star Voting, NBAGL Standouts, Diamond Sports, Rookies

January 3rd, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

MVP candidates Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets are the leading vote-getters in their respective conferences in the first All-Star fan voting results announced by the NBA on Thursday (Twitter link).

Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James are the other stars who rank among the top three frontcourt players in their respective conferences. In the backcourt, LaMelo Ball and Donovan Mitchell lead the way in the East, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic are the top vote-getters in the West.

Fan voting counts for 50% of the total to determine All-Star starters, with players and the media each getting 25%. The fan vote will close on January 20.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

What do Trey Burke, T.J. Warren, and Jaylen Nowell have in common? They’re NBA veterans who are thriving this season in the G League and making strong cases for call-ups as the 10-day contract window for 2025 opens on Sunday, Keith Smith of Spotrac writes. Smith and Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) also identify some other G League players who deserve to be considered for NBA promotions, with Valley Suns guard Jaden Shackelford topping Murphy’s list.
Diamond Sports Group announced on Thursday that it has exited bankruptcy and will be known as Main Street Sports Group going forward, tweets Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. The company that was once $9 billion in debt has reduced that figure to $200MM, Vorkunov adds. Diamond Sports Group’s regional sports networks – once known as Bally Sports and now branded as FanDuel Sports Network – broadcast games locally for 13 NBA teams.
Kelly Iko and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic discuss their impressions of some of the notable members of the 2024 rookie class from the Southwest Division, including Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Grizzlies teammates Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells, and Rockets guard Reed Sheppard. Vecenie explains that he’s not worried about Sheppard’s slow start because it’s rare for one-and-done rookies to make an impact for a team like Houston, the West’s No. 3 seed.

Southwest Notes: Smart, Grizzlies, Sheppard, Thompson

December 8th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Ahead of an eventual win for his new team over his old one, Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart reflected on the Celtics’ decision to trade him as part of the three-team deal that sent center Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. The Celtics went on to win the title in the first year after the trade.

As Bobby Manning of CLNS Media (Twitter video link) relays, Smart was surprisingly generous in his assessment of the transaction.

“Great trade, business-wise, just wish they would’ve went about it a little differently, letting me know,” Smart said.

The Celtics drafted the 6’3″ wing with the No. 6 pick in 2014 out of Oklahoma State. He spent his first nine NBA seasons with the team, earning Defensive Player of the Year honors on the 2021/22 squad that made the Finals.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

By besting Boston on its home floor in a 127-121 victory Saturday, the Grizzlies snapped a 10-year losing streak at TD Garden, notes Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian. All-Stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. led the way, with Morant scoring 32 points and registering a near triple-double (nine rebounds, nine assists), and Jackson adding 27 points. With the win, Memphis improved to 16-8 record on the season.
Rookie guard Reed Sheppard is finally beginning to look at home on the hardwood for the Rockets, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “I think just being out there every day, just learning as much as I can,” Sheppard said. “Every game is different. There is a lot going on. So, I think I’m just learning as much as I can and enjoying it. A lot of it comes from experience.” As Feigen notes, Sheppard has looked overly cautious and tentative on offense in the early going, perhaps too focused on avoiding mistakes on a rising playoff team with lots of wing depth. Sheppard is playing 11.8 minutes per night and has made just 32.1% of his three-point tries, but the team is confident that his shooting stroke will come around. “I see the game slowing down for him and understanding where his shots are going to come from, and adjusting to the physicality and size of defenders,” head coach Ime Udoka said.
Ascendant Rockets forward Amen Thompson believes he’s rounding into form as an elite defender on the wing, as he tells Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “I view myself as one of the best defenders,” Thompson said. “Obviously, I think it’s very hard to score on me. I think my presence is known on defense.” The second-year swingman is a big part of the reason why the 15-8 Rockets boast the league’s third-best defense entering Sunday’s games.

Southwest Notes: Gafford, Popovich, A. Holiday, Morant

November 23rd, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The game is more difficult for the Mavericks with Luka Doncic sidelined, but they’re finding ways to win without their injured star, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required). Daniel Gafford played an important role Friday night with 13 points, six rebounds and three steals as Dallas kept its hopes of advancing in the NBA Cup alive with a victory at Denver. Gafford was one of seven Mavs to reach double figures as the team extended its winning streak to four.

“Just paying attention to detail a lot more,” Gafford said about playing without Doncic. “You’ve got to be near perfect when it comes to offense, but honestly, just stay the same as when he was here—taking care of business, having good spacing, and making sure the right guys have the ball in their hands.”

Gafford seems to be fully accustomed to playing for coach Jason Kidd after being acquired from Washington at last season’s trade deadline. He’s averaging a career high 12.6 points per game and leading the NBA with a 70.8% shooting percentage.

“I’m just getting better as the days go by,” Gafford added. “It’s about having patience and trying to expand my offensive game to make more plays. Teams are blitzing and switching more, so I’m figuring out how to make the right passes and take advantage of mismatches.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Warriors coach Steve Kerr offered enc0uraging words about Spurs coach Gregg Popovich before tonight’s game in San Antonio, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Kerr said he communicates frequently with Popovich, who has been away from the team since suffering a mild stroke on November 2, and “the doctors are feeling great about all of that.” Kerr has also been impressed by interim coach Mitch Johnson, who served as an assistant on Team USA this summer. “Mitch is really smart, a great teammate in the coaches’ room,” Kerr said. “He was a big part of all our conversations pre and post practice. He is a really good coach, good guy. I know Pop loves him and feels very strongly about what a good coach he is, and that’s what I saw in Las Vegas (during training for the Olympics).”
Rookie Reed Sheppard and veteran Aaron Holiday have earned spots in the Rockets‘ rotation by providing reliable three-point shooting, observes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Over a recent seven-game stretch, Holiday shot 45.5% from beyond the arc and Sheppard was at 38.9% as both guards are seeing more playing time. Holiday chose to re-sign with Houston in free agency this summer because he likes the city and believes in the future of the team, even though he knew his minutes might decrease.
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is missing his eighth straight game with a hip injury tonight, but coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters that he’s been able to do some on-court workouts and continues to make progress (Twitter link from Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).

And-Ones: Franchise Valuations, Breakout Candidates, Bitim, More

October 26th, 2024 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

Forbes has released its NBA franchise valuations for 2024, and according to Justin Teitelbaum and Brett Knight, the Warriors are the league’s most valuable team for a third straight season, with an estimated valuation of a whopping $8.8 billion. The Knicks ($7.5 billion), Lakers ($7.1 billion), Celtics ($6 billion), and Clippers ($5.5 billion) round out Forbes’ top five.

As Teitelbaum and Knight detail, franchise valuations are up 15% as a whole from last year’s estimates, with an average of $4.4 billion for the league’s 30 teams. Forbes projects that none of those 30 clubs would sell for less than $3 billion if it were put on the market today, with the No. 30 Grizzlies coming in at a valuation of exactly $3 billion.

According to Forbes, new and renovated arenas – which have led to an increase in local revenue via premium seating and sponsorship revenue – have helped spur growth across the league. Teitelbaum and Knight suggest that the Warriors’ total revenue during the 2023/24 season reached $800MM.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

John Hollinger of The Athletic published an 11-player list of prime breakout candidates on Friday, naming Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, Raptors forward RJ Barrett, Hornets guard Tre Mann, and Rockets jack-of-all-trades Amen Thompson as a few of the players he believes are poised for big seasons.
Relaying reporting out of Turkey, Dario Skerletic of Sportando writes that forward Onuralp Bitim is believed to be drawing interest from Anadolu Efes in the EuroLeague after being waived by the Bulls last week. Bitim made his basketball debut with Anadolu Efes earlier in his career and also spent time with multiple other clubs in his native country of Turkey before signing a two-way contract with Chicago in the summer of 2023. He averaged 3.5 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 23 NBA games (11.7 MPG) last season.
Grizzlies center Zach Edey sits atop the rookie power rankings published by Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link). Woo’s list, which ranks players based on their potential to make an immediate impact in 2024/25, also has Rockets guard Reed Sheppard, Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher, Spurs guard Stephon Castle, and Wizards big man Alex Sarr in the top five.
Ben Golliver of The Washington Post takes a look at the new court designs for this season’s NBA in-season tournament and explains why last season’s issue with slippery surfaces shouldn’t be a problem this time around.

Rockets Notes: Green, Sengun, Thompson, Sheppard, Adams

October 25th, 2024 at 11:46am CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets‘ decision to give contract extensions to Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun was made after two of their future targets in free agency came off the market this summer, Brian Windhorst of ESPN states in an article co-written with Tim Bontemps. When the Cavaliers‘ Donovan Mitchell and the Celtics‘ Derrick White both reached extensions with their teams, Houston’s front office began to abandon its plan to save cap room for the 2025 free agency sweepstakes, sources tell Windhorst.

The new priority became working out extensions with Green and Sengun before Monday’s deadline, and both agreed to unique deals that are below the maximum they could have received. Green’s three-year extension starts at $33.3MM next season, and Windhorst hears that it could be combined with draft assets as the basis for a superstar trade next summer.

Sources also tell Windhorst that the Rockets have informed rival teams they don’t plan to make a major deal during the season, but they could be much more active once the offseason arrives.

Other executives around the league complimented the Rockets for convincing Sengun to accept a below-max deal, according to Bontemps, even though they had to give him a player option in the fifth year.

There’s more from Houston;

Coach Ime Udoka’s preference to play at a faster pace may require more minutes for Amen Thompson, observes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. The lack of fast-break opportunities was among the things that bothered Udoka about Wednesday’s season-opening loss to Charlotte. “We didn’t get stops,” he said. “We didn’t get out and run. Just as poorly as we played in transition, offensive rebounding was the same thing. Nineteen in the first half and only two second-chance points in the second. Dominated us on the glass there.” Iko points out that Thompson was part of five of the team’s six fastest two-man combinations last season.
Lottery pick Reed Sheppard is quickly adapting to life in the NBA, per Brian Barefield of Rockets Wire. Sheppard has a clearly defined role on a team that needs to improve its outside shooting. “It is easy when everyone knows how to play basketball the right way,” he said. “We have been playing with each other for a couple of months now, so being able to get in the gym every day and continue to get to know each other by learning more offense and defense with each other. We are just figuring out how each other plays, and it has been really fun. I feel like our chemistry gets better every day.”
Steven Adams was a game-time decision on Wednesday, but he has already been ruled out of Friday’s contest against Memphis due to a calf strain and recovery from the knee injury that forced him to miss all of last season, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

Southwest Notes: VanVleet, Murray, Pelicans, Gortman

October 21st, 2024 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

After signing a maximum-salary contract with the Rockets last summer, Fred VanVleet averaged 17.4 points per game – his lowest scoring mark since 2018/19 – while handing out a career-high 8.1 assists per contest. In his second season in Houston, the team wouldn’t mind seeing VanVleet turn some of those assists into points, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

As Feigen observes, the Rockets should have more ball-handling options this season, with rookie Reed Sheppard capable of handling those duties and second-year guard Amen Thompson growing into that role. That will allow the club to have VanVleet operate off the ball a little more often, opening up catch-and-shoot opportunities. He made 38.7% of his three-point tries last season.

“As we’ve seen with Fred in the past, he can play off ball. That’s one of his strengths,” head coach Ime Udoka said. “To play with (DeMar) DeRozan, Kawhi Leonard, (Pascal) Siakam, all these guys that really handle it quite a bit, he’s been the recipient. I think he’s been more so in practices and preseason games of getting some off-ball shots. That speaks to the comfort of other guys to handle it, make plays. … He can take plays off, be off the ball some, and be the recipient of some assists instead of making them.”

Udoka expressed confidence in Sheppard and Thompson as options to initiate the offense and also pointed to Jalen Green as someone who can bring the ball up the court. Besides letting VanVleet play off the ball more, those other ball-handlers should also put the Rockets in position to reduce the veteran point guard’s minutes after he averaged 36.8 MPG last season.

“Not a specific number, but way less than that, obviously,” Udoka said when asked about a target for VanVleet’s minutes. “That was the second-highest of his career. But he’s a guy that played heavy minutes in Toronto in the past. He took that on himself last year to really help us grow in those areas. It was another coach on the floor. But we’d like to drop that, for sure.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Pelicans point guard Dejounte Murray is looking forward to reclaiming what he considers his “real position” this season in New Orleans after spending two seasons playing alongside Trae Young with the Hawks, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “In Atlanta, I was in the corner and on the wings, and I made the best of it,” Murray said. “Here, they are allowing me to play my real position. Playing point guard. Keeping everything organized. And making dudes better. And doing what I do best.”
The Pelicans intend to operate without a traditional center on the court for significant chunks of games this season. Head coach Willie Green believes the strategy can work, since those units should provide more versatility on both ends of the court despite giving up some rim protection and rebounding, but he stressed it will require a commitment from the players in those small-ball lineups. “When those units are on the floor, they have to have an understanding that they have to be tougher,” Green said (story via Clark at NOLA.com). “They have to play harder. We have to compete at a higher level. We have to rebound at a higher level in order for those types of groups to work.” Daniel Theis, who has spent most of his career as a backup, and rookie Yves Missi are New Orleans’ top two traditional centers, but forward Herbert Jones may open the season as the team’s de facto five.
Camp invitee Jazian Gortman impressed the Mavericks this fall not just with his play on the court but with his work ethic off it, according to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link), who notes that the guard spent plenty of time watching film before games and getting extra reps after practices. Gortman, who believes his decision-making and his three-point shot have both improved since Summer League, was promoted to a two-way contract on Friday. “He impressed not just me but the organization as a whole,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “Everyone who watched camp felt he was impressive, and we knew he was someone we needed to take a closer look at.”

Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Sheppard, Sengun, Trade Targets

October 12th, 2024 at 3:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets hold a $44.9MM team option for next season on Fred VanVleet, but the veteran guard seems to be preparing for a long stay in Houston, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Feigen notes that VanVleet recently bought a house and moved his family to the city and now considers himself a “Houstonian.”

“I didn’t come here to be a rental,” he said. “I didn’t come here to be a free agent (again). I came here for a long-term home. I’ve loved my time here so far. I think I have a good understanding with management and the coaches about what the future looks like with this team. The business will always take care of itself. I don’t really get too concerned with that stuff. That stuff will work itself out. But I think my family and I will be in Texas. I came here for a home, and I think I found one.”

VanVleet spent his first seven NBA seasons in Toronto before the Rockets lured him away last summer with a three-year, $128.5MM offer. According to Feigen, it’s the largest deal ever signed by an undrafted player, which is a testament to how far VanVleet has come since his rookie season. The experience of having to build up a reputation from scratch helps him to identify with teammates who are in that position now.

“Every last one of them, I have a great relationship with all the guys,” VanVleet said. “There’s a lot more of us than there is … stars in the league. The rest of the guys are trying to figure it out. I can always relate to those guys. I always tell the story I was a side-hoop guy. I was the guy shooting on the side with no coaches. I was rebounding with myself. I always keep that in mind.”

There’s more from Houston:

Lottery pick Reed Sheppard is getting a crash course in point guard play during his first NBA training camp, Feigen adds in a separate story. After Friday’s practice ended, VanVleet assembled Sheppard, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson and big men Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams to work on pick-and-roll execution. When that was over, Sheppard and VanVleet did extra work alongside the team’s assistant coaches. “Oh, it’s been awesome,” Sheppard said. “You know, being out here every day, competing, learning from a lot of the guys, especially Fred. He’s been unbelievable to me, talking to me on and off the court. I mean, he’s just helping me with everything. Any questions I ask, he’s answering and giving details about them and just being there for me whenever. And all the all the guys are. It’s not just Fred. Everyone’s been extremely, extremely good and helpful.”
During his time with the Celtics, Ime Udoka had an elite floor-spacing big man in Al Horford, and he’s hoping Sengun can develop into that role, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Sengun only shot 29.7% from beyond the arc last season on 1.8 attempts per game, but Udoka believes he can improve. “He has the touch and the shot,” Udoka said. “It’s more of a mentality to look for those shots and not pass them up.”
The Rockets are hoping to eventually trade for a star whose timeline fits their young talent, rather than focusing on older players, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on the latest Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire).

NBA GMs High On Thunder’s Offseason Moves, Celtics’ Title Chances

October 8th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder made the best roster moves during the 2024 offseason, according to the NBA’s general managers. Within his annual survey of the league’s top basketball decision-makers, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes that 37% of his respondents picked Oklahoma City as having the best summer, with the Sixers coming in second place at 33%. The Knicks got 20% of the vote share, while no other club received more than a single vote.

It was one of many favorable outcomes in the survey for the Thunder, who were overwhelmingly selected as the team with the best young core — 60% of GMs selected OKC, compared to 20% for the second-place Magic.

New Thunder guard Alex Caruso was chosen by general managers as the most underrated offseason acquisition, receiving 23% of that vote share, while last year’s Most Valuable Player runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was picked as this year’s MVP favorite (40%), narrowly edging Mavericks star Luka Doncic (30%).

The Thunder also received a handful of votes from the league’s GMs as the team that will win the 2025 NBA Finals, but at 13%, they finished a distant second to the Celtics, who earned a whopping 83% of the vote. Besides those two clubs, only the Mavericks (3%) received a vote to become this season’s champions.

Here are a few more interesting results from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

New Sixers forward Paul George got 60% of the vote as the offseason acquisition who will have the biggest impact in 2024/25, followed by new Knicks Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns at 13% apiece. The Towns trade, meanwhile, was named the most surprising offseason move, eking out George leaving Los Angeles for Philadelphia (27% to 23%).
Unsurprisingly, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was the overwhelming choice (77%) for which player the GMs would most want to start a franchise with. Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic each earned three votes in that category, while Doncic got one.
The league’s general managers are high on No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard — the Rockets‘ guard is their pick to win the Rookie of the Year award (50%) ahead of betting favorite Zach Edey of the Grizzlies (30%). Sheppard also comfortably received the largest vote share (43%) when the GMs were asked which rookie will be the best player in five years. Spurs guard Stephon Castle (17%) and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (13%) were the runners-up in that category.
There was no consensus among the GMs on which 2024 draftee was the biggest steal. Wizards guard Carlton Carrington, Kings guard Devin Carter, Pacers wing Johnny Furphy, Lakers forward Dalton Knecht, Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon, and Thunder guard Nikola Topic each received three votes to lead the way.
Among newly hired head coaches, Mike Budenholzer of the Suns is the one GMs feel will have the biggest impact on his new club. Budenholzer received 40% of the vote, beating out Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers and J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons (20% apiece). Meanwhile, Spurs guard Chris Paul (30%) and Raptors guard Garrett Temple (20%) are the active players that GMs feel would make the best head coaches down the road.
Asked what they’d change about the NBA, 20% of GMs said the rules related to the tax aprons, trades, and roster construction are too restrictive and/or should be “indexed to (a) team’s market,” per Schuhmann, making it the top response.