Terrence Shannon Rumors

Northwest Notes: Dillingham, Wolves, Hendricks, Nuggets

July 19th, 2024 at 2:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham, the No. 8 overall pick of last month’s draft, has been receiving advice from Mike Conley and John Wall as he prepares for his rookie season, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

Dillingham said he reached out to new teammate Conley for defensive advice. As for Wall, the former All-Star point guard is a North Carolina native who went to Kentucky, just like Dillingham.

“That’s my guy,” Dillingham said of Wall. “He been knowing me, texting me and stuff. At Kentucky, he came to all our games. I just hit him after the [Pelicans] game. I was super mad because I didn’t play that well. I just hit him, and he was just telling me to play my game.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Michael Rand and Hine of The Star Tribune recently discussed which Timberwolves players participating in Summer League have the best odds of becoming rotation members in the future. Despite struggling so far in Las Vegas, Dillingham will be given “every chance” to be Conley’s backup at point guard next season, according to Rand and Hine, who also expect fellow first-rounder Terrence Shannon to carve out rotation minutes in 2024/25. Former second-round pick Leonard Miller has impressed at Summer League, but he’s more likely to contribute in 2025/26 than ’24/25, per Rand and Hine.
Second-year Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks bounced back with a strong performance at Summer League on Wednesday after struggling on Monday, notes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. A lottery pick last year (No. 9 overall), Hendricks contributed 23 points (on 9-of-10 shooting), nine rebounds, one steal and one block. “I think he was just more aggressive and more physical right from the start,” said Summer League coach Sean Shelden. ” … How you stick in a rotation, how you stick in the NBA, is just playing like how he did tonight.”
In a subscriber-only story for The Denver Post, Bennett Durando breaks down the Nuggets‘ projected depth chart for next season. Durando has Christian Braun sliding into the starting lineup at shooting guard, with Russell Westbrook, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, Vlatko Cancar and Dario Saric as Denver’s first five off the bench. Westbrook will reportedly sign with the Nuggets after he finalizes a buyout with Utah and clears waivers.

Northwest Notes: Clingan, Shannon, Juzang, Braun

July 14th, 2024 at 9:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Donovan Clingan didn’t do much offensively in his Trail Blazers Summer League debut but the former UConn center showed off his defensive prowess, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report notes. Clingan had 13 rebounds and five blocks while altering numerous other San Antonio shots.

“I thought he was awesome,” Portland Summer League coach Jonah Herscu said. “I thought he protected the paint. His size really impacts the other team at the offensive end.”

The lottery pick was less impressed by his outing than his coach was.

“I feel like there were a couple shots around the rim that I could have contested better or blocked,” Clingan said. “There were some floaters they made that I’m not happy with. I wish I’d rebounded the ball a little bit better in the first half.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. isn’t guaranteed a rotation spot with the Timberwolves but he had a solid showing in his Summer League debut. Shannon, selected with the No.27 pick, played with force and physicality while racking up 25 points. “I was just proud of how he handled the game, managed it. He took great shots; he didn’t force anything,” Summer League coach Chris Hines told The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. “But one of the things that I loved about him was he competed on defense.”
The Jazz‘s decision to offer restricted free agent Johnny Juzang a four-year contract shows that they are looking within the organization to round out the roster, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune writes. There are better players on the free agent market than Juzang, Larsen notes, but the Jazz feel he can play a spot role. They filled Juzang’s two-way slot with Taevion Kinsey, who played last season for the G League Salt Lake City Stars.
Christian Braun is the logical successor to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — who left for Orlando as a free agent — as the Nuggets’ starting shooting guard, but he’s not taking that for granted, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “We have a lot of similarities, I think,” he said. “Defensively, kind of being pests. Offensively, we both fit alongside Nikola (Jokic). And it’s the reason we were brought in. I was brought in to play with those guys, and so was he. … I think I’m gonna do a great job the same way he did a great job. And I’m excited for that. I’m excited for the opportunity to, like I said, go out and earn it.”

Northwest Notes: Murray, Hartenstein, Holmgren, Clark, Kessler, Saric

July 8th, 2024 at 10:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jamal Murray and the Nuggets were reportedly progressing toward a four-year max extension agreement in late June. So what’s the holdup?

According to The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando, extension talks between the front office and the Nuggets’ point guard are temporarily on the backburner while Murray preparies for the Paris Olympics with Team Canada. The two sides will likely finalize an agreement after the Olympics are done, Durando adds. The only potential stumbling block could occur if Murray suffers a significant injury prior to signing an extension.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

New Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein is impressed by how the team has methodically been built into a potential powerhouse in the Western Conference, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “I think they were doing it the right way,” said Hartenstein, who left the Knicks and signed a three-year, $87MM contract with OKC. “I feel like they weren’t trying to rush steps. I think every year you kind of saw them take the next step. I think every time you see them go on the court, there’s a certain competitiveness always to them. They’re very excited for each other, and I think in the NBA you don’t have that a lot where no matter who’s doing good, the whole team is excited for each other.”
The Thunder‘s additions of Hartenstein and Alex Caruso should benefit Chet Holmgren, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustated opines. Holmgren will have more freedom to show off his passing and play-making skills. It also opens up opportunities for Holmgren to play alongside another big man.
The Timberwolves’ Jaylen Clark has been cleared to play in the Summer League after recovering last season from a ruptured left Achilles tendon, the team announced in a press release. Minnesota drafted Clark in the second round last year despite Clark’s injury, which he suffered while playing for UCLA. Clark told Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune he can be a defensive factor in the league. “I just want to re-establish myself as the best defender in my class,” he said. “I can guard way bigger than what I am, and I’ve improved my jump shot a whole bunch. I’m going to try to break the steals record like I did at my college.”
Given his strong rookie season, Walker Kessler might seem a little out of place on the Jazz‘s Summer League squad. After a disappointing sophomore campaign, the third-year center wants to reestablish himself as a major defensive factor. He told the Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen that improving his body had been his No. 1 overall focus in the two months since the season ended. “I’m going into it with the mentality of, ‘I’m gonna be dominant.’ I’m gonna show what I’ve been working on and I’m looking forward to it,” Kessler said.
The Nuggets viewed Dario Saric as a top-priority target and reached an agreement with the big man on a two-year, $10.6MM deal. Saric was unsure if he wanted to play in the NBA or Europe next season before choosing the Nuggets, according to Durando. Multiple NBA teams showed interest in him, as well as the Greek club Panathinaikos, but the Nuggets felt confident about landing Saric.
The Timberwolves are looking toward rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., 2023 second-round pick Leonard Miller and 2022 second-rounder Josh Minott to compete for rotation spots next season, according to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “We got some holes right away that need to be plugged and there’s no doubt that they’re going to have to be filled by young players, whether it be these two guys [Dillingham and Shannon] or guys that have already been in the system, in the gym,” coach Chris Finch said. “That’s what we need to do. We’re excited about that challenge and we’re looking forward to these guys stepping up to it.”

Wolves Sign Dillingham, Shannon To Rookie Contracts

July 8th, 2024 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have officially signed first-round picks Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon to their rookie scale contracts, according to the NBA’s transaction log.

Minnesota acquired the No. 8 pick – which originally belonged to Toronto – from the Spurs on draft night in order to select Dillingham. The former Kentucky guard averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in just 23.3 minutes per game across 32 outings during his first and only college season, knocking down an impressive 44.4% of his three-point attempts.

While Dillingham may not play a significant role immediately on a veteran roster that is coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance, the Wolves lost some backcourt depth this offseason when Monte Morris and Jordan McLaughlin signed elsewhere. At the very least, the team’s lottery pick should get a chance to earn rotation minutes and provide some scoring punch off the bench.

The Wolves used their own No. 27 pick on Shannon, another high-scoring guard. The 6’6″ Illinois alum put up 23.0 PPG on .475/.362/.801 shooting in 33.9 MPG (32 games).

Assuming neither player accepted less than the maximum allowable 120% of the rookie scale, Dillingham will earn about $6.26MM as a rookie, with a four-year deal worth $28.49MM, while Shannon’s rookie salary will be $2.55MM and his four-year contract will be worth $13.08MM.

As our tracker shows, 27 of this year’s 30 first-round picks have now signed their rookie scale contracts.

Draft Rumors: Hawks, Wizards, Sarr, Knicks, Kolek, Bulls, More

June 25th, 2024 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

In their latest mock drafts ahead of Wednesday’s first round, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic each say there’s no clarity yet on what the Hawks will do with the No. 1 overall pick. Both mocks still have Zaccharie Risacher going to Atlanta first overall for the time being, but haven’t ruled out the idea of a trade down (possibly for Donovan Clingan) or a different choice at No. 1.

While there has been some chatter linking French big man Alexandre Sarr to Atlanta, both Givony and Vecenie suggest those rumblings may be a smokescreen designed to get the Wizards to consider a possible move up to No. 1 so that they can land the player widely viewed as their top target. A year ago, the Wizards moved up one spot in the lottery from No. 8 to No. 7 in order to nab Bilal Coulibaly.

According to Givony, there’s a belief that Sarr would be comfortable ending up with the Wizards, whose rebuild may offer him a more immediate path to a significant role. Meanwhile, during a Tuesday radio appearance on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, Hawks general manager Landry Fields confirmed that Sarr hasn’t visited his team, as Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks relays (via Twitter).

“He was scheduled to come work out,” Fields said of Sarr. “We had it on the books and then he declined to come work out.”

Here’s more on the 2024 NBA draft, which is just one day away:

Both Vecenie and Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 (Twitter link) have received similar feedback on the quality of this year’s draft class. According to Vecenie, while this year’s top 10 is considered weak, the depth in the 10-25 range is viewed as strong, with the rest of the class at about the usual level. A veteran general manager offered a similar assessment to Goodman. “The depth of this draft, especially in the back half of the first round, isn’t much different than in most years,” that GM said. “But the top five – and even top 10 – collectively is as underwhelming as I’ve ever seen it.”
Among the many sourced notes in Vecenie’s mock draft: The Knicks have had interest in Marquette guard Tyler Kolek throughout the season, while the Bulls are believed to be fans of Illinois wing Terrence Shannon. Kolek may be off the board by the time New York picks at No. 24; conversely, Chicago’s No. 11 pick would be higher than expected for Shannon, who has been viewed as a late first-rounder in most mocks.
Confirming prior reporting, Josh Robbins of The Athletic cites a team source who says the Wizards are “amenable” to acquiring another first-round pick. Washington currently controls the second and 26th overall selections. However, one scenario suggested by Robbins would involve the Wizards sending out a veteran player, the No. 26 pick, and the No. 51 pick for matching salary and a higher first-round pick, which would mean upgrading their second first-rounder rather than adding a third one.
ESPN’s latest mock draft has Yves Missi going to the Pelicans at No. 21, and a recent HoopsHype report also linked New Orleans to the former Baylor center. According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, the Pelicans met with Missi at the draft combine in Chicago and also brought him to New Orleans for a workout. While Clark expects Missi to get serious consideration from the Pels if he’s available at No. 21, he says it’s unclear whether the team will prefer a player who is more NBA-ready.

Rockets Rumors: Clingan, Sheppard, No. 3 Pick, Smart, More

June 20th, 2024 at 1:43pm CST by Rory Maher

The Rockets have UConn center Donovan Clingan and Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard at the top of their board heading into next week’s draft, league sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Houston controls the No. 3 overall pick.

According to Iko, Clingan seems to have the edge over Sheppard, but it’s not a sure thing the 7’2″ big man will be available with the third pick. ESPN recently reported that while Zaccharie Risacher remains the favorite to go No. 1 to the Hawks, Atlanta is also high on Clingan, who may be Risacher’s top competition. Ken Seguira of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has also heard the Hawks are high on Clingan.

The Rockets already have Alperen Sengun at center and he shares an agent with Clingan, Iko writes. Those factors — plus the trade deadline addition of Steven Adams — would seemingly work against Houston selecting Clingan, and the team has been unable to get him in for a private workout to this point. Sheppard, meanwhile, will visit the Rockets this week, sources tell Iko.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman recently suggested Houston might not have much leverage if they decide to trade the No. 3 selection due to a perception that there’s a minimal difference in value between that pick and those later in the lottery. However, Iko has heard differently, writing that there’s “rapidly growing interest” from rival teams in Clingan and Sheppard. Those teams may also be motivated to move up ahead of the Spurs, who control the Nos. 4 and 8 picks.

While several teams have shown interest in the third pick, team and league sources tell Iko the Hornets, Grizzlies and Trail Blazers have been “the most vocal” in their pursuit of the selection, with Memphis and Charlotte particularly “aggressive.”

Iko hears all three clubs are fans of both Clingan and Sheppard. The Hornets control the 6th and 42nd overall picks; the Grizzlies control Nos. 9, 39 and 57; and the Blazers control Nos. 7, 14, 34 and 40.

Here are some more Rockets rumors, all from Iko:

In an ideal situation, Houston would prefer to use the No. 3 pick as part of a package to acquire a star player like Donovan Mitchell, but there hasn’t been much league-wide “activity or movement” when it comes to stars this offseason, according to Iko. The Pelicans are rumored to have floated a proposal of Brandon Ingram for Sengun, but Houston has “no interest” in that deal, team sources tell Iko. Iko also hears New Orleans discussed Ingram with the Sixers.
If the Rockets can’t land a star and still decide to move the third pick, Iko wonders if a Grizzlies offer centered around Marcus Smart and the ninth pick could make sense for both sides. According to Iko’s sources, GM Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka are fans of Smart, who played under Udoka in Boston. In a move-back scenario, Houston might be interested in selecting Tennesee forward Dalton Knecht, says Iko.
Houston also controls a second-round pick (No. 44) in the upcoming draft. San Francisco’s Jonathan Mogbo, Minnesota’s Cam Christie, Illinois’ Terrence Shannon, Colorado’s KJ Simpson, UCLA’s Adem Bona and Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro are among the prospects who have been discussed at that spot, though Iko acknowledges some of those players might get drafted before then. Clemson forward/center PJ Hall, Texas forward Dylan Disu, St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins and Washington State forward Jaylen Wells are among the players who will work out for Houston this week, Iko reports.
For free agency, Iko hears the Rockets have placed a high priority on adding shooting, but the team is only interested in two-way contributors — Alec Burks, Gary Harris, Talen Horton-Tucker and Saddiq Bey are names to watch. Bey, however, will be a restricted free agent if he’s given a qualifying offer, which complicates matters (he’s also recovering from a torn ACL). A source close to Eric Gordon tells Iko that the veteran guard is “50-50” on exercising his player option to remain with the Suns, but the longtime former Rocket is also open to a reunion with Houston. The Rockets will have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to dangle in free agency, Iko notes.

Draft Notes: Green Room, Mock Drafts, Samuel

June 19th, 2024 at 6:57pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Four more players have received green room invites for the 2024 NBA draft. Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II, Indiana’s Kel’el Ware, Colorado’s Tristan Da Silva and Pittsburgh’s Carlton Carrington have all accepted invitations to attend the draft in person, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (all Twitter links here).

Holmes, the A-10 Player of the Year, averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 blocks per game last season while shooting 54.4% from the field and 38.6% from three. He’s listed at No. 39 on ESPN’s big board and is the lowest-ranked prospect on that list to be invited.

Ware (No. 24 on ESPN’s list) averaged 15.9 points and 9.9 rebounds this season in 30 games with Indiana after transferring from Oregon. Da Silva (No. 17 on ESPN) is a toolsy forward who spent all four seasons of his college career at Colorado. He averaged 16.0 PPG this season while making 39.5% of his 4.8 three-point attempts per game. Carrington (No. 19) made the ACC’s All-Freshman Team this season after averaging 13.8 PPG and 4.1 APG, establishing himself as a premier pull-up mid-range shooter.

Holmes, Ware, Da Silva and Carrington join France’s Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr and Tidjane Salaun, Serbia’s Nikola Topic, UConn’s Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle, Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, Duke’s Jared McCain and Kyle Filipowski, Colorado’s Cody Williams, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, Providence’s Devin Carter, Baylor’s Yves Missi and Ja’Kobe Walter, Kansas’s Johnny Furphy, Miami’s Kyshawn George, USC’s Isaiah Collier and the G League Ignite’s Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland as the 24 players who accepted invitations to the green room. Purdue’s Zach Edey also received an invite, which he declined.

We have more draft-related notes:

There’s plenty of room for change in the next week leading up to the draft, but for now James L. Edwards of The Athletic sees Sarr as the best prospect in this class and believes he’s the player the Hawks should take at No. 1 if they don’t trade down. In a new mock draft that also involves Kelly Iko and Josh Robbins, The Athletic has Risacher going second to the Wizards and Castle going third to the Rockets. Carter going No. 8 to the Spurs and Holland falling to No. 11 to Chicago are among some of the more intriguing picks in the mock.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor doesn’t view Sarr or Risacher as the best players in this class, according to his latest big board, but still has Atlanta selecting Risacher in his latest mock. O’Connor lists Castle, Clingan and Buzelis as the best three players in the class, in that order. He has Holland as the 13th-best player and Bobi Klintman as the No. 18 prospect in the class. Terrence Shannon Jr., Nikola Djurisic and Trentyn Flowers are other prospects O’Connor has first-round grades on, deviating from the consensus. As for his mock, O’Connor has Sarr going second to Washington, Sheppard going third to Houston and Buzelis going fourth to San Antonio.
Former Florida and Seton Hall forward Tyrese Samuel has worked out for the Knicks, Spurs, Nets, Heat, Jazz, Bulls, Pelicans, Cavaliers, Raptors, Suns, Lakers and Pistons, NJ.com’s Adam Zagoria tweets. The 6-10 Samuel averaged 13.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks last season for Florida.

Western Notes: Bronny, Suns, Lakers, Wolves, Mavs, Spurs

June 18th, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns will bring in Bronny James for a second workout this week but the Lakers are likely to draft him in the second round, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (hat tip to the Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin). The Lakers have a second-rounder at No. 55, while the Suns would need to acquire one. Both teams have first-rounders.

“The sense among teams is that his agent, Rich Paul, does not want him on a two-way contract, and the range he’s going to be picked, that 40 to 58 range, that’s where two-way contracts are handed out,” Givony said on ESPN’s NBA Today. “So it’s looking right now like Bronny is going to slide there to 55. I don’t think any NBA team wants to pick him and deal with the repercussions of that. So that’s the way it’s trending as of today.”

We have more Western Conference news:

The Timberwolves hosted a pre-draft workout on Tuesday that included Fardaws Aimaq (California). Jermaine Couisnard (Oregon), Ajay Mitchell (UCSB), Tyler Thomas (Hofstra), Drew Pember (UNC Asheville) and Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois), the team’s PR department tweets. Shannon, a high-scoring guard from Illinois, is the highest-rated prospect among that group at No. 26 on ESPN‘s Best Available list.
A play-making guard who can also create opportunities for others, as well as another big man who can space the floor with perimeter shooting, are the type of players the Mavericks need to target this offseason, Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News writes. Their best hope of acquiring at least one of those players is via a trade, with Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s expiring contract facilitating the deal.
Colorado shooting guard Cody Williams could be a dark-horse candidate for the Spurs with the No. 4 pick, according to LJ Ellis of SpursTalk.com. Williams has a chance to develop into a multi-purpose wing with size, which would make him an intriguing choice as the Spurs build around star big man Victor Wembanyama.

Central Notes: Bulls Workout, Pistons, Vinson, Djurisic

June 18th, 2024 at 8:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls held a pre-draft workout on Monday that included Ron Holland, Terrence Shannon Jr, Ryan Dunn, Kyle Filipowski, Adem Bona and Justin Moore, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic tweets.

The Bulls hold the No. 11 pick in the first round with Holland ranking as a potential selection with that lottery pick, Mayberry notes. Holland, who played for the G League Ignite, is rated No. 11 on ESPN’s Best Available list.

Shannon, a high-scoring guard out of Illinois, was recently found not guilty on felony charges of first-degree rape and sexual aggravated battery in Kansas. He’s moved up to No. 26 on ESPN’s list and could continue to climb, making him another possible option for the Bulls.

We have more from the Central Division:

Could the No. 5 overall pick help the Pistons acquire Kyle Kuzma, Jerami Grant or a future first-rounder? Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press explores three potential trade scenarios that could produce one of those outcomes.
The addition of Fred Vinson, a renowned shooting coach, to the Pistons’ staff could signal what new president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon plans to do this summer, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic. It’s logical that Vinson was brought in to help the young core with its shooting, rather than moving some of those players for veteran help. Edwards believes Detroit will use its ample cap space to bring in a few proven players via free agency to raise the team’s floor, while allowing young players like Ausar Thompson, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and its lottery pick to be rotation pieces.
Shooting guard Nikola Djurisic worked out for the Pacers on Tuesday but that wasn’t the first time he visited their practice facility, Zion Brown of the Indianapolis Star notes. Djurisic also worked out for Indiana last year before withdrawing from the draft. He’s currently ranked No. 48 by ESPN and could be a consideration with one of the Pacers’ three second-round picks. “Last year, I wasn’t mature,” Djurisic said. “This year, I’m still a kid in my head. I think I grew as a person and as a basketball player.”

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Mavs, Spurs, Rockets, Pelicans

June 14th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Luka Doncic has averaged nearly 30 points per night in the first three games of the NBA Finals, but the Mavericks were outscored by 10 points when he was on the floor in Game 1; he committed eight turnovers and missed four free throws in Game 2; and he made just 11-of-27 shots in Game 3 before fouling out of a three-point game with over four minutes still on the clock. He has also been repeatedly targeted on defense over the course of the series.

While head coach Jason Kidd isn’t throwing in the towel on this series with his team facing a 3-0 deficit, he noted on Thursday that no matter what happens the rest of the way, he expects his star player to learn from the challenges he has faced this spring and use those experiences as a springboard to get even better in future seasons.

“The history is there for us to learn from, when you look at great players and the struggles,” Kidd told reporters (story via Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports). “You look at (Michael Jordan) and the struggles that he had against Detroit. You look at some of Magic Johnson’s struggles. You look at LeBron (James‘) first time around (against the Spurs in the 2007 Finals). It’s there to learn from. But the great ones, they use that going into the next season, or the next couple of seasons, to try to get back there. Because now they understand experience is a big thing.”

Here’ more from around the Southwest:

Kidd isn’t planning to make any changes to the Mavericks‘ starting lineup in Game 4, he said on Thursday, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic relays.
Which prospects in this year’s draft would fit best next to Victor Wembanyama for the Spurs? Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link) considers that question, offering up some suggestions for San Antonio at No. 4, No. 8, No. 35, and No. 48. Kentucky guards Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham are Givony’s top suggestions for the fourth overall pick, while Nikola Topic and Dalton Knecht lead his list at eighth overall. Terrence Shannon, Adem Bona, Cam Spencer, and Jaylen Wells are among the players Givony likes as second-round targets.
The Spurs appear to be eyeing more experienced backcourt prospects with their second-round picks, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), who takes a closer look at Boogie Ellis‘ recent visit to San Antonio and notes that Houston’s Jamal Shead also recently worked out for the club.
Shead visited Houston on Friday, confirms Kelly Iko of The Athletic, tweeting that Tyler Thomas (Hofstra), Isaiah Stevens (Colorado State), and N’Faly Dante (Oregon) were among the other prospects working out for the Rockets. The club controls the No. 44 overall pick in addition to No. 3.
An evaluation of Smoothie King Center’s infrastructure is nearing completion, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, who says the results of that assessment will help determine whether the Pelicans renovate their current arena or need to build a new one.