I have spent a lot of time on FaceBook Marketplace. From browsing free listings to bartering about five-dollar margins that make up less than 10% of the price of said item, I have done my time in the slop pile. In fact, few things have ever prepared me better to talk about the NBA trade and free agent market than trying to convince someone that a painted plastic table could be considered “redwood” because it was dark orange with a wood grain pattern. I’m the Danny Ainge of the online selling world.
However, once in a blue moon, you find something magical — be it a full-sized dinner table for 30 dollars, a 20-dollar set of professional kitchen knives, or an 11-dollar Ben Simmons jersey — that makes you question how it became so undervalued, so much so that you overthink it on the subway ride down to pick it up.
Some days, you were right to have been suspicious, and you’ve wasted a day on a sewing machine with no thread pickup. Other days, you, the Golden State Warriors, get offered Zach LaVine for nothing but salary filler.
You smile graciously, you mute the call to confer with your front office, and you say…
“No.”
How did we get here? How did a 29-year-old All-Star with the ability to generate shots from distance and at the rim become a negative asset in the face of most of the league? Why would the Warriors rather cut Chris Paul than throw him into a trade and get a possible contributor like they once did to acquire D’Angelo Russell through sign-and-trading Kevin Durant?
The obvious answer is the price tag that comes with LaVine and the five-year, $215 million dollar contract he signed following the 2021-22 season. With this and next season on the books, along with a player option in 2026-27 for a shade under $50 million, LaVine’s contract is widely seen as exactly the type of bad deal that has become an anchor under the new CBA.
Except it hasn’t really.
Ignoring the player, Zach LaVine is tied as the 18th highest-paid player in the NBA (per Spotrac). The Timberwolves, Suns, and Sixers have three of the top 25 contracts on their cap table in per year average. The Pacers, Celtics, and Bucks have two each.
Even in the current NBA, accommodating big deals is not impossible. While the Suns and Bucks were both first round exits, the Wolves and Pacers were both conference finalists. Boston is about to be shelling out the top two contracts in NBA history and are reigning NBA Champions; the Sixers are paying huge sums in order to make it out of the second round for the first time since 2001.
That only leaves the question of health. LaVine played a meager 25 games last year before an ankle injury — and subsequent surgery — ended a season that had Bulls fans beggingfor release from the middling hell that GM Arturas Karnisovas has led them to.
Except, saying LaVine certainly isn’t worth his contract over that situation doesn’t stand up to a deeper dive, either. Let’s think of the Sixers, who just caught the big fish of this offseason in Paul George. PG signed a four-year $213 million deal. That is more than the total value of Zach LaVine’s contract, which he is two years into, on one less year.
However, they’re not much different in health. Over the past four years, Paul George has played 215 games in the regular season, only eclipsing the 60 games played mark in last year’s campaign. Zach LaVine, on the other hand, has played 227, with this year’s 25 dragging down his average after two straight years of playing in over three-quarters of the Bulls’ games.
Now, Paul George is unquestionably a better player than Zach LaVine. He is far better defensively, even if he is not the same lockdown, two-way superstar he used to be. George is, historically speaking, also a better creator for others than LaVine, although their assist percentages were the same last year. From credentials to reputation to podcasts, Paul George has LaVine beat.
Still, the fact remains that the far older, more injury-prone player is now on a longer-term deal, while the player that had the best year of his career only a year and a half ago is failing to get salary-dumped because his market is so bad.
This all brings us back to the question at hand: why? The two obvious reasons of money and health don’t fully pass any real examination. Was it the Bulls’ fault for doing a publicized character assassination of the player they planned to trade? I’m sure that plays into it. Was it intelligent of them to anonymously accuse LaVine through the media of getting surgery to decrease his own value? Absolutely not, are you kidding me!?
But, while both of those things explain the breakdown of the relationship between Chicago and Zach, they don’t explain the league-wide pessimism. Not even the typical trade-averse “it was too much to give up” logic works here. Again, the Warriors were offered a salary dump of their own in Andrew Wiggins’ deal along with Chris Paul’s expiring and they said no! They were giving up negative value and they still rejected the trade!
Now, it’s worth noting that the whole league doesn’t have to like LaVine. The Bulls only need one team to show interest to get a deal done. The Lakers have reported interest in Jerami Grant, despite having admittedly worse players of his ilk on the roster. Any trade for Grant would include real assets to the rebuilding Trail Blazers. Instead, why don’t the Lakers try to acquire a shot creator — one who they’ve previously tried to trade for — for pennies on the dollar (or for pennies on the DLo).
That, however, leaves us with the obvious truth: sometimes things are unexplainable. Sometimes you dig your heels into the ground, you look around and you say “I’m not wrong, the world is wrong.” There is absolutely no universe in which Zach LaVine is not worth taking a shot on for a team with limited options to improve, especially one trying to keep aging superstars happy.
The perception of LaVine has swung too far in the opposite direction from the reality.
There is no purely basketball-based answer to the question of why no one wants LaVine, none that isn’t without its own obvious contradiction at least. A 29-year-old shooting guard only one year out from averaging career highs in defensive and total win shares, who has shot well above league average from three, both on and off ball, is being treated like a bed bug-infested futon being sold on the internet with low-res photos. It’s simply baffling.
It seems the two sides are headed for a divorce here no matter what. LaVine wants to be elsewhere, and the Bulls will finally acquiesce to fans’ wishes and begin a rebuild behind their two young guards, Coby White and Ayo Dosumnu, and recent draft pick Matas Buzelis.
However, while it seems like the perception of LaVine could not be worse, sometimes, we let dollar amounts dehumanize players. We often lose track of who is standing behind the numbers, we let little boxes on Basketball-Reference tell us everything there is to know and mold it to fit our narratives. Somehow, the numbers have now have ceased to matter in the face of one constant narrative thundercloud above LaVine’s head.
And this is not to say that Zach will instantaneously return to All-Star form or even reach the heights his contract should imply. It also doesn’t mean that he’s capable of being a team’s best player or taking a middling roster to championship expectations. He is, however, not the negative asset he’s been branded as, and he is absolutely the best available option for teams looking for real difference-makers on the market.
We’ve overadjusted. We forgot that good players earn good money, and that good players can have down years. Zach LaVine is a great player. You don’t dump great players. You don’t attach first round picks to them. You certainly don’t say no when they’re given to you for free.
So yeah, NBA GMs are wrong. And there will likely be at least a few of them who will regret passing over Zach LaVine when this saga is over.
The Philadelphia 76ers opened up more than $61 million in cap space this summer in an effort to lure another star to come play alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. As NBA free agency opened on Sunday evening, there’s serious optimism that Philly is on the cusp of landing the top player on the market.
The Sixers are “strong frontrunners” to land Paul George in free agency, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. George and the Los Angeles Clippers have “moved on” from one another in free agency, according to Woj, opening the door for George to join a new team.
The Sixers are the only suitor for George ahead of his Sunday night meeting with Philadelphia, according to Clippers reporter Law Murray.
Per source … there’s a real chance that Paul George will make his final decision tonight. The expectation at some point is that he will choose the Philadelphia 76ers.
There are no other teams in the running at the moment.
The Clippers have put out a statement on George’s departure even before he officially signs with a new team:
Clippers’ statement on Paul George parting ways following a significant gap in contract talks, exploring an opt-in and trade scenario and excitement about new opportunities and greater flexibility under new CBA to field a “highly competitive team” moving forward: pic.twitter.com/Uajbail3Hk
The Clippers cited the more punitive luxury tax thresholds under the new CBA in their statement on George’s exit. The threat of penalties for crossing the “second apron” also played a role in the Denver Nuggets losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic in free agency.
The Clippers had reportedly offered George a similar deal to Kawhi Leonard’s three-year, $153 million extension, but were unwilling to go to four years. George is seeking a four-year max contract.
The Clippers agreed to a two-year, $70 million extension with James Harden as free agency opened on Sunday.
Maxey is a restricted free agent this offseason, meaning the Sixers have the ability to match any contract he receives. Maxey is expected to re-sign with the Sixers after the franchise takes its big swings in free agency.
George is 34 years old, and is coming off another strong season with the Clippers where he averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game wiht 41.3 percent shooting from three-point range (on 7.9 attempts per game) and 90.7 percent free throw shooting.
We’ve already seen the New York Knicks load up to challenge the Boston Celtics with a bold trade for Mikal Bridges. Now that George is leaving the Clippers, it’s possible Philadelphia will form a third legitimate East contender.
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.
CROMWELL, Conn. — Who knows when the PGA Tour will strike an agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), LIV Golf’s beneficiary. But one thing is certain: no deal will be made during this week’s Travelers Championship.
Speaking to reporters at TPC River Highlands, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan provided an update on negotiations without revealing anything the golfing world did not already know. He also shut down any rumors about a pending deal.
“There’s been a lot of news around our ongoing discussions with the PIF, Monahan said.
“I’m not going to negotiate in public, and I know [everyone is] eager to know more, but I will go back to the meeting that we had two Fridays ago in New York, where our entire Transaction Committee, including Tiger Woods and Adam Scott being in person and Rory [McIlroy] dialing in from the Memorial Tournament, alongside Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the Governor of the PIF and representatives of the PIF. It was a very productive discussion. As we’ve said, progress was made and we continue to be in regular dialog. I had a 10 o’clock call [Wednesday] morning with the PIF, and we’re doing that multiple times a week.”
Jay Monahan speaks at the 2024 Memorial Tournament.Photo by Ben Jared/PGA Tour via Getty Images
At least talks with the PIF have taken place, which did not appear to be the case before the Players Championship in March.
“I would say to you that there were a lot of important aspects that we talked about in that meeting [in New York], aspects that will be important towards a final agreement that we got consensus on, and there are a number of areas that we recognize that we weren’t going to, but identified them, and that’s what we’re focused on, and that’s what we’re working on,” Monahan continued.
“So, my outlook for those discussions continues to be very positive.”
The negotiations between the PGA Tour and the PIF were further complicated by the addition of the tour’s new investor, the Strategic Sports Group (SSG), in February.
Before the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Monahan and the tour announced that SSG—a consortium of sports owners from around the country—agreed to invest $1.5 billion in the tour. This investment will give the tour much-needed capital amid rising costs, thanks in part to LIV Golf’s rise to prominence.
Of course, the PIF has over $700 billion in assets and has reportedly invested north of $1 billion into the PGA Tour’s rival circuit.
Nevertheless, SSG helped the tour establish an equity program for players, meaning top tour members will have massive stakes in its newly formed entity, PGA Tour Enterprises.
“All I can say is that when you have the likes of John Henry and Arthur Blank, Sam Kennedy, Andy Cohen, Joe Gorder, a lot of people that—some people are new to our sport, but have massive experience in sport and in the corporate world. When they say that this is one of the most complex scenarios that they have ever seen, I think that says a lot,” Monahan added.
“As it relates to whether or not the complexity is being underestimated, I think it’s only fair to say that unless you have a full context for everything that’s being discussed, it would be unreasonable for anyone to think that you would fully understand the complexity. There are a lot of different factors at play, but nobody who is having the conversation is unaware of the complexity, and everyone, I think, is embracing the fact that there are things, obstacles, and things you have to overcome in a complex situation. We have the right people around the table for us, and they do as well.”
Monahan provided one large word salad to reporters—a salad that continued no juice or any meat. Yet, the commissioner said that all involved are focused on getting to the right outcome, with players and fans in mind.
When that outcome comes about is anyone’s guess.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThroughfor more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
The 2024 NBA Finals are over with the Boston Celtics emerging as champions. The league is now ready to turn the page to next season, starting with the 2024 NBA Draft. The first round of the draft is happening on Wednesday, June 26 on ESPN starting at 8 p.m. ET, and for the first time, the second round will happen the next day.
This has always been a tricky draft to project due to the lack of consensus at the top of the class. Information is slowly starting to trickle out about how teams are approaching this draft, and at this point a framework for team preferences is slowly starting unfold.
Last week, we dropped a mock draft based on what we would do with every pick. This week, we’re delving into the latest intel around the draft to project how the first round looks like it will actually play out. The Hawks hold the keys to the draft at No. 1, and their decision will set the rest of the picks into motion.
1. Atlanta Hawks – Donovan Clingan, C, UConn
No one knows what the Hawks are going to do with this pick mostly because there hasn’t been a consensus No. 1 player in this class at any point in the cycle. The fact that Atlanta was preparing to draft at No. 10 entering the lottery before jumping all the way up to No. 1 probably didn’t help matters. We know the Hawks have scouted French wing Zaccharie Risacher in person at a playoff game and brought him in for a workout. There are rumors the team is also considering trading down, perhaps to target UConn center Donovan Clingan. With Washington and Houston lurking as potential Clingan suitors slightly down the order, it’s starting to feel like Atlanta could just take the Huskies big man at No. 1.
The Hawks’ defense has always been bad since they drafted Trae Young. Last season, Atlanta finished No. 27 in defensive efficiency. Rim protection was a distinct weakness, with the Hawks finished No. 26 in blocks per game. Clingan is the draft’s best shot-blocker, and arguably its most impactful overall defender. An underrated factor in this pick is that Atlanta owes unprotected first round picks to the San Antonio Spurs in 2025 and 2027. Clingan feels more ready to contribute than someone like Sarr (who was my personal pick here last week), and that might make the difference for a team that doesn’t want to surrender a high pick next season.
Photo by COLIN MURTY/AFP via Getty Images
2. Washington Wizards – Alex Sarr, C/F, Perth Wildcats (France)
Sarr has only worked out for one team according to HoopsHype, and that’s the Washington Wizards. This feels like an obvious match if he’s still on the board at No. 2. Sarr has the best physical tools in the draft as an athletic 7’1 big man with a 7’4 wingspan who can run the floor, make plays above the rim on both ends, and has shown flashes of ball handling and shooting ability. The Wizards’ rebuild still feels like it’s in its infancy, and that means someone like Sarr — obviously talented but still years away from his potential ceiling — also fits the team’s big picture timeline.
3. Houston Rockets – Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky
The only elite prospect Houston has brought in for a workout so far is Clingan. There have also been rumors that the Rockets are looking to trade this pick, maybe even seeing if they can get the Nets to bite on a Mikal Bridges deal. If Houston stays at No. 3, Sheppard makes a lot of sense as a long-term addition to the backcourt. Sheppard is tiny by today’s standards (6’3 with a proportional wingspan), but he’s an elite three-point shooter (52 percent from deep) and has razor sharp hands defensively that help him force turnovers. The Rockets have enough freak athletes to cover for Sheppard’s limitations, and he can help Houston’s existing young core by providing spacing and more transition opportunities via turnovers.
4. San Antonio Spurs – Zaccharie Risacher, F, JL Bourg (France)
Risacher has only worked out for the Hawks and Spurs, according to HoopsHype. This is starting to feel like his floor, and the Spurs would probably be elated to have him fall. Risacher is a good fit in San Antonio, and not just because he’s another young Frenchman to put around Victor Wembanyama. The 6’9 wing played a big role in the top French league as an 18-year-old, contributing shooting, on-ball defense, and transition playmaking. He hit more than 39 percent of his threes on the season, and had some of his best games deep in the playoffs. The Spurs can still fill their obvious need in the backcourt with their next pick at No. 8 overall.
5. Detroit Pistons – Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite
The Pistons are still fleshing out their new front office led by Trajan Langdon, and he has a ton of work to do coming off a 14-win season. He inherits a team built by former executive Troy Weaver that’s loaded with former lottery picks (Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren) who haven’t gelled into anything resembling a competitive NBA team yet. Buzelis is a nice on-paper fit in the existing young core, adding a raw but talented 6’10 forward who flashes perimeter skill and showed surprising toughness at the rim defensively. I continue to really like the fit for Rob Dillingham here, because the Pistons desperately need shooting and playmaking. Buzelis just feels more likely to go in the top-5, and this is a sensible enough fit.
6. Charlotte Hornets – Stephon Castle, G, UConn
One of the few rumors of this draft thus far is that Castle wants to play point guard in the NBA, and doesn’t want to work out for teams with star point guards already in place, according to ESPN. Castle hasn’t had any workouts yet according to the HoopsHype tracker, but insiders are saying he won’t slip past the Hornets at this pick. Castle might want to be a point guard, but he plays much more like a connective wing, and that makes him a good fit between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller in Charlotte. Castle defends his ass off, fights for loose balls and rebounds, and has the strength to finish through contact at the rim. His jump shot is terrible at the moment, but his 75.5 percent mark from the free throw line could inspire some long-term hope in his shooting.
The Blazers have been connected to several players at this point in the pre-draft process: Clingan (who they might have to trade up for), Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht, and French forward Tijane Salaun, all of whom have officially had workouts with the team. Cody Williams has also reportedly had a less publicized meeting in Portland, and would seem to fit well as a long-term piece on the wing around Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson. The real question is how much pressure Portland’s front office is under to try to inch this thing closer to competitiveness. The Blazers still feel far away from making a real push in the West, and Williams is far away from hitting his potential ceiling as an NBA player. This pick makes sense unless someone powerful in the organization is starting to lose patience.
8. San Antonio Spurs – Nikola Topic, G, Red Stars (Serbia)
The Spurs need to fill their hole at point guard somehow this summer, whether they’re trying to trade for a veteran like Darius Garland or nabbing a playmaker in this draft. Topic likely would have been gone by this point in the draft had he not torn his ACL in May. While the length of Topic’s recovery remains a point of speculation, he makes sense for San Antonio even if he has to miss his whole rookie year. Topic is a super fast lead guard who thrives getting downhill and finishing with craft below the rim. Isaiah Collier and Rob Dillingham would also make sense here. The reality is that San Antonio — with Victor Wembanyama in tow — feels like by far the best landing spot for any young guard prospect.
9. Memphis Grizzlies – Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite
The Grizzlies struck gold in the draft last year by taking a former highly-touted recruit who slipped in the draft after struggling in his pre-draft season. If it worked with GG Jackson, it can work with Ron Holland too. Holland had a brutal year shooting the ball for a G League Ignite team that was so bad they shut down the program. Still, his defensive motor, transition scoring, and wicked athleticism will quickly remind you why he was once considered the front-runner to go No. 1 overall in this class. The Grizzlies reportedly want to contend in the West this season and Holland is a little too young and too raw to do that, but with Ja Morant only turning 25 years this summer, Memphis still has a wide window. Holland could fit their long-term vision well as a player who embodies the franchise’s old grit-n-grind spirit.
10. Utah Jazz – Tidjane Salaun, F, Cholet (France)
Salaun has been the most active lottery prospect in team workouts thus far, already spending time with the Pistons at No. 5, the Blazers at No. 7, the Spurs at No. 8, the Jazz at this pick, and the Thunder at No. 12. Utah doesn’t seem like they’re in any rush to be competitive, and likely has its eye on Cooper Flagg at the top of the 2025 draft. Salaun is a good long-term prospect for his size, motor, and shooting potential at forward, and his development fits the timeline of the organization.
11. Chicago Bulls – Devin Carter, G, Providence
The Bulls are reportedly eying trading up in this draft, but parting with future draft capitol to do it would be a huge mistake. Chicago is in a great spot at No. 11 to just take the best player who falls, and Carter, Rob Dillingham, and Isaiah Collier could each fit that description in this mock. Carter was the first lottery prospect to work out for the Bulls, and there has been speculation that they gave him a promise. Carter would be a good long-term replacement for Alex Caruso as a tenacious on-ball defender who made real strides as a shooter and driver last season as a junior at Providence. Carter and the Bulls have been connected so often in the pre-draft process that this feels like the safest player to peg here.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder – Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky
Dillingham should go much higher than this based on talent, but it’s understandable that teams would be weary of a guard this small, this weak, and this bad defensively. The Thunder are smart enough to spot a great value when they see one. Dillingham might be the best ball handler in the class, and he has a case as the best shooter available, too. He’s deadly at ripping deep shots whether he’s on or off the ball, and his passing vision is underrated, too. OKC has so much length and defense already in place that it can accommodate a small guard bursting with offensive talent like Dillingham.
This feels like the low-end for Knecht’s range in the draft, with the Blazers lurking as his floor with the next pick. Knecht fits Sacramento’s existing style well: he’s a high-volume, highly-accurate three-point shooter for a team that finished No. 3 in three-point rate last season. Sacramento could probably use a little more size at this pick, but Knecht feels like a plug-and-play option for a team that wants to stay competitive in the West.
14. Portland Blazers – Tristan da Silva, F, Colordo
A four-year player at Colorado, da Silva is a tall shooter who lacks premium athletic ability. Portland is the only team he’s worked out for at this point, according to HoopsHype, and it’s easy to see his potential value there as a floor spacer for Scoot Henderson and Co. Indiana center Kel’el Ware and Miami forward Kyshawn George feel like other options here.
Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
15. Miami Heat – Isaiah Collier, G, USC
Collier was supposed to compete for the No. 1 pick entering this cycle before an up-and-down year filled with losing for USC. Collier has only worked out for the Heat, according to HoopsHype, and Miami should jump at the chance to take a player with the potential to be a long-term offensive engine if everything goes right. Collier is a fast and strong lead guard who can bully his way into the paint and has impressive passing vision. He needs to work on his jumper, but the Heat do player development better than anyone.
16. Philadelphia 76ers – Bub Carrington, G, Pitt
Carrington has reportedly been earning some lottery buzz lately — he worked out for the Kings at No. 13 — and has the mix of size and shooting teams look for in a guard. At 6’5 with a 6’8 wingspan, Carrington is at his best shooting pull-up jumpers off the dribble from deep and from mid-range. Philly feels likely to shop this pick in a trade for a win-now veteran, but this is starting to feel like Carrington’s range regardless of who’s choosing here.
17. Los Angeles Lakers – Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite
Smith has been extremely active on the team workout scene over the last month, stopping by the Heat, Lakers, Pelicans, Knicks, Thunder, Trail Blazers, Raptors, and Wizards. In a weaker draft, his combination of size (6’9 barefoot) and shooting feels like a worthy bet. Even as he readies to turn 40 years old this season, surrounding LeBron James with shooters is always a good move. Smith was one of the few G League Ignite players who wasn’t a disappointment this season, and he has a pathway to NBA success if he can improve his defensive awareness.
18. Orlando Magic – Jared McCain, G, Duke
The Magic typically prefer players with long wingspans, and McCain does not fit that mold after measuring at 6’2 barefoot with a 6’3.5 wingspan at the combine. Still, McCain feels like exactly what this team needs as a sharpshooter in the backcourt who can space the floor for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. McCain isn’t a natural on-ball creator, but his jump shot would really help out Orlando’s offense.
19. Toronto Raptors – Zach Edey, C, Purdue
Edey has made the rounds in the pre-draft process, working out for the Lakers, Heat, Bucks, Pelicans, Raptors, Blazers, and Jazz. Toronto makes sense as a landing spot for the 7’4 giant, and not just because he’s Canadian. Edey offers a sliver of upside other players in this range don’t due to his unparalleled size and production at the college level. He’s incredibly skilled as an interior scorer and offensive rebounder, and it’s undeniably impressive that he often played all 40 minutes for the Purdue at nearly 300 pounds. He’s a worthwhile flier in this range for a team that needs a long-term ceiling raiser.
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
20. Cleveland Cavaliers – Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana
Cleveland has so much up in the air entering the offseason. Will Donovan Mitchell sign a long-term extension? Will Darius Garland be shopped if that happens? Will the trade rumors that have floated around Jarrett Allen in recent years come to fruition? Ware makes sense as the best player available if the Cavs do decide to swap out Allen for a wing. He has similar athletic tools to Allen, but has the potential to be a real floor spacer with his jump shot. This would be an extremely skilled young front court if Cleveland can keep Ware’s motor up.
21. New Orleans Pelicans – Jaylon Tyson, G, Cal
Tyson has been everywhere in the pre-draft process with reported workouts in Cleveland, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, and Toronto. At 6’5.5 barefoot with a 6’8 wingspan, Tyson offers advanced ball handling and footwork, a solid shooting stroke, and some passing flashes. He can fit into almost any team context as a wing who can provide off-ball scoring and some secondary creation.
22. Phoenix Suns – Yves Missi, C, Baylor
There’s been a lot of buzz for Tyler Kolek in this spot, but if a talent like Missi falls, the Suns should feel comfortable taking a swing. Phoenix could really use some rim protection and athleticism in the front court, and Missi has that in spades. He may not fit Kevin Durant’s win-now timeline, but Missi has great long-term tools as an above-the-rim play finisher and shot blocker.
23. Milwaukee Bucks – Kyshawn George, F, Miami
George measured at 6’7 barefoot with a 6’10.5 wingspan, and made 40.8 percent of his threes as a freshman for Miami. He moves well enough to have some defensive potential, and he knows who he is as a player: 68.4 percent of George’s field goal attempts were from three-point range. Milwaukee would probably prefer a more “NBA ready” player, but this feels like the right range for George and a decent landing spot.
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
24. New York Knicks – Kyle Filipowski, C, Duke
Filipowski is probably too talented to fall this far in the draft, but it would be a boon for the Knicks if it happened. While the Duke sophomore is relatively slow and gravity-bound, he’s one of the most skilled bigs in this class. Filipowski could replicate a lot of Isaiah Hartenstein’s playmaking, and he has more shooting potential. There are some defensive concerns with Filipowski, but he can be a weapon offensively if he shoots it.
25. New York Knicks – Ja’Kobe Walter, G, Baylor
Walter was getting lottery hype for most of the year, but it’s easy to see a scenario where he starts to fall on draft day. He’s a wing in the ‘three-and-D’ mold, but both his shot and his defense were inconsistent as a freshman at Baylor. If he slips this far, he’d be a great value as an off-ball floor spacer for the Knicks.
26. Washington Wizards – Johnny Furphy, F, Kansas
Furphy makes sense for a Washington team trying to develop young players next season without any real pressure to win. A 6’8 freshman wing from Kansas (via Australia), Furphy scored efficiently (61 percent true shooting) and shot the ball well from three (35.3 percent) even if his shot dipped a bit late in the season.
Scheierman’s range appears to start in the late first round after he worked out for the Wolves, Jazz, and Celtics, all teams picking between 27-30. The Wolves don’t really have a designated shooter off the bench, and the Creighton super senior makes sense in that role. He hit 39 percent of his threes for his college career, and showed he could get them up with volume last season by attempting 8.3 triples per game. He’s not the longest or strongest wing, but he’s just tall enough (6’6.25 barefoot) to have a chance to stick.
It would make sense if the Nuggets shopped this pick for a win-now veteran, but we can’t have Dadiet falling much farther. The French wing measured at 6’7.5 without shoes with a 6’9 wingspan, and showed solid athletic traits, a high motor, and decent three-point touch while playing for Ulm in the German league. He’s very young, but he feels like one of the best upside fliers in the draft once we get to the 20s.
29. Utah Jazz – Ryan Dunn, F, Virginia
Dunn is a defensive monster as a rangey forward with elite athleticism who can defend out on the perimeter or provide secondary rim protection. The issue is that he can’t just can’t shoot at all right now — he went 7-of-35 from three as a sophomore at Virginia. Dunn has worked out for Utah and makes sense as a long-term development bet if they can fix his jump shot.
30. Boston Celtics – DaRon Holmes II, C/F, Dayton
Holmes has reportedly shut down his pre-draft workouts amid rumors that he’s received a promise somewhere in the first round. If he slips this far, it would be highway robbery for the Celtics. The junior big man was one of the best players in college basketball for Dayton this past season, combining improved shooting and playmaking ability with the athletic big man skills he’s always showcased. Holmes may be a tad undersized as a center, but his perimeter offensive development gives him a chance to play next to other bigs down the road.
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