Tag: nba

Russell Westbrook to the Nuggets trade rumors show time may be a flat circle russell,westbrook,to,the,nuggets,trade,rumors,show,time,may,be,a,flat,circle,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-trade-rumors,nba-free-agency,dot-com-grid-coverage

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The year is 2021. I am blogging about the Lakers. The team has failed to defend its title and is trading Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma while letting Alex Caruso walk for nothing, and replacing them with Russell Westbrook.

The year is 2024. I am blogging about the NBA. The Denver Nuggets have failed to defend their title, and are letting Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave for the Orlando Magic, and may add Russell Westbrook to their backcourt in his stead:

Further proving that NBA time may move in patterns rather than a series of unique events, this would also be the second time in two seasons that a team has salary-dumped Reggie Jackson to the Hornets in order to make room to add Russell Westbrook.

Now, obviously the context of these situations is different. The Lakers didn’t send out Caldwell-Pope and Kuzma for Westbrook because of second apron considerations (they are cheap and will likely never cross the second apron, but it didn’t exist yet). They just made a dumb trade.

The Nuggets are cheaping out on KCP not just for financial reasons or because they think Westbrook is as good or better, but also to avoid the myriad of actual roster penalties that would come from extending him at his market value, as my friend Ryan Blackburn summarized well recently at Mile High Sports:

Unfortunately, writing a blank check, while certainly appealing to Caldwell-Pope, is not in the best interest of the Nuggets competitively. The second tax apron, a new stipulation agreed upon in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, isn’t just a financial burden, but a competitive one. The Nuggets will not be able to make competitive trades if they are over the second apron. They will not be able to use the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception in free agency. Even their first round draft pick in 2032 will be “frozen” if they finish the end of the 2024-25 season over the second apron, meaning they cannot use it in future trades. If they stay above the second apron in three of the next five seasons, that 2032 first round draft pick will be automatically sent to the end of the first round, regardless of Denver’s record.

Still, while the context may be different, it’s still hard not to feel like Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen here while watching the Nuggets echo the Lakers’ previous mistake. Replacing the ultimate 3-and-D wing with the ultimate… well, opposite of those two qualities didn’t work out for the Lakers. Maybe Jokic making Westbrook a champion is the final way he can more thoroughly defeat LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers… but it’s difficult not to be skeptical that may be beyond even his talents.

So we’ll see if this works out better for Denver than it did the Lakers, but for now, it’s hard not to be tired of Earth. These people. Tired of being caught in the tangle of their lives.

Live NBA free agent signings 2024 for every deal and trade this summer live,nba,free,agent,signings,for,every,deal,and,trade,this,summer,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-free-agency,draftkings

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The Boston Celtics are NBA champions, the 2024 draft class has come and gone, and now it’s time for the free agent frenzy. The league has already seen some wild trades in the early days of the 2024 offseason, and it’s only going to get more chaotic when NBA free agency opens on Sunday, June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.

While signings can’t be officially announced until July 6, teams are allowed negotiate with free agents at the start of the moratorium. While this isn’t the strongest free agency class, it feels like there are enough desperate teams right now to facilitate some big moves.

Paul George feels like the biggest star who could change teams. That scenario received a boost on Saturday afternoon when George opted out of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, per Adrian Wojnarowski. George is expected to test the open market, and per Wojnarowski will meet with “cap space teams plus the Clippers” starting on Sunday evening. The Philadelphia 76ers are rumored to make a strong push for George in the open market, and plenty of other teams will be interested.

Isaiah Hartenstein is another major name to watch in free agency. The 26-year-old center is coming off a breakout season with the New York Knicks where he provided elite interior defense, efficient scoring, and a pinch of playmaking. The Knicks would love to retain him, but their payroll is getting high after extending OG Anunoby on a $212 million deal and swinging a trade for Mikal Bridges. Hartenstein could have a wide market, with the Oklahoma City Thunder frequently mentioned as a potential suitor.

There are several future Hall of Fame inductees near the twilight of their careers who are also unrestricted free agents. DeMar DeRozan, who turns 35 years old next month, could leave the Chicago Bulls after three fantastic seasons with the franchise. James Harden is also up for a new deal with the Los Angeles Clippers or anyone else just ahead of his 35th birthday. Klay Thompson is expected to leave the Golden State Warriors for the first time in his career at 34 years old.

Other names to monitor in free agency include Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tobias Harris, Jonas Valanciunas, Buddy Hield, Kelly Oubre, Tyus Jones, and Isaiah Joe.

We’re keeping track of every free agent signing and trade in 2024 NBA free agency here.

Day 1 NBA free agent agreements

  • Pat Williams agrees to a five-year, $90 million deal to return to the Bulls, per Shams Charania
  • Obi Toppin intends to sign a four-year, $60 million deal to stay with the Indiana Pacers, per Adrian Wojnarowski
  • Alex Len intends to sign a one-year, $3.3 million deal to return to the Sacramento Kings, per Shams
  • Chris Paul waived by Golden State Warriors, per Chris Haynes and Woj
  • James Harden will sign two-year, $70 million deal to stay with Clippers, per Shams
  • Max Christie will sign four-year, $32 million deal to stay with Lakers, per Woj
  • Luke Kornet will re-sign with the Boston Celtics on a one-year deal, per Woj
  • Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors working on a sign-and-trade, per Shams
  • F/C Kevin Love is finalizing a two-year, $8 million-plus deal to return to the Miami Heat, per Shams

Early 2024 NBA free agency moves

The wild Kyle Filipowski ‘girlfriend’ saga, explained as best we can. the,wild,kyle,filipowski,girlfriend,saga,explained,as,best,we,can,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-draft

The wild Kyle Filipowski ‘girlfriend saga explained as best we
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Kyle Filipowski should have been a Top 20 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, especially this NBA Draft. When you’re a seven-foot stretch four from Duke who averaged 16 points and 8 rebounds, when most of the 2024 class is full of Hail Mary picks and “what ifs,” it doesn’t matter that there are concerns about your athleticism or shot creation — you get picked early.

Instead, we saw one of the more puzzling draft drops in recent memory. In the span of 24 hours, Filipowski went from being mocked as high as the early teens to falling out of the first round altogether — earning the unfortunate “reward” of turning up to the NBA Draft green room for likely first-round draft picks, then waiting all night without hearing his name called without getting picked (he was eventually taken in the second round, on Day 2 of the Draft, with the Utah Jazz selecting him 32nd overall).

Obviously, something had teams spooked about Filipowski, but nobody could have predicted how this saga would unfold over the internet on Thursday.

Concerns of an older “girlfriend”

The first reports of something being off in the Filipowski camp came on Thursday morning as ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony explained on The Lowe Post Podcast what he’d heard from teams in regards to the Duke big man.

“NBA teams are talking about the fact that they had questions about his girlfriend being so much older than him, why was he estranged from his family because of this whole situation. It’s a very, very odd situation. I personally don’t understand why it would cause him to drop like this into the second round.”

Just to establish things: Caitlin Hutchinson is being referred to as Filipowski’s “girlfriend,” however the couple are engaged as of April 18 — with the intent of getting married in August.

As it pertains to draft stock: Filipowski is 20 years old, and Givony said his fiancee is 25 — sure, the age difference is a little unusual, but it’s hardly the kind of earth-shattering revelation that would normally tank a draft stock. Similarly, there have been plenty of prospective rookies who have been estranged from their parents, and it didn’t cause them to fall like Filipowski was.

There was a missing piece to this puzzle, and it wasn’t long before the internet began to try and work out what was going on here.

What we know about Caitlin Hutchinson

An Alabama native, there is little concrete information on who exactly Filipowski’s fiancee is. Most information can be gleaned from past social media posts, which as of writing are still public.

Trying to ascertain Hutchinson’s age is critical here, and that will become very apparent in a moment. A Facebook post from December 23, 2018 shows Hutchinson graduating from Alabama.

Another post Hutchinson is tagged in from Instagram shows her in a high school graduation gown in May of 2015.

Screen Shot 2024 06 28 at 9.57.52 AM

While it’s possible she graduated from high school or college early, if she stayed on a standard track she is either 27 or 28 years old, with her now being 6 years removed from college. Again, that’s not really an issue. As we’ve established, a 20-year-old dating someone in their late-20s might be odd — but it’s not exactly a major red flag.

But this is.

The prom photo

As people combed through social media on Thursday morning a photo of Filipowski and Hutchinson from his high school prom began catching everyone’s eye. It shows the couple together and is dated May 21, 2022.

Screen Shot 2024 06 28 at 9.45.50 AM

Filipowski was born in November of 2003. At the time of this photo he was 17 years old, and Hutchinson was (probably) 25 or 26. Even if we assume the first time they met was at this prom, that’s still an adult dating a minor. However, a now-deleted comment on the Filipowski prom photo from Hutchinson read: “one year with my favorite person.”

This would mean that they started their relationship when he was 16 years old and she was likely 24 or 25.

The Filipowski family weighs in

A critical component of this story, in addition to the relationship, were reports Filipowski had become estranged from his family over dating Hutchinson.

It wasn’t long before people claiming to be Kyle’s older brother Daniel, and his mom Becky were on Twitter explaining their side of things — and trying to track down Jonathan Givony to tell their side of the story.

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If we combine the accounts of the Filipowski family, they appear to be alleging that Caitlin Hutchinson began a relationship with Filipowski as a high schooler with the intent of grooming him and converting him to the mormon religion. According to their allegations, that includes a long-term play to become engaged to him shortly after he left Duke, and with the NBA on the horizon. This appears to have caused friction between Filipowski and his family, with Kyle seemingly choosing his relationship with Caitlin over his family, and — again, according to their tweets and Givony’s accounting of what NBA executives are saying — severing a relationship with them.

What can we make of all this?

If everything outlined above is to be believed, Filipowski could be viewed as a victim. Again, if the facts outlined above are actually what happened, it would appear an adult entered a relationship with a high school basketball player, one who was highly touted and seemed destined for the NBA.

Then, the same relationship reportedly damaged his draft stock by making Filipowski either too uncomfortable to talk about in interviews, which scared off teams — or by raising red flags about Hutchinson’s influence on his life.

As of right now, it does not appear there is anything illegal going on. Filipowski is 20, his fiancee is in her late-20s, so they can do what they want. However, this story isn’t going away, and it may be only a matter of time before more information comes to light about the nature of this relationship and how it’s damaged the Filipowski family. At the very least, given how much this has blown up on the internet and appears to have damaged his draft stock enough to drop a likely lottery pick out of the first round entirely, it seems probable that Filipowski will get asked about it by NBA media at some point, when maybe we will get his and Hutchinson’s side of the story.

NBA mock draft 2025: Cooper Flagg leads loaded class that will start tank race nba,mock,draft,cooper,flagg,leads,loaded,class,that,will,start,tank,race,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-draft,nba-mock-draft,draftkings

NBA mock draft 2025 Cooper Flagg leads loaded class that
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The 2024 NBA Draft never had a consensus No. 1 overall prospect at any point in the cycle. That won’t be the case next year. Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg feels like a lock to go first in the 2025 NBA Draft, and his looming entrance to the league is about to set off a race to the bottom for teams who realize they aren’t good enough to make the playoffs.

Now that the 2024 draft has come and gone, and it’s time to look ahead to the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg is the clear top prospect entering the cycle, but he’s far from the only big-time talent. The 2025 class is significantly stronger than the 2024 class throughout the lottery, with more potential All-Star talent available and greater depth throughout the first round.

I’ve been lucky enough to cover the NBA Draft for SB Nation for more than a decade, and every year I drop my big board for next year the day after the draft. You can go back and read my early boards for a fun trip down memory lane from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 here.

The 2025 NBA Draft looks like one of the stronger classes I’ve evaluated a year out. Here’s our first way-too-early projection of the class.

NBA Draft 2025 preseason board

Rank Name From Position Age
Rank Name From Position Age
1 Cooper Flagg Duke F Freshman
2 Ace Bailey Rutgers F Freshman
3 Dylan Harper Rutgers G Freshman
4 Nolan Traore France F Born 2006
5 Khaman Maluach Duke C Born 2006
6 VJ Edgecombe Baylor G Freshman
7 Liam McNeeley UConn F Freshman
8 Tre Johnson Texas G Freshman
9 Rocco Zikarsky Australia C Born 2006
10 Ian Jackson North Carolina G Freshman
11 Egor Demin BYU G Freshman
12 Jalil Bethea Miami G Freshman
13 Donnie Freeman Syracuse F Freshman
14 Will Riley Illinois G Freshman
15 Hugo Gonzalez Spain F Born 2006
16 Michael Ruzic Croatia F Born 2006
17 Noa Essengue France F Born 2006
18 Collin Murray-Boyles South Carolina F Sophomore
19 Isaiah Evans Duke G Freshman
20 Boogie Fland Arkansas G Freshman
21 Dink Pate USA G Born 2006
22 Asa Newell Georgia F Freshman
23 Milan Momcilovic Iowa State F Sophomore
24 Flory Bidunga Kansas C Freshman
25 Derrion Reid Alabama F Freshman
26 Drake Powell UNC G/F Freshman
27 Kwame Evans Jr. Oregon F/C Sophomore
28 Jarin Stevenson Alabama F Sophomore
29 Izan Almansa Spain C Born 2005
30 Tucker DeVries West Virginia F Senior

Cooper Flagg is the clear-cut No. 1 prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft

The 2025 NBA Draft class is deep with talent, but Flagg is in a tier by himself as the top prospect in the class. The incoming Duke forward will be college basketball’s biggest one-and-done superstar since Zion Williamson. He’s a legitimate franchise-altering talent, and his skill set is perfect for modern basketball.

Flagg’s greatest gift is his versatility. At 6’9 with a 7-foot wingspan, he can vacillate between a variety of roles at both ends of the floor, and perform at a high level in all of them. His athleticism, IQ, and motor are all off the charts, and his skill level is getting there, too.

Flagg is an elite defensive prospect. He moves his feet incredibly well on the perimeter for someone his size, showing the ability to switch across the positional spectrum in most matchups. He’s equally adept at being a wing stopper on the perimeter or manning the backline as a secondary rim protector. His shot blocking ability might be his strongest individual skill right now: he gets off the floor so quickly as a leaper, and can absorb contact in the air while still contesting the shot. He’s the type of player who can erase mistakes by his teammates as a help defender, force turnovers that lead to transition opportunities, or stand strong as a point-of-attack defender.

Flagg can fit into any offense right now in a connector role, and he has the potential to be so much more than that down the line. He has a high offensive baseline as a big forward who can space the floor, hit spot-up threes, make quick passing reads, and attack the basket with power in transition or as a cutter. Flagg’s upside gets scary as he starts to develop with the ball in his hands, and he made major strides in that regard as a senior at Montverde Academy. Flagg looked comfortable ripping pull-up threes, getting into his mid-range bag, and attacking in isolations. He’s going to be such a load going downhill as his handle develops. He looks like he should be able to skillfully play either side of the pick-and-roll.

Flagg is extremely young for his grade after reclassifying to essentially skip his senior year of high school. With a Dec. 2006 birthday, he’ll only be 17 years old to start the season for Duke, and won’t turn 19 years old until halfway through his rookie season. There’s going to be some early growing pains for any player that young as they jump up a level, but Flagg is only in this position already because he really is that talented. Victor Wembanyama aside, it’s hard to remember the last draft prospect who had this many different ways of impacting the game.

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey vie for No. 2 overall at Rutgers

Rutgers has hadn’t had a player selected in the NBA Draft since 2010. That’s about to change in a big way next year after landing the No. 2 and No. 3 overall recruits in the class of 2025 in Dylan Harper and Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey.

Harper is the son of long-time NBA guard Ron Harper, and the younger brother of former Rutgers star Ron Harper Jr. At 6’5 with a 6’10 wingspan, Dylan Harper is a bulky combo guard with an advanced feel for the game and the ability to play on- or off-the-ball. The lefty plays with good pace as a lead ball handler, and he’s able to use his big frame to carve out space going downhill. He’s a skilled finisher with either hand, and will showcase some advanced footwork on drives. He’s also an active mover and good cutter off the ball with flashes of real shooting versatility. Harper shoots confidently from range whether he’s taking a pull-up or spacing the floor as a spot-up shooter. He’s not an elite athlete or the best shooter, but he’s relatively strong in both areas while having plus positional size and the ability to read the floor as a live dribble passer. Even if the shot isn’t falling, Harper adds value as a rebounder and transition threat. It will be interesting to see how quick he looks defensively (is he better at defending guards or wings?) and where his shot-making numbers come in at.

Bailey is just oozing with talent as a tall wing with excellent athleticism and deep shooting range. Listed at 6’10, 200 pounds by Rutgers, Bailey has takeover scoring ability when his jumper is hot. He’s so big that it’s hard to contest his shot, and he shoots it effortlessly off pull-ups and quickly off spot-ups. Bailey makes some extremely difficult looks, which feels like both a gift and a curse. It would be nice to see him get downhill more with his dunk contest-worthy athleticism, but to this point he likes to settle for jumpers. Bailey could stand to improve his ability to read the floor as a passer and tighten his ball handling ability, but he has gifts you just can’t teach. It’s also worth noting he’s extremely young his class with an Aug. 2006 birthday, meaning he’ll still be 18 years old on draft day in 2025. He’s likely going to be awesome in transition, he should contribute on the offensive glass, and as he gets stronger he should provide some secondary rim protection. He will have a high-floor as a deadly off-ball threat with his size and shooting, and it’s possible his shot-making gives him significant upside beyond that. Bailey is far from a finished product, but his upside feels like the second highest in the class right now even if there will be some frustrating moments along the way.

The pairing between Bailey and Harper at Rutgers will be fascinating to watch, and should be a mutually beneficial context for both players.

France is back with more potential lottery prospects

The French have been all over the NBA lottery in recent years. Killian Hayes (2020), Ousmane Dieng (2022), Bilal Coulibaly (2023), Victor Wembanyama (2023), Alex Sarr (2024), Zaccharie Risacher (2024), and Tidjane Salaun (2024) have all been lottery picks in recent years. The French connection isn’t going away any time soon.

The international class for the 2025 NBA Draft looks like a strong group, and French guard Nolan Traore currently feels like the cream of the crop. Traore is a 6’5 point guard who bypassed offers from top college programs (including Duke) to stay with his club team Saint-Quentin in the top French pro league. He’s been on an absolute heater to open 2024 with strong showing at Nike Hoop Summit and a record-setting 45-point display at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals. The arrow is only trending up from here.

Traore is a big lead guard who feels like he’s in full control of the game. He’s at his best in the pick-and-roll, where he can use his bust to get past the first line of defense, and then threaten the defense with his scoring or playmaking. Traore isn’t the type of guard who throw down a huge dunk in traffic, but he has tremendous scoring craft in close with floaters and touch shots over contests. He’s also an impressive live dribble passer who looks comfortable making a variety of reads. Traore appears comfortable self-creating his own looks from three-point range, and did so on high volume this past season, but the percentage hovered around 30 percent. If he shoots it better, he’ll have a chance to go as high as No. 2, and feels like a safe bet to ultimately land in the top-10.

Noa Essengue is another talented French prospect who will earn lottery looks in 2025. The 6’9 forward is long and athletic and consistently plays with a high motor. He’s attacks the basket with an impressive amount of power and touch as a roll man or cutter. He should have tremendous defensive versatility, and some ability to be a small ball big man. He looks very good as a rebounder and defensive playmaker who can generate transition opportunities for his team. He’s not much of a shooter or playmaker yet, but has a high floor as an energy guy with real NBA size and athleticism who has been productive in big settings.

The 2025 NBA Draft is deep with talent throughout the lottery

  • VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor: Edgecombe is a super athletic guard who succeeds with slashing, transition scoring, and defensive playmaking. While he’s a tad small for an off-ball player (he measured at 6’3 with a 6’5 wingspan), Edgecombe’s blend of speed, power, and agility is made for getting into the paint and finishing above the rim. He can force turnovers as an aggressive defender, and no one is stopping him on the break. It will be interesting to see where his playmaking ability and shooting comes in.
  • Liam McNeeley, F, UConn: McNeely is a perfect fit in UConn’s whirling offensive system. The 6’9 forward is first and foremost expected to be one of the best shooters in this class after reportedly hitting better than 44 percent of his threes each of the last two years while playing with Cooper Flagg at Montverde. He also looks comfortable attacking the defense on closeouts with impressive footwork and some ability to read the floor as a passer while on the move. No one does a better job of accentuating his players’ strengths than Danny Hurley, so it feels like a safe bet he’s going to have a very good season.
  • Khaman Maluach, C, Duke: Malauch has monster physical tools as a 7’2 center with a 7’5 wingspan and strong 250 pound frame. Players that big should not move as well as Malauch does. His mobility with this level of power and length makes his long-term ceiling sky-high. He just still seems to be very raw in terms of feel for the game on both ends. How big of a role Duke will trust him to play this year remains to be seen, but with a good season he should be the first big off the board.

NBA Draft 2024 second round grades on every pick, including Bronny James and more nba,draft,second,round,grades,on,every,pick,including,bronny,james,and,more,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-draft,draftkings

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The 2024 NBA Draft marks the first time the league has split its draft over two days. After the full round was full of surprises on Wednesday night, the second round follows on Thursday afternoon with some talented players still on the board.

Check out our list of the 30 best players still available after the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. There are three players still on the board who were mocked as top-20 picks at various points in this cycle in Tyler Smith, Kyle Filipowski, and Johnny Furphy. Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek is another big name expected to come off the board early in round two, and there’s also some fun sleepers with San Francisco wrecking ball Jonathan Mogbo, UCLA big man Adem Bona, and Serbian wing Nikola Djurisic.

Bronny James is also still available. Why isn’t anyone talking about this? Just kidding.

We already graded every pick of the first round. Now let’s grade every pick of round two.

31. Toronto Raptors: Jonathan Mogbo, F, San Francisco: Mogbo is a super long forward (6’6 with a 7’2 wingspan) who plays with great energy and can impact the game as a rebounder and passer. He can’t shoot, but he finds a way to get in on the play in a bunch of different ways. Grade: A

32. Utah Jazz: Kyle Filipowski, C, Duke: How did Filipowski not go in the first round? Flip lacks ideal length and athleticism for an NBA center, but he’s still a 7-footer who can make plays as a passing hub, stretch the floor as a shooter, and even put the ball on the floor as a handler. This is a great value: Grade: A

33. Milwaukee Bucks: Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite: I had Smith ranked as a lottery-caliber prospect, so this is obviously an amazing value in my mind. Smith is a 6’10 forward who can rip three-pointers and is athletic enough to hammer dunks on the inside. A tall shooter with good athleticism who was productive against G League competition is always a good bet, especially in the second round of a weak draft. This makes up for the Bucks’ bizarre first round pick. Grade: A

34. New York Knicks: Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette: Kolek is a tough four-year college point guard who can space the floor and run the pick-and-roll effectively. He was one of the best playmakers in college hoops and made 38.8 percent of his threes this past year. Grade: A

35. Indiana Pacers: Johnny Furphy, F, Kansas: Furphy is a 6’9 wing who can space the floor and make plays in transition. He was an efficient scorer once he got a chance at real minutes for Kansas in the second half of the year. Grade: A

36. San Antonio Spurs: Juan Nunez, G, Spain: Nunez is a 6’5 Spanish point guard who lacks athleticism but has tremendous passing vision and creativity. He doesn’t get to the rim and isn’t yet a reliable shooter, but it’s hard to find players with his size and passing combination still available in the second round. Grade: B+

37. Detroit Pistons: Bobi Klintman, F, Sweden: Klintman is a 6’10 forward who shows a projectable spot-up three-point shot and some rebounding ability. The Pistons need all the shooters they can get, and Klintman is a nice value at this point in the draft after getting first round hype for much of the last year. Grade: A-

38. Oklahoma City Thunder: Ajay Mitchell, G, UC Santa Barbara: Mitchell is a crafty 6’4 guard out of Belgium who can mix scoring and playmaking. He averaged 20 points per game on his way to Big West Player of the Year honors after making a big leap as a shooter this past season. Grade: A-

39. Memphis Grizzlies: Jaylen Wells, F, Washington State: Wells was playing D2 ball before transferring to Washington State and hitting better than 41 percent of his threes. He’s one of the better front court shooters in this class. Grade: A-

40. Phoenix Suns: Oso Ighodaro, C, Marquette: Oghodaro is a gifted playmaking center with plenty of athleticism to finish dunks around the rim. He’s weird little push shot became a deadly weapon at Marquette. He’s a little small for an NBA player, but his IQ and leaping is appealing. Grade: B+

41. Philadelphia 76ers: Adem Bona, C, UCLA: Bona was one of my favorite second round bets as a long, strong, and explosive center. Bona crushed the glass and hammered dunks throughout his sophomore year at UCLA, and showed off his physical gifts by jumping 40-inches at the combine. He’s short for a center and doesn’t have much perimeter skill, but Bona is a freak athlete and that’s worth betting on. Grade: A

42. Charlotte Hornets: KJ Simpson, G, Colorado: Simpson was one of the best guards in college basketball this past year. He’s a high volume three-point shooter who can score from all three levels and make plays for his teammates. His just very small and will struggle to defend at the NBA level. Grade: A-

43. Atlanta Hawks: Nikola Durisic, F, Serbia: Durisic is a tall wing out of Serbia with a nice scoring package who has been productive in multiple settings. Grade: B+

44. Miami Heat: Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona: Larsson is a 6’5 off-ball guard who can rip three-pointers. He hit 39.7 percent of his threes across four years of college hoops, as well as better than 81 percent of his free throws. Grade: B

45. Toronto Raptors: Jamal Shead, G, Houston: Shead is the best guard defender in this class. He plays with a wildly high motor on every possession, making multiple efforts and showing tremendous toughness despite his lack of size. His offense is a work in progress, but his defense will endear him to coaches. Grade: A-

46. Los Angeles Clippers: Cam Christie, G, Minnesota: The younger brother of Lakers wing Max Christie, Cam has a little bit more of a scoring bag than his brother and made 39 percent of his threes on high volume as a freshman with the Golphers. He can rip shots off the catch or pull-ups. Grade: B+

47. Orlando Magic: Antonio Reeves, G, Kentucky: Reeves was an awesome scoring guard at Kentucky after transferring in from Illinois State. He has a quick trigger and NBA range on his jump shot, but he’ll have to work to defend at the NBA level. Grade: B

48. San Antonio Spurs: Harrison Ingram, F, North Carolina: Ingram is a big forward with shooting ability. He hit 38.5 percent of his threes on 169 attempts this year. He also showed impressive rebounding ability this past year at UNC. He doesn’t create much and he’s not an elite athlete, but he has the strength and shooting to have a chance in the NBA. Grade: B

49. Indiana Pacers: Tristen Newton, G, UConn: Newton will go down as one of the best transfers ever after leaving East Carolina for UConn and helping the Huskies win back-to-back national titles. He’s a 6’5 guard who reads the game at a high level and has some fascinating passing flashes. He’s also a pretty good shooter. After being named Final Four Most Outstanding Player, Newton gets his NBA shot. Grade: B+

50. Indiana Pacers: Enrique Freeman, F/C, Akron: Freeman made Akron’s basketball team as a walk-on and eventually became MAC Player of the Year. He shined in multiple pre-draft settings and got an invite to the NBA Draft Combine, where he again impressed scouts with his energy, toughness, and developing jump shot. What a cool story. Grade: B+

51. New York Knicks: Melvin Ajinca, F, France: Ajinca is a 6’6 Frenchman who can really shoot it from the perimeter. He’s been productive in different settings and shows some ability to make some plays off the bounce. Grade: B+

52. Golden State Warriors: Quinten Post, C, Boston College: Post is a stretch center who can really shoot it. He hit better than 40 percent of his threes in each of the last two years, and shows decent rebounding and playmaking ability. Grade: B+

53. Memphis Grizzlies: Cam Spencer, G, UConn: Spencer is a crazy competitive guard as the younger brother of lacrosse legend and Warriors G League guard Pat Spencer. He was an incredible addition for UConn this past year as a transfer from Rutgers, adding movement shooting and a little more playmaking than expected. Grade: B

54. Boston Celtics: Anton Watson, C/F, Gonzaga: A versatile big man out of Gonzaga who can hit the glass, set hard screens, and show solid defensive versatility. Grade: B

55. Los Angeles Lakers: Bronny James, G, USC: James’ freshman year at USC started with a terrifying heart episode early in the offseason, and he never really found his footing after that. James is short for a guard at 6’1.5 barefoot, but he has long arms, a strong chest, and a good mentality for a role player. James isn’t a big scorer, but he fights for loose balls, defends bigger players, and spaces the floor as a three-point shooter. He needs to shoot it at a high level to stick in the NBA, but he’s shown enough at the high school level at Sierra Canyon to have a chance to stick. Grade: B

56. New York Knicks: Kevin McCullar Jr., F, Kansasa: McCullar is a really well rounded role player who finally made strides as a shooter this past year at Kansas. He was getting first round hype before a late season injury ended his campaign. McCullar is a tough defender, a good passer, and does all the little things that help teams win. This is a nice value at No. 56. Grade: A

57. Toronto Raptors: Ulrich Chomche, C, NBA Academy Africa: Chomche has a 7’4 wingspan, moves well, and plays with tons of energy. He’s the youngest player in the draft and first player to ever be drafted out of the NBA Africa Academy. He has great tools but has a long way to go in terms of his skill and feel for the game. Grade: B

58. New York Knicks: Ariel Hukporti, C, German: A big German center who plays with power, Hukporti is a rim roller who once won MVP at Basketball Without Borders. His stock has seemingly dropped over the last year, but he has great size and he’s been on the radar for a long time. Grade: B

ESPN reporter fires back at Bronny James nepotism complaints: ‘The NBA is full of nepotism’ espn,reporter,fires,back,at,bronny,james,nepotism,complaints,the,nba,is,full,of,nepotism,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-draft,draftkings,dot-com-grid-coverage

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As expected, the topic of nepotism came up during the broadcast of the 2024 NBA Draft as the inevitable selection of Bronny James by the Los Angeles Lakers neared. And with Bronny’s agent, Rich Paul, reportedly telling any team trying to draft him that LeBron James’ son will play in Australia if he’s selected against his will, it’s no surprise that some unfamiliar with how common that specific agent tactic is would get upset.

But NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski had a message for viewers watching ESPN at home: Anyone crying about nepotism influencing the Bronny pick should turn their eye to the entire league, not just LeBron James, Bronny and the Lakers.

Woj is right. From Thanasis Antetokounmpo with the Bucks to Chris Smith with the Knicks back in the day, one can argue there are plenty of cases of NBA roster spots throughout history going to a slightly less talented player as a favor to keep their more heralded sibling happy. And it’s not just rosters: NBA coaching staffs are littered with sons of current or former head coaches (or even players’ fathers), and front offices frequently populated with the progeny of previous execs… not to mention, often, the owners’ kids as well.

Plus, it’s not like Bronny is totally unqualified. Previous to the cardiac arrest he suffered in 2023, he was widely mocked as a first-round pick, or even a lottery selection. And even after a mostly underwhelming season at USC, our own Ricky O’Donnell still gave the Lakers’ selection of him a B grade:

James’ freshman year at USC started with a terrifying heart episode early in the offseason, and he never really found his footing after that. James is short for a guard at 6’1.5 barefoot, but he has long arms, a strong chest, and a good mentality for a role player. James isn’t a big scorer, but he fights for loose balls, defends bigger players, and spaces the floor as a three-point shooter. He needs to shoot it at a high level to stick in the NBA, but he’s shown enough at the high school level at Sierra Canyon to have a chance to stick.

None of this is to say nepotism is good. It’s just to say that this situation is only exceptional nepotism by NBA standards in one sense: We’ve literally never seen an NBA player good enough, for long enough, to not only play with or against their son, but to be talented enough still to push their team to draft him.

But while LeBron and Bronny are 1/1 in that respect, family members helping each other get jobs in the NBA, either on a roster or in the coaching and executive ranks? That’s nothing new, so we shouldn’t act like it is.

Bronny James’ agent told teams don’t draft him or he’s going to Australia, per report bronny,james,agent,told,teams,don,t,draft,him,or,he,s,going,to,australia,per,report,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-draft,draftkings

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During Day 2 of the 2024 NBA Draft, ESPN analyst and former Golden State Warriors executive Bob Myers dropped a bombshell of a rumor surrounding guard Bronny James, via his agent Rich Paul.

James, a guard from USC, is currently projected to be selected at the 55th pick, when the Lakers are on the clock. According to Myers, Paul is telling teams picking before the Lakers not to take James, pulling the strings in order to get James playing with his father LeBron in the NBA.

If Bronny is in fact selected by the Lakers, he and his father would be the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time. While this is a big announcement regarding the rest of the NBA Draft, this isn’t unusual. There have been reports and rumors in previous years of players forcing their way onto teams via their agents telling teams not to draft them. Perhaps the most famous example also involves the Lakers, with Austin Reaves telling the Detroit Pistons not to draft him so he could choose the opportunity in Los Angeles on a two-way contract.

Especially in the modern second round, players can force their way onto teams who need roster spots filled, and Bronny is simply going to be the next player who does that.

As polarizing as Bronny is, this more than likely will only fuel the flames of detractors around his draft stock. The media circus surrounding him will only increase as the rumors swirl with more intensity, taking away from what could turn into a pretty solid NBA career. This rumor, while valid reporting, probably won’t smother those flames anytime soon.

Many NBA Draft pundits have James’ stock coming around the late areas of the second round, but the question now is if teams will call Rich Paul’s bluff and pick James. I doubt it, because Paul is the head agent of Klutch Sports, arguably the most powerful agency in the NBA. If they upset Paul, they risk upsetting other major NBA players affiliated with Klutch Sports.

It’ll be interesting to see who picks James, and if he gets picked at all. Will James end up actually playing in Australia? It seems unlikely, but is apparently now on the table.

Adrian Wojnarowski roasting Stephen A. Smith is the highlight of Day 2 of 2024 NBA Draft adrian,wojnarowski,roasting,stephen,a,smith,is,the,highlight,of,day,of,nba,draft,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-draft,draftkings

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For the first time in history, the NBA Draft is taking place over two nights.

Ahead of the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, the gang on ESPN got together to ponder a number of questions. Atop that list? Where might Bronny James come off the board? After falling out of the first round — as was largely expected — James is waiting to hear where his NBA journey begins.

As is his father, LeBron James.

That led Stephen A. Smith to ponder a once-in-a-lifetime scenario: Bronny coming off the board during the second round to the New York Knicks, and LeBron joining the Knicks on a league minimum salary to play with his son, and the rest of the loaded Knicks roster.

However, Adrian Wojnarowski had a rebuttal question.

Who would Stephen A. Smith take such a big paycut for?

That left Smith — who is usually ready with an answer for anything — searching for a response.

You can see the entire exchange in this below clip, with Wojnarowski’s question coming in at the 1:14 mark:

Of course there is some context that is helpful here, as Smith is entering the final year of his current contract at ESPN. Smith has reportedly received an offer in the $18 million range annually, but is reportedly seeking a contract in the neighborhood of $25 million. All of that context makes this clip even better.

We have 28 picks left to go — the first two picks are now in for the second round — but it might be hard to top this moment tonight.

Zach Edey turning down NBA Draft green room to celebrate with his Purdue teammates is so cool zach,edey,turning,down,nba,draft,green,room,to,celebrate,with,his,purdue,teammates,is,so,cool,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,college-basketball,nba-draft,draftkings

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The decision by the Memphis Grizzlies to take Zach Edey with the No. 9 pick in the NBA Draft was easily the most divisive decision of the top-10. To some, Edey is a prolific college powerhouse, a dominant talent who was a no-brainer, others see a physically-limited, low-upside center who will be eaten alive by the NBA’s athleticism. But no matter which side of the fence you fall on, there’s no debating that Edey is a genuinely great dude.

This shined through on Thursday night, when instead of accepting an invite to The Barclay’s Center to be a part of the pomp and circumstance of the draft, instead Edey spent the evening with his former Purdue teammates and watched it all unfold on TV.

Edey informed the NBA last week that he wouldn’t be attending the draft in person, turning down his green room invite. He told league officials that he was going to stay and watch with his coaches, teammates, family and friends at Purdue — which included Mason Gillis, who transferred to Duke last month, but was still there to celebrate Edey’s big moment.

It’s aspects like this of Edey’s personality which will make him a fan-favorite in Memphis. A true throwback center in an era of stretch players, time will tell whether the experiment will work — but there’s no doubt that this kid has his priorities in the right place. Let’s be honest for a second too: Staying home was exceedingly smart.

Speculation on where Edey might land ranged from the late teens, all the way out of the first round. Obviously the story ended well for the Purdue big man, but by staying away from the green room he dodged the embarrassment of waiting all night to hear his name called only to be met with silence, as Duke center Kyle Filipowski did on Wednesday night when he fell out of the first round.

The new locale also allowed for Edey to get the full “Art but Sports” treatment, something he wouldn’t have likely gotten in NYC.

It’s difficult not to root for this kid, and all the players who got selected on Wednesday night. Memphis got a good one.

NBA Draft’s 30 best available players for second round in 2024 nba,draft,s,best,available,players,for,second,round,in,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-draft

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Round one of the 2024 NBA Draft is over, and for the first time, teams have to wait one more day to make their picks for round two. The draft is now a two-day event, with the second round taking place on on Thursday, June 27 at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN. There is still a lot of talent on the board even in a weaker draft class like this one.

We have already handed out instant grades for every first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Now let’s rank the best remaining players for round two.

Our best available rankings come directly from my top-60 big board heading into the draft. There’s still one lottery-caliber prospect available in G League Ignite stretch forward Tyler Smith. Duke big man Kyle Filipowski slipping to the second round was also a big surprise, and his combination of passing ability and shooting range could make him a big steal for at the top of the second round.

The Toronto Raptors start off the second round with pick No. 31, followed by the Jazz, Bucks, Trail Blazers, and Spurs. We’ll have the full second round draft order after the table. But first, here’s our list of the 30 best players still available to start the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.

The best available players after first round of 2024 NBA Draft

Second roud rank Overall rank Player From Position Age
Second roud rank Overall rank Player From Position Age
1 12 Tyler Smith G League Ignite F Born 2004
2 16 Kyle Filipowski Duke C Sophomore
3 27 Kevin McCullar Kansas G/F Senior
4 28 KJ Simpson Colorado G Junior
5 29 Johnny Furphy Kansas F Freshman
6 32 Jamal Shead Houston G Senior
7 33 Adem Bona UCLA C Sophomore
8 34 Ajay Mitchell UC Santa Barbara G Junior
9 35 Tyler Kolek Marquette G Senior
10 37 N’Faly Dante Oregon C Senior
11 38 Bobi Klintman Sweden F Born 2003
12 39 Judah Mintz Syracuse G Sophomore
13 40 Juan Nunez Spain G Born 2004
14 41 Keshad Johnson Arizona F Senior
15 43 Melvin Ajinca France G Born 2004
16 44 Jaylen Wells Washington State F Junior
17 45 Nikola Djurisic Serbia F Born 2004
18 46 Isaiah Crawford Louisiana Tech F Senior
19 47 Jonathan Mogbo San Francisco F Senior
20 48 Cam Christie Minnesota G Freshman
21 49 Harrison Ingram North Carolina F Junior
22 50 Baylor Scheierman Creighton F Senior
23 51 Ulrich Chomche Cameroon C/F Born 2005
24 52 Oso Ighodaro Marquette C Senior
25 53 Anton Watson Gonzaga C/F Senior
26 54 Tristen Newton UConn G Senior
26 55 Reece Beekman Virginia G Senior
27 56 Bronny James USC G Freshman
28 57 Antonio Reeves Kentucky G Senior
29 58 Justin Edwards Kentucky F Freshman
30 60 Jalen Bridges Baylor F Senior

2024 NBA Draft second round order

31. Raptors (from Pistons via Knicks and Clippers)

32. Jazz (from Wizards via Pistons and Nets)

33. Bucks (from Blazers via Kings)

34. Trail Blazers (from Hornets via Nuggets, Thunder and Pelicans)

35. Spurs

36. Pacers (from Raptors via 76ers, Clippers and Grizzlies)

37. Timberwolves (from Grizzlies via Lakers, Wizards and Thunder)

38. Knicks (from Jazz)

39. Grizzlies (from Nets via Rockets)

40. Trail Blazers (from Hawks)

41. 76ers (from Bulls via Celtics, Spurs and Pelicans)

42. Hornets (from Rockets via Thunder)

43. Heat

44. Rockets (from Warriors via Hawks)

45. Kings

46. Clippers (from Pacers via Grizzlies and Bucks)

47. Magic

48. Spurs (from Lakers via Grizzlies)

— 76ers (forfeited)

49. Pacers (from Cavaliers)

50. Pacers (from Pelicans)

51. Wizards (from Suns) — Reportedly traded to Knicks

52. Warriors (from Bucks via Pacers)

53. Pistons (from Knicks via 76ers and Hornets)

54. Celtics (from Mavericks via Kings)

55. Lakers (from Clippers)

56. Nuggets (from Timberwolves via Thunder) — Reportedly traded to Suns

57. Grizzlies (from Thunder via Rockets and Hawks)

— Suns (from Nuggets via Magic; forfeited by Suns)

58. Mavericks (from Celtics via Hornets)