Eastern Notes: Anunoby, Pistons, Raptors, Giannis
After the Knicks‘ swarming defense, led by wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, limited Boston to 90 points on 36.2% shooting in a Game 2 victory, veteran forward P.J. Tucker told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, that Anunoby was overlooked in a major way by Defensive Player of the Year voters this spring.
“OG’s been off the charts. I don’t know how he didn’t win Defensive Player of the Year,” Tucker said of his Knicks teammate. “I don’t think it’s even close. I think he’s the best two-way player in the league. He’s always played defense, but this year offensively he’s taken it up another notch. I don’t think we ran one play for him (in Game 1) and he had 30 points. I’m telling you, it’s incredible. He’s amazed me this year and he’s the Defensive Player of the Year, no doubt.”
This year’s voters weren’t aligned with Tucker — while 13 players showed up on at least one Defensive Player of the Year ballot, Anunoby wasn’t among those 13. Neither he nor any other Knick received a single DPOY vote.
The Knicks only finished 13th overall in defensive rating during the regular season, but they’ve taken their play up a notch in recent weeks and rank fourth in that category in the postseason.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Which of the Pistons‘ top four veteran unrestricted free agents are most and least likely to re-sign with the team this summer? Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) considers that question, identifying Malik Beasley as the most likely to be back, followed by – in order – Dennis Schröder, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Paul Reed. Sankofa wouldn’t be surprised if there’s mutual interest in each case, but thinks it makes sense for Hardaway to test the open market and suggests Detroit might need more size in the frontcourt than Reed provides.
- Ahead of Monday’s draft lottery, Eric Koreen of The Athletic examines four hypothetical outcomes for the Raptors, including one where they remain at No. 7 and three where they move into the top four (but not to No. 1). Koreen likes Maryland’s Derik Queen as a potential target at No. 7 and notes that Baylor’s V.J. Edgecombe could be the “cleanest fit for the Raptors in the lottery” if they move up to No. 3 or 4.
- Asked during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link) for his thoughts on Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future, veteran big man Bobby Portis said his longtime Bucks teammate “bleeds green,” adding that he believes the two-time MVP would like to spend his entire career with one team. Portis also pointed out that any team trading for Antetokounmpo would have to give up so many assets to land him that his new club may not end up in a better position than the Bucks to contend.
Draft Notes: Lottery Teams, Mock Draft, S. Johnson
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN break down each lottery team’s outlook ahead of the 2025 NBA draft lottery, which will take place on Monday. They also list which player each team is most likely to select assuming the pre-lottery draft order remains unchanged.
While Duke forward Cooper Flagg and Rutgers guard Dylan Harper are widely expected to come off the board first and second overall, respectively, there could be some surprises starting at No. 3. Rutgers wing Ace Bailey and Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe are ranked third and fourth, respectively, on ESPN’s big board and Givony and Woo believe they should be selected (in some order) with the following two picks.
However, Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears and Texas guard Tre Johnson could also be in consideration starting at No. 3, according to Givony, who reports that NBA teams are bullish on both players’ long-term potential, though they’re also somewhat polarizing. Fears is ranked fifth on ESPN’s board, while Johnson is sixth.
Here are a couple more notes related to the 2025 NBA draft:
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report recently published his last pre-lottery mock draft. There’s a good deal of overlap between ESPN’s most likely picks and Wasserman’s, including the Raptors selecting Duke center Khaman Maluach at No. 7. There are also some noteworthy differences. For instance, Wasserman seems a little lower on Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 14 to San Antonio vs. No. 8 in ESPN’s story) and quite a bit higher on Georgia forward/center Asa Newell (No. 10 to Houston vs. outside the lottery on ESPN).
- UConn forward Samson Johnson impressed at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament last month and has upcoming pre-draft workouts with the Jazz, Lakers, Bucks and Wizards, sources tell Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). A 6’10” big man, Johnson averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as a senior this past season for the Huskies (19.4 minutes per game). Johnson is not ranked on ESPN’s big board.
NBA Announces 75 Invitees For 2025 Draft Combine
The NBA announced today (via Twitter) that 75 prospects have been invited to attend this year’s draft combine, which will take place in Chicago from May 11-18.
In addition to those 75 players, a handful of standout players from the G League Elite Camp, which is also held in Chicago just before the combine begins, are expected to receive invites to stick around for the main event.
Not all of the prospects invited to the combine will end up remaining in the 2025 draft pool, since many are early entrants who are testing the waters while retaining their NCAA eligibility.
College players must withdraw from the draft by the end of the day on May 28 if they wish to preserve that eligibility, while non-college players face a decision deadline of June 15. The feedback they receive from NBA teams at the combine may be a deciding factor for players who are on the fence.
Here’s the list of players who have been invited to the 2025 draft combine:
(Note: For players in international leagues, the country listed is where they had been playing, not necessarily where they’re from.)
- Izan Almansa, F/C, Australia (born 2005)
- Neoklis Avdalas, G/F, Greece (born 2006)
- Ace Bailey, G/F, Rutgers (freshman)
- Joan Beringer, C, Slovenia (born 2006)
- Koby Brea, G, Kentucky (senior)
- Johni Broome, F/C, Auburn (senior)
- Carter Bryant, F, Arizona (freshman)
- Miles Byrd, G, San Diego State (sophomore)
- Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida (senior)
- Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State (senior)
- Alex Condon, F/C, Florida (sophomore)
- Cedric Coward, F, Washington State (senior)
- Egor Demin, G, BYU (freshman)
- Eric Dixon, F, Villanova (senior)
- V.J. Edgecombe, G, Baylor (freshman)
- Noa Essengue, F, Germany (born 2006)
- Isaiah Evans, G/F, Duke (freshman)
- Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma (freshman)
- Cooper Flagg, F, Duke (freshman)
- Boogie Fland, G, Arkansas (freshman)
- Rasheer Fleming, F/C, St. Joseph’s (junior)
- Vladislav Goldin, C, Michigan (senior)
- Hugo Gonzalez, F, Spain (born 2006)
- PJ Haggerty, G, Memphis (sophomore)
- Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers (freshman)
- Ben Henshall, G/F, Australia (born 2004)
- Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois (freshman)
- Sion James, G, Duke (senior)
- Tre Johnson, G, Texas (freshman)
- Kameron Jones, G, Marquette (senior)
- Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (senior)
- Karter Knox, F, Arkansas (freshman)
- Kon Knueppel, G/F, Duke (freshman)
- Chaz Lanier, G, Tennessee (senior)
- Yaxel Lendeborg, F, UAB (senior)
- RJ Luis, F, St. John’s (junior)
- Khaman Maluach, C, Duke (freshman)
- Bogoljub Markovic, F/C, Serbia (born 2005)
- Alijah Martin, G, Florida (senior)
- Liam McNeeley, F, UConn (freshman)
- Jalon Moore, F, Oklahoma (senior)
- Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina (sophomore)
- Grant Nelson, F, Alabama (senior)
- Asa Newell, F, Georgia (freshman)
- Otega Oweh, G, Kentucky (junior)
- Dink Pate, G/F, Mexico City Capitanes (born 2006)
- Micah Peavy, G/F, Georgetown (senior)
- Noah Penda, F, France (born 2005)
- Tahaad Pettiford, G, Auburn (freshman)
- Labaron Philon, G, Alabama (freshman)
- Drake Powell, G/F, UNC (freshman)
- Tyrese Proctor, G, Duke (junior)
- Derik Queen, C, Maryland (freshman)
- Maxime Raynaud, F/C, Stanford (senior)
- Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State (freshman)
- Will Riley, F, Illinois (freshman)
- Michael Ruzic, F, Spain (born 2006)
- Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest (senior)
- Kobe Sanders, G, Nevada (senior)
- Ben Saraf, G, Germany (born 2006)
- Mark Sears, G, Albama (senior)
- Max Shulga, G, VCU (senior)
- Javon Small, G, West Virginia (senior)
- Thomas Sorber, F/C, Georgetown (freshman)
- Adou Thiero, F, Arkansas (junior)
- John Tonje, G, Wisconsin (senior)
- Alex Toohey, F, Australia (born 2004)
- Nolan Traore, G, France (born 2006)
- Milos Uzan, G, Houston (junior)
- Jamir Watkins, G/F, Florida State (senior)
- Brice Williams, G/F, Nebraska (senior)
- Darrion Williams, F, Texas Tech (junior)
- Danny Wolf, F/C, Michigan (junior)
- Hansen Yang, C, China (born 2005)
- Rocco Zikarsky, C, Australia (born 2006)
It’s worth noting that the NBA and the NBPA agreed to several combine-related changes in their latest Collective Bargaining Agreement. Here are a few of those changes:
- A player who is invited to the draft combine and declines to attend without an excused absence will be ineligible to be drafted. He would become eligible the following year by attending the combine. There will be exceptions made for a player whose FIBA season is ongoing, who is injured, or who is dealing with a family matter (such as a tragedy or the birth of a child).
- Players who attend the draft combine will be required to undergo physical exams, share medical history, participate in strength, agility, and performance testing, take part in shooting drills, receive anthropometric measurements, and conduct interviews with teams and the media. Scrimmages won’t be mandatory.
- Medical results from the combine will be distributed to select teams based on where the player is projected to be drafted. Only teams drafting in the top 10 would get access to medical info for the projected No. 1 pick; teams in the top 15 would receive medical info for players in the 2-6 range, while teams in the top 25 would get access to info for the players in the 7-10 range.
Potential Top-Five Pick Edgecombe Declares For Draft
Baylor freshman V.J. Edgecombe, a potential top-five selection, has declared his intentions to enter the draft, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets.
Edgecombe is ranked as the No. 4 prospect on ESPN’s Best Available list, behind only Duke’s Cooper Flagg and the Rutgers duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie has Edgecombe going off the board with the No. 3 pick ahead of Bailey in his latest mock draft.
Edgecombe plays with a high motor and defends, which makes the 6’5” wing a safe pick despite his roller-coaster offensive season, Vecenie writes. NBA executives are mixed on his on-ball upside, Vecenie adds, with some comparing him to Victor Oladipo, whereas others see him more as a standout 3-and-D player with tremendous athleticism.
Edgecombe averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game in his lone season with the Bears. A native of the Bahamas, Edgecombe shot 43.6% from the field and 34% from distance. He averaged 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in two NCAA Tournament games and had a season-high 30 points against Kansas State in January.
And-Ones: Morris, Morey, NCAA Tourney, 2025 Draft
Appearing on the latest episode of The Kevin O’Connor Show podcast, veteran forward Marcus Morris, who is currently a free agent, was asked by Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports about Daryl Morey‘s recent comments about using AI in Sixers decisions. The question prompted some pointed comments from Morris about the longtime NBA executive.
“I don’t trust Daryl Morey. I just don’t trust him,” Morris said (Twitter video link). “I think he’s thinking too far ahead of the way basketball needs to be played. He’s trying to do a whole new team. He’s trying to bring guys in, flipping them in and out, in and out, in and out. Does he even understand the dynamic of being in Philadelphia (and) what guys you need to play in Philadelphia?”
“… You tell my guy (James Harden) that you’re gonna do something for him, a guy that you brought from all these teams, and then you don’t. Like, did AI tell him not to pay James Harden this amount of money? Does the AI tell him to go get Paul George, hire Nick Nurse?
“Does AI tell you to get the guy from Miami, Caleb Martin, because he played well in the Boston series? He can’t shoot the ball. You got three dominant guys that need the ball in their hands. Why is that the first guy that you go get? How did you come up with picking a team? Why do you want to start a brand-new team and try to win a championship? I haven’t seen any team that has 10 new guys be really good the following year. I don’t even know if any team has ever done that.
“I’m just not a fan of how he goes about choosing players and flipping players in and out. It’s kind of like he’s trying to outsmart the game too much.”
Morris, a Philadelphia native, has played under Morey multiple times over the course of his 13-year NBA career and acknowledged that those experiences influence his views on the former Rockets and current Sixers president. Morris said Morey sent him to the G League during his rookie season “for no reason” and then traded him off the 76ers last season for a “bag of chips,” even though he was playing well for his hometown team.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com (Insider link) identify the top 50 prospects to watch during this year’s NCAA Tournament, starting with Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Baylor’s V.J. Edgecombe, and Texas’ Tre Johnson. The Blue Devils lead the way with six prospects on the top-50 list, as Kon Knueppel (No. 4), Khaman Maluach (5), Isaiah Evans (28), Tyrese Proctor (33), and Sion James (35) all join Flagg.
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has updated his 2025 mock draft ahead of the NCAA tourney, moving South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles into his top 10 at No. 8. Murray-Boyles’ stock is “all over the map,” Vecenie explains, with some scouts viewing him as a top-six player while others consider him more of a top-20 prospect. The 6’8″ forward ranked 18th in ESPN’s last big board update.
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) notes that several traded 2025 draft picks have a chance to land in the top half of the first round this June and points out that six of the year’s most valuable traded picks have something in common — they were all initially dealt more than two years ago.
And-Ones: 2025 Draft, Flagg, All-Star Game, Coaches
With the NCAA men’s basketball season underway, draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have updated their 2025 NBA mock draft at ESPN.com (Insider link), projecting next June’s top 30 picks based on their own scouting and intel from executives around the league.
There are no surprises at the top of ESPN’s latest mock draft. The projected picks at No. 1 (Cooper Flagg), No. 2 (Ace Bailey), and No. 3 (Dylan Harper) remain unchanged since Givony and Woo published a mock in June, and V.J. Edgecombe and Nolan Traore are still in the top five.
Still, there are some notable risers or fallers elsewhere in the first round. Duke freshman Kon Knueppel (No. 17 in June) is up to No. 6, while Ratiopharm Ulm guard Ben Saraf comes in at No. 13 after not showing up in June’s mock draft. Conversely, Real Madrid wing Hugo Gonzalez has slipped from seventh to 12th, while Miami freshman Jalil Bethea is down to 25th after having placed 13th in June.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- In a separate story for ESPN.com, Baxter Holmes takes a closer look at Flagg’s journey from growing up in a small town in Maine to becoming a Duke Blue Devil and basketball’s top prospect. Holmes’ feature includes several entertaining anecdotes, including one about how a 13-year-old Flagg “dominated” a Boston-area pickup game run by former NBA forward Brian Scalabrine.
- While commissioner Adam Silver recently acknowledged that the NBA is weighing the idea of using a new format for this season’s All-Star Game, veteran NBA insider Marc Stein (Substack link) says he doesn’t expect the league to opt for a U.S. vs. the World matchup in February. Still, sources tell Stein that format is a possibility that has been discussed within the league office, so it may still be in play for future seasons.
- Michael Scotto of HoopsHype spent 24 hours this fall behind the scenes with the Pacers‘ coaching staff and shares his takeaways and insights on what a day in the life of an NBA coach looks like.
And-Ones: 2025 Draft Big Board, Tanking, NBAGL Trade
Now through June 2025, writers across the globe will eagerly anticipate an exciting upcoming draft class headlined by Duke forward Cooper Flagg, alongside other top talents. Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN recently paired to provide an early look at the top 100 prospects before the college season tips off (Insider link).
Flagg ranked first, but Rutgers guards Ace Bailey (No. 2) and Dylan Harper (No. 3) aren’t far behind. Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe (No. 4) and France’s Nolan Traore (No. 5) remain among the top options as well, while Duke’s Kon Knueppel (No. 6) is an early riser after an impressive offseason and preseason.
UNC’s Drake Powell, Duke’s Khaman Maluach, Spanish guard Hugo Gonzalez and UConn’s Liam McNeeley round out the remainder of the top 10.
Collin Murray-Boyles is the draft’s highest-ranked returner after making the decision to come back to South Carolina, with the ESPN duo ranking him at 12.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- The top five of Sam Vecenie’s recent mock draft for The Athletic matches ESPN’s big board to a tee, with Brooklyn being slated to be the ones to land Flagg’s services in June’s draft. However, Vecenie’s mock draft deviates from there, with Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis coming off the board at No. 6 due to his ball and scoring skills. Vecenie mocks Georgia’s Asa Newell to the Hornets at No. 7 and Ratiopharm Ulm’s Ben Saraf at No. 8 to the Raptors, while ESPN has those players at No. 31 and No. 16, respectively.
- With such a talented draft class on deck, The Athletic’s John Hollinger suspects teams will return to tanking in 2024/25. While some teams greatly underperformed in 2023/24, as in any year, there wasn’t as much incentive to lose since there wasn’t a consensus top pick like in next year’s draft. Hollinger likens the 2025 class to the 2018 class that produced the likes of Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson and Trae Young in terms of the depth of talent. Hollinger’s story addresses this, but I’d contend that while teams may be blown away by the talent of the 2025 class, the Hawks had a better record than nine teams but still landed the No. 1 overall pick. Meanwhile, the Pistons had their worst season in franchise history but didn’t pick until No. 5.
- The Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate, executed a six-team trade on Wednesday, per the team (Twitter link). Several picks swapped hands, but for simplicity’s sake, we’ll focus on the player rights that were moved. The Vipers acquired the returning player rights to Jermaine Samuels, who is currently in camp with the Rockets. The Valley Suns acquired Cassius Stanley‘s rights, the Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers) received Dakota Mathias‘s rights, the Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies) got both Malachi Smith and Devin Cannady‘s rights, the Mexico City Capitanes obtained Loudon Love, and Gary Clark‘s rights were re-routed to the Wisconsin Herd (Bucks). Mathias was already signed and waived by the Pacers, so this is an indication he’ll play for the Mad Ants this season as an affiliate player. It remains to be seen whether Stanley, Smith, Cannady or Clark will sign camp deals to be later waived and set up as affiliates. The Capitanes aren’t an NBA team’s direct affiliate, so while Love could still sign anywhere as an NBA free agent, his rights being moved aren’t directly correlated with him potentially being an affiliate player.
And-Ones: 2025 Draft, Team Assets, Top 100 Players
With training camp now two weeks away and 2024 rookies set to embark on their debut seasons, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN are taking a look at the next chapter of NBA rookies. The duo unpacks some top players and storylines to watch ahead of the NBA’s 2025 draft.
Although rising stars Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, and Dylan Harper are expected to be the top three picks next year, Givony and Woo note that sleeper prospects have been carving out a niche for themselves over the summer in various competitions. According to the ESPN tandem, Baylor freshman shooting guard V.J. Edgecombe would probably be the top selection in a less loaded draft.
There’s more from around the basketball world:
- Heading into the season, HoopsHype’s Mark Deeks breaks down the relative value of the draft and player assets on each NBA squad. For the third straight season, the Thunder top the list, as a club with both an incredibly talented, young present-day roster and a deep portfolio of future equity.
- Ahead of the forthcoming 2024/25 NBA season, Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype revealed their rankings of the top 100 best players in the league. The top five is pretty predictable, though the order may surprise some. MVP Nuggets center Nikola Jokic ranks first, followed by (in order) Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Sixers center Joel Embiid.
- In case you missed it, former two-time All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas, now 35, continues to seek his next NBA opportunity.
And-Ones: Cousins, Murray, Draft Prospects, Hot Seats
Former NBA center DeMarcus Cousins won’t reach out to NBA teams to get another chance to play in the league, he said on the Club 520 podcast (hat tip to Hoops Hype).
“I’m not going to go out trying to convince these guys anymore,” he said. “You know what I bring to the floor. It’s been proven. If you really wanted to know who I am, you’d take the time to get to know me instead of listening to somebody else. I’m past trying to reach out. If an opportunity comes that makes sense, I’ll consider it, but I’m done with the convincing.”
Cousins recently joined Wuxi WenLv, a Chinese team on the FIBA 3×3 World Tour. Cousins, who has been out of the NBA since 2022, has played for professional teams in Puerto Rico, Taiwan, and the Philippines since that point.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Jamal Murray‘s contract extension agreement with the Nuggets is good news for Canada’s basketball program, Michael Grange of Sportsnet opines. Murray took a lot of criticism during the Paris Olympics for his subpar performances and there were long-term concerns about his health. The possibility that Murray’s performances for Canada would be used against him in contract negotiations was a scenario the program didn’t want or need. It could have been the kind of cautionary tale that could create obstacles regarding team-building in the future, according to Grange.
- Several prospects in the NBA’s next two draft classes have boosted their stock this summer and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report takes a look at some of those risers. That group includes Baylor freshman guard V.J. Edgecombe and Illinois swingman Kasparas Jakucionis, as well as Cameron Boozer (draft-eligible in 2026).
- Bulls top executive Arturas Karnisovas and head coach Billy Donovan, Bucks GM Jon Horst and coach Doc Rivers, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, and Nuggets GM Calvin Booth are among the GMs, presidents and coaches who have the most to prove this NBA season, according to ESPN’s Insiders.
And-Ones: Flagg, In-Season Tourney, Escrow Payments, Broadcasting Deals
Cooper Flagg goes No. 1 overall to the Nets. Dylan Harper is selected No. 2 by the Wizards. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has released his latest 2025 mock draft in the aftermath of major AAU tournaments, NBA camps, FIBA competition and the Paris Olympics.
It will be difficult for any prospect to recreate the buzz that enveloped Victor Wembanyama in 2023. However, there’s no doubt Flagg is the target right now for all rebuilding teams, according to Wasserman.
Rounding out the top five are Ace Bailey (Trail Blazers), V.J. Edgecombe (Pistons) and Drake Powell (Jazz).
Wasserman used FanDuel’s latest projected win totals to determine a draft order.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- The NBA will unveil the schedule for the second annual in-season tournament on Tuesday afternoon via NBA Today on ESPN, the network’s PR department tweets. Officially called the Emirates NBA Cup, the six groups for the early rounds of the tournament were revealed last month.
- NBA players had 5.25% of their salaries taken out of their paychecks for escrow payments for the 2023/24 season after the league finished its annual financial audit, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reports. The escrow program was established in 2011 to ensure that players don’t receive more than their contractual agreement with the team. The NBA normally takes out 10% of player’s salaries throughout the season to put into escrow to allow for the possibility that aggregate salaries outpace the players’ share of BRI, Vorkunov explains. It then returns money to players if its audit shows it had withheld too much.
- NBA officially struck rights deals with ESPN, Amazon and NBC that will provide the league with $77 billion over 11 years, beginning in 2025/26. The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand details how those agreements came about and how they’ll impact the league.