Happy Father's Day! I'd say that the NBA offseason has officially kicked off because the Denver Nuggets won the Finals, but they actually got a head start by making a trade involving picks while the series was still going on. To keep track of everything, I'm going to be updating this post throughout the week leading up to the NBA Draft on Thursday, backdated to that first deal. The newest deals will be at the top, starting with today's big move with Bradley Beal, and then once we hit the new league year on June 30th (with deals official on July 6th), I'll create a new post for the official offseason.
As usual, the salary figures mostly come from Keith Smith on Spotrac; stats are from Basketball Reference, Sports Reference, and RealGM; heights from the combine are without shoes like the NBA made official in 2019; and I'll cite where the news is first reported and on which day. Contracts are visually coded as estimates/player options/team options/not fully guaranteed.
Draft results
To keep things organized now, draft results and thoughts are at the top, and then the big moves are under Transactions in order of recency. "Command F" is definitely your friend here to find specific players.
Spurs
#1 Victor Wembanyama
Traded #33 for two future 2nd round picks
#44 Sidy Cissoko
I don't think I need to repeat myself any further on the greatest prospect in at least 20 years. I didn't love that they traded their next pick with how much talent was on the board in the early 2nd, namely Leonard Miller who was taken in that spot, but getting his G League Ignite teammate and another French player to go with Wemby was a nice pick later on. Cissoko is still a pretty raw 19 year old wing, but he has some potential tools down the line at 6'5.5", 224 lbs with a 6'9.75" wingspan. The shooting line over the whole season, 43.6%/31.4%/64.3%, isn't great, but he did average over 1 made 3 per game along with a block and a steal. He can also create a little bit with 3.1 assists against 1.9 turnovers, so this could end up a nice value pick.
Hornets
#2 Brandon Miller
#27 Nick Smith Jr
Traded #34 and #39 for #31 James Nnaji
#41 Amari Bailey
I've been on the Scoot Henderson train for a long time as the 2nd-best prospect in this class (there's a reason rumored trade ups were for him), but I can at least understand why Charlotte went in another direction. They have their franchise point guard in LaMelo Ball, and while the incumbent's size and shooting could allow them to work together, adding a big wing is an easy fit on any roster. Miller is a great prospect in his own right, and it helps that GM Mitch Kupchak was reportedly watching first hand when the Alabama freshman had his most impressive performance in South Carolina. That came right after the revelation that Miller drove the car containing the gun used in the death of Jamea Jonae Harris, and although he faces no charges in the tragic incident, the involvement certainly raises questions for a team who might bring back another controversial forward, Miles Bridges.
Other possible concerns about him as a prospect include a lack of explosiveness and the fact that he's older than a typical one-and-done, having already turned 20 in November. That's what holds me back from a Paul George comparison, particularly with finishing inside, but it's funny that he is Miller's favorite player because the similarities in how they play were apparent from early on in the season. Reportedly 6'9" (likely in shoes) with a 7'1" wingspan, I think he could be a mix of Khris Middleton and Brandon Ingram with the two-way potential. Miller is an excellent shooter who made 85.9% of his free throws and 38.5% of an astounding 7.5 3-point attempts per game, and that was an even better 43.1% over his first 28 games before a late shooting slump that might have been injury related. His 2.1 assists really undersells how good of a passer he is with either hand, and averaging 0.9 steals and blocks each shows how he can be a reliable defender, if not a standout one.
After passing on Henderson, the Hornets ending up with two other upside combo guards with more size worked out really well for them. Smith also didn't measure at the Combine but is reported to be 6'5" with a 6'8" wingspan, and this was excellent value late in the 1st. After coming into the season as the top projected college prospect, a preseason knee injury caused him to miss time twice, and it was admirable that the Arkansas native came back the second time to help his hometown team when clearly not 100%. In 14 starts (two of his three bench cameos were very brief), he averaged 14.9 points on 38.5%/34.8%/75.5% shooting with 2 assists, 1.6 rebounds, and 1 steal in 29.4 minutes. Being limited was most apparent with that abysmal rebounding and only shooting 40.5% on 2's as he settled for tough floaters so often. He needs to get stronger on defense, but he puts in an effort with his length at least. I really like this bet on potential because if all goes well, he could be a Jamal Crawford type of guard but with some two-way play.
Bailey did measure (6'3.25", 191 lbs, and a 6'7" wingspan) before having strong Combine scrimmages that led him to staying in the draft after he also had an up and down season as a heralded recruit at his hometown school, UCLA. He really finished strong during tournament games with increased minutes after Jaylen Clark's injury: 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.3 steals in 33 minutes with 56.1%/46.7%/82.1% shooting over the final six contests. I wonder if he could've been a lottery pick in next year's weaker class had he continued to improve back in school, but this is a nice situation for him to develop next to a primary playmaker. The comparison to Delonte West by Kevin O'Connor feels appropriate based on Bailey's potential as a lefty combo guard who can shoot, defend well, and operate as a secondary creator.
It made sense to consolidate a couple of picks since they had five, but it caught me by surprise that they gave up #39 to move up just three spots for Nnaji after Mark Williams just had an impressive rookie season at center. This comes after a nice extension for Nick Richards and trading into the 1st a couple of years ago for Kai Jones, so that could be a lot of roster spots for big men. That being said, I am a fan of Nnaji's upside as a shot-blocking rim runner who is getting some minutes for Euroleague powerhouse Barcelona despite not turning 19 until August. He's already around 6'11", 251 lbs with a 7'7.25" based on a video provided to Jonathan Givony, who noted similarities to DeAndre Jordan.
Trail Blazers
#3 Scoot Henderson
#23 Kris Murray
#43 Rayan Rupert
I was really hoping for Portland to pull off a blockbuster trade that sent the #3 pick elsewhere for a a star veteran, if only for Henderson to get the chance to run the show himself somwhere and to end the constant discussions around Damian Lillard's future. Instead, the rookie will try to learn from the All-NBA point guard who turns 33 next month, and they now are fully stocked at guard with Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons also in the fold. It is hard to turn down a 19 year old with two productive G League seasons under his belt already and who could've been a #1 pick if he was born in a different year, and this could end up as the right move for the franchise in the long run. Perhaps this does lead to moving Lillard's huge contract to start fresh like Washington did with their own 2012 draftee, and Henderson is instead the heir apparent. Trying to play them together has obvious defensive limitations, as seen with past attempts at pairing Lillard with fellow 6'2" guards like Simons and C.J. McCollum. With the veteran's prolific shooting, it could possibly work offensively if the rookie continues to expand his range from his mid-range sweet spot. He is already pretty good in that area, improved to 32.4% from deep this past season, and made a solid 76.2% of his free throws over both of his G League years.
Taking Murray with their second 1st round pick was more of the expected move for a piece that can help immediately. After being more of a 3-and-D player next to his twin brother Keegan previously, the lefty stepped into the role of go-to player and filled his shoes admirably enough. He wasn't quite as productive (20.2 PPG and a 25.9 PER compared to 23.5 and an outrageous 37.8) and saw his 3-point efficiency drop from 38.7% to 33.5% with higher usage, but improving to 72.9% at the line on increased volume is a good sign for his future shooting. He can revert back to being a complementary player at the next level, and while he doesn't bring a lot of upside since he'll turn 23 already before the season starts, his experience can likely make for a quicker transition. A forward who can do a little bit across the board at 6'7.75", 213 pounds with a 6'11.75" wingspan is always a useful player to have.
Rupert could also potentially help sooner rather than later because like Henderson, he's coming from playing in a professional league already, and I thought he was a shockingly good value down at #43. The French wing helped his team finish 2nd in the Australian NBL, and his defensive upside could earn him minutes quickly in the NBA. Being 6'6", 192 lbs with a 7'2" wingspan and able to initiate offense a bit is definitely appealing, so if his streaky shooting comes around, this will become a huge steal.
Rockets
#4 Amen Thompson
#20 Cam Whitmore
Houston are definitely among the biggest "winners" of the night with Whitmore's unbelievable slide giving them the biggest steal of the draft after considering him with their first pick. Thompson was the right choice at #4 as a ridiculous athlete with the size to play forward if he doesn't end up sticking at point guard since he's 6'5.75", 214 lbs with a 7'0" wingspan. Given those traits and his upside on both ends, I view him like a mix of Penny Hardaway and Andre Iguodala, and that should be a great fit on a team that needs defense and passing. He should work well next to the shooting of Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr (if he stays long-term) with Thompson toggling between point guard on offense and small forward on defense, and that kind of versatility opens up a lot of potential lineups. There is definitely risk given the lack of a reliable jumper himself and the fact that he's already 20 after playing against lower competition in Overtime Elite, but at #4, he has as much, if not more, upside than anyone outside of Wembanyama.
The word on the Twitter streets is that Whitmore fell from a potential top-5 pick all the way to #20 due to a combination of concerns around cartilage in his knee and poor individual workouts and interviews. When this kind of thing happens, it feels like after the top teams pass on a player due to a mysterious reason, later teams who didn't have a personal visit get scared off by the unknown and stick to those that they knew would be in their range.
That was to Houston's gain as they got someone who was at the top of boards last summer after being named MVP of Team USA's gold medal winning U-18 team at FIBA Americas. Whitmore missed the start of the season due to a thumb injury, had an up-and-down freshman year as a result, and then seemed to rise back up rankings after an impressive Pro Day. He's a bit similar to Miles Bridges as a powerful athlete at 6'5.75", 235 lbs, with a 6'8.5" wingspan and two-way potential across multiple positions. In only 27.3 minutes, Whitmore averaged 12.5 points on 47.8%/34.3%/70.3%, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals, and after being eased in off the bench for six games after the injury, his 3P% was 37.3% in 20 starts the rest of the way. Only registering 19 assists against 42 turnovers over the whole season is the biggest red flag, but he has plenty of time to improve on that considering he doesn't turn 19 until next month. For perspective, he's almost a year and a half younger than the Thompson twins. 57.3% true shooting with a 25.6% usage rate, 20.3% defensive rebounding rate, and 3.2% steal rate at that age with that frame is a great starting place, and he could provide a Michael Porter Jr. type of value after slipping (not as a player type, to be clear).
Pistons
#5 Ausar Thompson
Traded #31 and two future 2nd round picks for #25 Marcus Sasser
It is pretty sweet that Ausar ended up going right after his twin to make them the highest drafted brothers in the same draft ever. I touched on them and their stats a little bit after they won the OTE championship with Amen having the buzzer beater layup in Game 2 and then assisting an Ausar 3 for the win in Game 3. By all reports, they both were great during the draft process since then as high character young men who work hard, and as I touched on in March, Ausar already is showing improvement in his jumper with the postseason performance he had. I think he has a little bit of a safer floor than his brother due to that outside shooting potential and because he is currently the more consistent defensive stopper. Like with Amen, that defense across multiple positions can provide nice matchups next to Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey in Detroit. My first thought with him was Jaylen Brown based on his physical ability, but since Thompson is a better playmaker, particularly coming into the league, I see somewhat of a mix of Tyreke Evans and the Toronto version of DeMar DeRozan.
Keith Smith reported that the picks sent out to move up six spots are in 2025 (the best of their own, the Warriors', or the Wizards') and 2026 (the best of the Knicks', Pelicans', Timberwolves', or Trail Blazers'), which could end up as valuable selections. Doing that to take Sasser there felt like a bit of a reach, especially given their core mentioned above, but they wanted to ensure getting their guy. He does provide much needed shooting and more perimeter defense to go with Thompson, and Sasser doesn't need to try to be a true point guard thanks to the presence of those three. On another team, being only 6'1.25" could shoehorn him into that type of role, but now he can just focus on being a 3+D guard who can provide secondary creation.
Magic
#6 Anthony Black
#11 Jett Howard
Traded #36 for TBD
Black is an interesting prospect as a point guard who is 6'5.75", 210 lbs with a 6'7.5" wingspan, which clearly gives him defensive upside as a starting point. Tenacity on that end and the unselfishness he plays with has drawn comparisons to a young Lonzo Ball, before he gained consistency with his outside shot. That will be the key for Black to be an upper-echelon starter after only shooting 30.1% on 3's and 70.5% on free throws. While this may feel somewhat like more of the same for Orlando's group of guards, not needing to be ball-dominant makes sense as a long-term fit next to Paulo Banchero and Franz Wagner. He worked well with Smith at times, namely in the upset over #1 seed Kansas, and should do much better with actual spacing to work with at the next level. Smart players who play hard on both ends tend to make it work with good talent around them.
It was pretty surprising seeing Howard taken this early and ahead of Dick and Hawkins, but I guess they wanted some playmaking ability along with the high-end shooting. Juwan's son had a tale of two seasons while coached by his dad, with ankle injuries to both feet resulting in pretty stark splits. In his first 18 games before leaving the Minnesota contest early, he averaged 15.4 points, 3.2 free throw attempts, and 2.5 assists against just 1.2 turnovers with 44%/38.8%/78.9% shooting for 59.2% true shooting. In his final 11 games: 12.3 points, 1.6 FTA, and 1.3 assists with 1.5 turnovers on 37.1%/33.7%/83.3% for 50.9% TS. If the former is really the type of player Howard will, him with Black, Banchero, and Wagner could be a really fun group of versatile guys in the 6’6” to 6’10” range around Wendell Carter Jr.
Pacers
Traded #7 for #8 Jarace Walker and two 2028 2nd round picks
#26 Ben Sheppard
#47 Mojave King
#55 Isaiah Wong
Indiana's interest in Walker to fill their glaring hole at power forward was one of the worst-kept secrets, and picking up a couple of extra picks to only move down one spot where they could still take him is a nice bonus (though it's a bad beat for anyone who bet on him to go 7th). He should improve their defense with his ability as both a help and switch defender, and he made 34.7% of his 3's on solid volume to add to the potential ceiling here. What might be most intriguing is the passing potential Walker has shown, resulting in a positive assist to turnover ratio, and that could be pretty valuable as a big. At 6'6.5", 249 lbs with a 7'2.5" wingspan, Walker somewhat reminds me of later career Paul Millsap with the ability to help his team in a variety ways.
I'm a huge fan of Sheppard as the sleeper of this class, and he could fit in nicely with the young core they're building. Over his junior and senior seasons he bumped up his shooting to 48.5%/39.3%/70% to average 17.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals while also making the Missouri Valley All-Defensive team last year. The passing is what intrigued me during the Combine scrimmages after Sheppard was up to 2.9 assists as a senior. Having some playmaking ability in addition to being a 3+D prospect at 6'5.25" with a 6'7.75" wingspan would make him pretty enticing, and I think with his feel for the game, he could be this year's Christian Braun as a late 1st rounder who makes a rookie impact.
King also projects to be a good defender, but he might be more limited to guards due to being 6'3.75" and 201 lbs, albeit with a 6'8" wingspan. The production wasn't really there on the G League Ignite, with averages of 9.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 40.4%/32.3%/76.9% shooting across the full season. It's tougher to do much projecting further on that since he already turned 21 this month with that stat line, but he's not old by any means.
Wizards
Traded #8 and two 2028 2nd round picks (per John Hollinger) for #7 Bilal Coulibaly
Traded #35 for two 2026 and 2027 2nd round picks
#42 Tristan Vukcevic
It's always fascinating when a team moves up just one spot; I guess they really believed that Indiana would instead trade with another team trying to get Coulibaly ahead of them. The cost here was hardly prohibitive, especially since they now have all of those extra 2nd rounders from Phoenix (and David Aldridge reports that one of these is a Suns pick), and this way they ensured getting their guy. It is a little high for Coulibaly, but I became a big believer in his potential after watching so many Mets 92 games for Wembanyama. His physical tools are so good that his agency provided video measuring him at 6'6.75", 194 lbs, and a 7'2.25" wingspan since he missed the Combine due to still having games in France. There's further room to fill out considering he doesn't even turn 19 for another month, and as such a smooth athlete who works hard on defense, this is the prototypical framework for a 3+D wing. Coulibaly shot 36% on 3's in the French Pro A league, and after starting the season playing at the U-21 level, his rapid ascension included even having the offense run through him due to the unavailability of point guards late in the season. He combined with Wemby to help Mets 92 reach their first ever Pro A Finals, and although they fell to a deeper and more experienced Monaco squad, the upside on display was apparent. Now he walks into a nice situation for him to stretch his wings with Washington finally entering full rebuilding mode.
I'm surprised they traded away the early 2nd they just got from Boston instead of adding to their new youth movement, but I guess they wanted to recoup the picks they relinquished in that move up. The 2nd round selection they did make was also a nice international gamble as Vukcevic's shooting ability can provide immense value as a big man. Having only turned 20 in March, he shot 40% on 3's and 81.1% on free throws in the Adriatic League in 22 games (9 starts) for the champions, KK Partizan. He has good size at 6'11.25", 223 lbs with a 7'2.5" wingspan, but concerns around his defensive limitations with the speed of the NBA is why he was available this late. I like them taking the shot, though, because the spacing a stretch center can provide helps all teams but particularly young players who really need room to operate.
Jazz
#9 Taylor Hendricks
#16 Keyonte George
#28 Brice Sensabaugh
Hendricks could turn out to be a tremendous value in the long run with the profile of player he can be as a shot-blocker who is also a great shooter. My initial thought was of Jaren Jackson Jr.-lite, but the UCF product measured in a slightly smaller than expected at 6'8.25", 214 lbs with a 7'0.5", which limits how much he could moonlight at center, at least until he fills out more. Still, he blocked 6.2% of opponents' shots while also hitting 39.4% of his 4.6 attempts from deep along with 78.2% of his free throws as only a freshman. Like Jackson, you'd like to see Hendricks do a little better on the glass, but that could come as he gets more experience rather than relying on his athleticism. The only slight against this pick is that Utah already has Lauri Markkanen as a stretch four who they want to keep long-term, so it seems like this year's Most Improved Player might continue to see time at small forward, which doesn't seem like the best use of him.
In the middle of the 1st, George was a nice upside pick in the same vein of the dynamic scoring guards that they seem to like. Taking more 3's than 2's brought down his FG%, but his overall efficiency before his ankle injury late in the year wasn't as bad as it appears. In George's first 28 games, he averaged 16.9 points with 54.2% true shooting (a 39.2%/35.8%/80.6% slash line) to go with 4.5 rebounds and 3 assists before trying to play through pain in a terrible final four games. The decision making needs some work with how ambitious some of those shots were en route to attempting seven 3's per game and averaging 3 turnovers, but he's only 19. Getting to the line almost 5 times per game helped make up for only shooting 43.3% on 2's even in the healthy games, so there's potential here to be an offensive creator. Listed at 6'4" (no Combine measurements), he doesn't have a lot of size, especially after slimming down last year, but he can hold up well enough on defense that he reminds me a little bit of Eric Gordon.
And at the end of round, Sensabaugh could end up as a steal because he is a pure bucket. He gets a lot of T.J. Warren comps for how deadly he is in the mid-range, but the Ohio Sate freshman was also a sniper from deep with a 40.5% mark on 4.5 attempts while also shooting 83% on free throws. That kind of shooting should always give him a role, and it's just a matter of whether or not he'll contribute anything else to become an actual impact player. Sensabaugh only registered 1.2 assists per game against 2 turnovers, and he does not garner good marks at all on defense. He didn't measure at the Combine either but has an interesting frame at his listed 6'6", 235 lbs, and if he can at least be passable at bodying up opposing wings, you can let him cook on offense.
Mavericks
Traded #10 and Davis Bertans for #12 Dereck Lively
Traded for #24 Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Richaun Holmes
Dallas had one of the best draft nights, proving that their late season tank really paid off. They only had to move down two spots to get off of Bertans' contract that has $22 million remaining in guarantees, and they still ended up with who they were long-rumored to like at #10. Lively is an unbelievable rim protector for a 19 year old, averaging 2.4 blocks in only 20.6 minutes, and Hollinger even compared him to Tyson Chandler, which is exactly what this team needs again. We'll see how quickly he can adjust to the speed of the NBA, but they could definitely use a shot-blocking rim-runner next to Luka Doncic and (presumably) Kyrie Irving.
Their follow-up move was also impressive as they used most of the Trade Exception from Bertans (or just created a smaller one if this ends up being one big deal when it can become official in the new cap year) to add Prosper at the cost of taking in Holmes. In swapping veteran bigs who have been useful in the past and then got overpaid, they gained some flexibility this season (even after the $1.8 million trade bonus that Marks reported) at the cost of more guaranteed salary next year. Holmes will likely provide more value on the court with a similar role as Lively, at least until the rookie is ready, but the point of this trade was adding the pick, of course.
I had "Dorian Finney-Smith/Robert Covington" in my notes for Prosper as an experienced 3+D wing who can guard multiple positions, and now he can step into the shoes of DFS for Dallas. You would like to see the shooting a little higher than the 33.9% as a junior that was a career-high, but being a 74.9% career free throw shooter is encouraging. The defensive versatility is the main attraction after measuring 6'6.75" with a 7'1" wingspan at 212 lbs, and he performed well at a Combine scrimmage to boost his stock. I think it might've been inflated a little too much considering some production questions like only having 12 career blocks in 90 games and just a 12.3% defensive rebounding rate last year, but I can see what they're going for.
7/7 update: Marks and Tim MacMahon report that Holmes actually waived his 15% trade bonus as part of the trade, so he's staying at $12,046,020 for this season to make the trade even better for Dallas.
Thunder
Traded #12 for #10 Cason Wallace and Davis Bertans
#50 Keyontae Johnson
I like Wallace, but I'm surprised that Oklahoma City took on this much salary to move up just two spots and take him at the seemingly high end of his range. Maybe they had intel that Utah was looming at #11. At least only $5 million of Bertans' salary in 2024-25 is guaranteed unless he pays in 75% of regular season games, and they have had a penchant for stretch bigs over the years, potentially making this not just a cost of doing business. While OKC had a lot of flexibility, this will reduce their cap space to around $15 million when it becomes official in the new league year. They have a few small, non-guaranteed contracts that could open up slightly more room if needed, but it is a curious move to ensure that they added yet another guard to their crowded group of perimeter players.
Wallace does have solid size at 6'2.5", 195 lbs with a 6'8.5" to potentially defend either backcourt spot, and that end of the floor is his calling card, with 2 steals per game helping to reflect that. 4.3 assists against 2.1 turnovers won't wow you, but it shows his good decision-making in a Kentucky offense that wasn't really set up for him to shine. Wallace is in theory a Jrue Holiday type of point guard who is a hounding defender, unselfish, and able to play on or off the ball after shooting 34.6% on a solid volume of 3's along with 75.7% on free throws.
Johnson making the NBA is a nice story after his scary collapse from a heart issue while at Florida, and he's coming off of a really good year at Kansas State after needing time off. That makes him 23 already to likely limit upside, but it also means he's pretty physically developed with his strong 6'4", 239 lb frame and 7'0" wingspan. That's somewhat of a unique build, which could allow him to defend multiple positions, and the hope is that the shooting (40.5% on 3's and 71.5% on free throws last year; 38.9% and 71.8% for his career) gives him a chance as a stretch four. It will be an interesting test of length and strength versus pure height, or lack thereof.
Raptors
#13 Gradey Dick
A pretty straightforward pick and a great one, Dick provides much-needed shooting to Toronto as a nice value here. You don't often see freshman work off the ball as well as he does, and he lived up to his billing as arguably the best shooter in the draft after making 40.3% of his 5.7 long range attempts per game along with 85.4% of his free throws. O'Connor was even confident enough to compare him to Reggie Miller in his draft guide. Dick measured a little shorter than expected at 6'6.25", but his 6'8.75" wingspan and 204 lb frame are solid. He can hold up better defensively than his contemporary shooters like Duncan Robinson, and he can mix it up a bit with drives off of shot fakes and on the boards. Gary Trent Jr. somewhat surprisingly picking up his player option with reported hopes of signing an extension might complicate immediate playing time, but the Raptors have a lot of balls in the air as always with their moving parts.
Pelicans
#14 Jordan Hawkins
Like Toronto, New Orleans needed more outside shooting and definitely addressed it with Hawkins. He's a bit older as a 21 year old sophomore, but he has honed his craft as a threat all over the court with constant motion. The footwork and quick release is really impressive, leading to a 38.8% hit rate on a ridiculous 7.6 attempted 3's per game last season while also converting 88.7% of free throws. Hawkins is more on the wiry side at 6'4.25" and only 186 lbs with a 6'6.75" wingspan, so making it into the lottery was a little on the high end for him. The Pelicans could definitely use the spacing he provides in lineups with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, any center, and sometimes Herb Jones.
Hawks
#15 Kobe Bufkin
Traded 2027 2nd round pick for #39 Mouhamed Gueye
#46 Seth Lundy
Landing Bufkin here is quite the coup for Atlanta after there had been multiple reports that he could be a late riser into the top-10, and he provides some insurance with Dejounte Murray heading into the last year of his contract. Bufkin is almost like a lefty version of Murray's former teammate, Derrick White, as a combo guard with solid length who helps his team in multiple ways. The Michigan product even has more room to improve considering that despite being a sophomore, he doesn't turn 20 until late September, and he's actually a week younger than his freshman teammate, Howard. Bufkin checked in with measurements of 6'4.25", 187 lbs, and a 6'7.75" wingspan, and after a slow start to the season, he got hot. Over his final 24 games, the southpaw averaged 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 2.1 turnovers with 50.5%/39.6%/84.8% shooting for 60.4% true shooting. Put it all together, and you have a potential impact player on both ends of the floor.
Sending out a single 2nd four years away is pretty good value for the 39th pick, and Gueye could be an interesting project with his 6'10.25, 213 lb frame and 7'3.5" wingspan. You wish he'd be a little more dominant at rebounding and protecting the rim with those tools, but for now he's more of an offensive threat who even made some 3's at a low volume. I actually think Lundy might be more valuable as a potential 3+D wing after hitting 40% of his 3's as a senior on a high volume along with 81.4% of his career free throws. He's also well put together at 6'4", 214 lbs with a 6'10.25" wingspan, so he should hold his own on defense if not be a lockdown guy. He is already 23, so what you see is likely what you'll get.
Lakers
#17 Jalen Hood-Schifino
#40 Maxwell Lewis
I thought they might be the team to take the great value pick with Whitmore, but Hood-Schifino also made sense after I had a hard time getting a read on his stock. He rose up boards in the middle of the season after Indiana had to put the ball in his hands following starting point guard Xavier Johnson being lost for the season on December 17th. Over his final 24 games, Hood-Schifino averaged 15 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.8 turnovers with 43.3%/33.3%/79.7% shooting or 50.6% true shooting. Whether or not he becomes more efficient could be what determines if he becomes a solid starter or a nice bench player because he likely won't have free rein of the offense to live on contested mid-rangers at the next level. He's a touch older for his class as a freshman who is already 20, and he didn't quite measure as big as expected: 6'4.25", 217 lbs, 6'10.25" wingspan. That's still helpful length, though, with defensive potential that not all guards of this ilk have. O'Connor's comp of Spencer Dinwiddie made a lot of sense as a bigger combo guard that can run some offense, and landing with the Lakers also gave me some Jordan Clarkson vibes.
The last minute move up in the 2nd round before the draft started did in fact pay off, even with the $4.35 million price tag that Tony East reported. Lewis has a somewhat volatile range of outcomes as a sophomore who is about to turn 21 already after a winding path to Pepperdine, but the upside possibility is tantalizing. There's 3+D potential at 6'6.25", 207 lbs with a 7'0" wingspan, good athleticism, and career percentages of 35.4% from 3 and 79.1% from the charity stripe. Interestingly, Lewis didn't launch from deep at the same rate after his increased role as a sophomore, averaging 4.3 attempts each season despite going from 19.5 minutes to 31.4. Instead, he drew free throws more often and got up to 2.8 assists per game to go with 17.1 points. He really faded down the stretch after getting 1st round buzz, though, going from 20.1 points on 51.7%/42.2%/85.7% shooting for 62.9% true shooting in his first 17 games to 13.4 points, 39.6%/22.4%/71.2%, and 48.1% over the final 14. The Lakers got a good look at him in nearby Malibu, so they know the risks with this potential steal.
Heat
#18 Jaime Jaquez
It's kind of funny everyone seemingly acknowledged that this was on the higher side for Jaquez but also a perfect Miami pick as a smart, tough competitor. The senior helped UCLA to a Final Four and two other Sweet 16's and can do a bit of everything at 6'6", 226 lbs with a 6'9.5" wingspan. While not the best athlete, he defends well within the team concept and ended up with 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks with a strong 20.3% defensive rebounding rate. He moves the ball and has nice touch inside, with the outside shot the big swing skill for him. Jaquez finished at 32.8% and 73.7% from the two lines for his career, with his sophomore year the outlier for both. Oddly enough, he had his best 3-point year at 39.4% while also having his worst season at the free throw line, 65.5%, and he hasn't been above 31.7% or below 76.1% in any of the other three years despite roughly the same amount of attempts. Now that he's with the Heat, I wouldn't be surprised if he winds up a decent shooter and possible starter.
Warriors
#19 Brandin Podziemski
#57 Trayce Jackson-Davis
I've been tweeting about Podziemski (pronounced po-JEM-ski!) for months, and now he ended up with a similar rise to his fellow Santa Clara Bronco Jalen Williams. After hardly playing as a highly-regarded recruit for Illinois, he transferred as a sophomore and had arguably a better season than Williams had as a junior. Podziemski doesn't have the same physical traits as the ROY runner-up, but he really stuffed the stat sheet with averages of 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.8 steals on a scorching 48.3%/43.8%/77.1% shooting line. That 60.2% true shooting combined with a 25.6% usage rate, 21.6% defensive rebounding rate, and 2.8% steal rate for a 20 year old guard made him pop in analytics models with Kevin Pelton's stats-only projection ranking him 2nd overall. At 6'3.75", 204 lbs with a 6'5.5" wingspan, he has some similarities to a couple of recent Warriors wearing #0: Donte DiVincenzo (who measured 6'3.5"/201/6'6") with some shades of D'Angelo Russell (6'3.25"/193/6'9.75"). Podziemski likely won't be as tough of a defender as the former, but he similarly competes hard, battles on the boards, shoots it well, and can provide some playmaking. He also has a great floater and real nifty passes as a lefty like Russell, resulting in some aesthetically pleasing highlights. Golden State projects to have a guard-heavy roster again this season, but with the Poole trade below, there is an opportunity for the rookie in the long-term. Rookies don't often make much of an impact on playoff contenders anyway, but perhaps coming in with a little more experience as a sophomore helps him, especially since his well-rounded skillset should fit right in just like DiVincenzo did.
I talked about TJD a bit in the section with the trade, but this also should be a great fit as a late steal. He's been on my radar since the 2018 U-18 Americas tournament, and I thought he already could've been an interesting prospect in last year's draft before he really helped his stock as a senior. Based on reporting from Anthony Slater the morning after the draft, there was interest from teams earlier in the 2nd, but Jackson-Davis' agent, who just happens to be the brother of new Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., told them not to draft him if they're only offering a two-way contract. That led to a preferred destination in a similar way to Austin Reeves choosing to go undrafted in 2021, only in this case, a guaranteed contract is on the way. The full details around the new 2nd round cap exception to sign rookies are still a bit of a mystery, but he's going to provide tax savings over the outgoing Patrick Baldwin Jr. in any case. TJD is also more likely to earn a role as a 23 year old who provides tougher defense along with great passing ability for a big man after averaging 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4 assists, 0.8 steals, and a whopping 2.9 blocks. He doesn't bring extraordinary length (6’8.25” with a 7’1” wingspan at 240 lbs), but this is the type of big that Golden State has had success with in the past, even leading to Sam Vecenie's draft guide specifically calling them out as the perfect landing spot for him.
Nets
#21 Noah Clowney
#22 Dariq Whitehead
#51 Jalen Wilson
After some talk that Brooklyn might try to package their picks together, this was a nice haul. It's fitting that they ended up with Clowney because his lanky frame and defensive ability reminded me of Nic Claxton, who is entering the last year of his contract for them. Clowney didn't measure at the Combine, but it's reported that he has a 7'2" wingspan while standing 6'10" with the requisite quickness to switch on the perimeter or play more traditional coverages. He is already a strong rebounder and roll man to provide a solid floor, and there's further upside as he approaches just his 19th birthday next month, particularly as a shooter. While he only hit 28.3% from deep, the fact that he had the freedom to attempt 120 of them is a good sign, and his free throw shooting improved to 71.2% in conference play. That's a potentially valuable combination of skills for a big man.
This was such an odd year with a combination of the top prospects not playing in college and even those that were got derailed to varying extents by injury. Like with Whitmore and Smith, Whitehead going to a team that had multiple 1st rounders made sense and especially so with him being picked by the Nets since their own team doctor was who performed his second foot surgery. Arguably the top recruit in the country, the Duke freshman didn't get to show the explosive slashing he was known for prior to the first surgery in August but instead improved as a shooter, hitting 42.9% of 3's and 79.3% of free throws. He has great size on the wing with measurements of 6'5.75", 217 lbs, and a 6'10.25" wingspan that he uses well in on-ball defense, and like Clowney, he is one of the youngest players in the class with his 19th birthday over a month away. This is definitely a risk vs. reward proposition, but even if he doesn't get back to the prospect he was in high school, the combination of size and shooting on the wing is useful if he can at least stay on the court.
Compared to the other two, Wilson is practically an old man as he'll turn 23 in November, but that could provide some balance as someone more ready to contribute now after a decorated career at Kansas. He improved to 79.9% on free throws as a senior and drastically increased his volume of 3's even while only hitting 33.7%, which was also a career-high. That will need to become more of his calling card along with his tough rebounding since he won't be a go-to scorer at the next level. After coming in much shorter than expected at 6'5.5" with a 6'8" wingspan at 230 lbs, he'll need to prove that he can be a contributor on defense.
Kings
Traded #24 to shed Richaun Holmes' salary
Traded #38 and a future 2nd for #34 Colby Jones
#54 Jalen Slawson
Sacramento was one pick away from potentially reuniting Keegan Murray with his twin Kris, but they ended up making a fascinating deal to move out of the 1st completely in order to get off of the nearly $25 million owed to Holmes. While we don't know what exactly is being sent back, it sounds like it will just be something like a fake 2nd or draft rights for a forgotten player to go with the salary relief. With Harrison Barnes, Trey Lyles, Alex Len, Chimezie Metu, and Neemias Queta (potentially restricted) all free agents, they are suddenly bare in the frontcourt but replete with flexibility. They could stay over the cap with their own guys, create a $12 million Trade Exception for Holmes, and have the full Mid-Level and Bi-Annual Exceptions to use. More likely is that they go after a big-time forward with cap space since they can create up to about $35.6 million if they renounce all of their free agents, waive P.J. Dozier's non-guaranteed $2,413,304, and decline Kessler Edwards' $1,927,896 team option. It could still be around $31.2 million if they hold onto those two and Lyles' small cap hold to re-sign with Early Bird Rights after using up their space, and they would still have the Room MLE that got buffed up in the new CBA to a projected $7.6 million. I could definitely see them being the team that overpays Kyle Kuzma; goes big to pry Jerami Grant out of Portland, especially if the Lillard situation goes south; or overwhelms Boston with an offer sheet for Grant Williams. There's buzz around Draymond Green given their Warriors ties and need for defense, but I'm still fairly sure he returns to Golden State, possibly on a bigger deal than expected due to this leverage.
As for the actual picks that they made, I love both of them as older prospects who may lack upside but can really play. Jones could've (read: should've) gone in the 1st as a smart, team-first wing who is a tough defender at 6'4.5", 198 lbs, with a 6'8" wingspan. The question is whether the shooting is real since he went from 30.3% on 3's his first two seasons all the way up to 37.8% while also increasing his volume, but the free throw shooting went from 69.6% to an even more poor 65.3%. The assists went up each year, though, and he finished at 4.4 per game this past season.
Similarly, Slawson did it all in five years for Furman, culminating in their exciting upset of 4th seeded Virginia in the NCAA Tournament. Versatility will likely be his calling card at the next level as he averaged 15.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.6 blocks, and even 1.2 made 3's over the last two season. He made 39.4% from deep and 77.5% from the line last season, and he has nice tools with a 6'6.5", 222 lb frame and 6'11.75" wingspan. Slawson will turn 24 early on as a rookie, but there's a lot to like for this late of a pick.
Celtics
Traded #25 for #31 and 2025 2nd round pick (Best of Pistons', Warriors', or Wizards' per Keith Smith) and 2026 2nd round pick (Best of Knicks', Pelicans', Timberwolves', or Trail Blazers')
Traded #31 for #34 and #39
Traded #34 for #38 Jordan Walsh and 2024 2nd round pick (Mavericks')
Traded #39 for 2027 2nd round pick (Hawks')
I joked on Twitter that they did their best impression of David Kahn in 2011 with the barrage of trade downs, but I actually don't hate what they did. I mentioned above how the ones gained from the initial move down could end up with actual value since they are "best of" types, and that's a pretty nice pivot since The Lowe Post theorized that their target, Prosper, was taken. Instead, they ended up with Walsh, who might actually have more upside as a similarly long wing defender with a birthday nearly two years after Prosper. #38 was the right spot to take him given how raw he is, but he really plays hard with his 6'5.75", 204 lb frame and 7'1.75" wingspan. This may take a little luster out of the Smart trade below since they had #35 originally, but they got a cheaper salary here for a little room against the 2nd Apron and added four 2nd rounders in the end after having the cupboards a bit bare from past trades.
Nuggets
#29 Julian Strawther
#32 Jalen Pickett
#37 Hunter Tyson
It's pretty obvious what the new champs are doing, particularly after their maneuverings around this area of the board, but I think they might be going to the well one too many times after striking gold with an experienced player who contributed immediately in Braun. The tough part with judging these picks is that I think all three resulted in nice players, but I really didn't like the value of where they were taken and who else was on the board. Strawther should be a good fit in their system as a great shooter (40.8% and 77.6% from the lines as a junior) and effective cutter with a good floater, and he was measured at 6'6", 209 lbs, and a 6'9.25" wingspan. The issue is the questionable athleticism that limits how much offense he can create and especially what he does on defense. He reminds me of Justin Jackson as a wing who does a few things really well and who I hope will succeed but am not confident will overcome flaws.
Pickett might've been the biggest reach of the draft because he will basically spend his entire rookie season as a 24 year old already and was most effective by physically dominating smaller guards, which will be more challenging at the next level. The 6'7.25" wingspan is nice, but he's not otherwise too imposing at 6'2", 198 lbs. Whether or not the shooting is for real will go a long way because he went from taking 5.3 3's and making 34.9% over his first four years to only attempting 3.2 and thus making 38.1% as a result, with a small bump from 73.3% at the charity stripe to 76.3%. Maybe his strong feel for the game will prove me wrong since he averaged 5.8 assists and only 2.1 turnovers for his career, but #32 was awfully high for him.
Tyson is a pretty interesting prospect because he went from only making 33.5% of 3's and 75.2% of free throws on low volume for both in his first four years to exploding for 40.5% and 83.8% while doubling his amount of bombs to 6 attempts per game as a super senior. He also inhaled misses for a 26.2% defensive rebounding rate at 6'7.5", 210 lbs with a 6'9.75" wingspan. You have to respect Tyson working his way from the Porstmouth Invitational to the G League Elite Camp all the way to the Combine, but the reason he had to do that is because while a solid athlete, a lack of burst limits him on both ends. Hopefully he can be the next Sam Hauser and carve out a role because like with the other two picks, he's an older prospect who knows how to play.
Timberwolves
Traded two future 2nd round picks for #33 Leonard Miller
#53 Jaylen Clark
After not entering the draft with much to work with due to the insane Ruby Gobert trade, I loved what they did in it. Miller was an absolute steal here as a versatile forward who grew to 6'9.25", 213 lbs with a 7'2" wingspan after testing the waters at least year's Combine before joining the G League Ignite. He was a productive 19 year old playing against professionals, and with his lefty handle, there are shades of Lamar Odom if you squint enough. He could've gone at least 10 spots higher than this and should definitely be worth this opportunistic move to get him.
I'm also a big fan of Clark for where they got him because he is an absolute force defensively. His 6'9" wingspan plays up with his 6'4", 204 lb frame, and he's good both on and off the ball. He topped out at only 32.9% and 69.8% from the two lines as a junior, so the question is whether he can provide adequate spacing for more than just limited minutes as a defensive specialist.
Clippers
#30 Kobe Brown
#48 Jordan Miller
LA tried going in the same direction as Denver with a player who is ready now, and I similarly think they overdid it. Brown is already 23 and a half, and since he was only a 23.7% 3-point shooter his first three years, it's hard to fully believe the jump to 45.5% as a senior. He did at least make 72.2% of his free throws before improving to 79.2%, and he brings some other value like posting a positive assist-to-turnover ratio as a big. I'm just not sure he brings the quickness to be a switch defender like you might hope for at 6'6.5", 252 lbs with a 7'0.75" wingspan, and his defensive rebounding doesn't blow you away.
Miller, who is three weeks younger than Brown despite being a class above him, is a cleaner fit in theory as an active defender on the wing who can hit a shot here or there. Career numbers of 32.9% on 3's and 72.9% on free throws aren't anything to write home about, but at least he showed signs of improvement to 35.2% and 78.4% in this fifth year. Despite average measurements of 6'4.5", 192 lbs, and a 6'11.75", Miller battled against bigs due to Miami's small lineups, and that combination of toughness and athleticism will give him a chance to stick around if he can make enough jumpers.
Bulls
Traded 2026 and 2027 2nd round picks for #35 Julian Phillips
Similar to Minnesota, Chicago took their shot with a move into the early 2nd after not having a 1st due to a past trade for a center with questionable results, and I think it makes sense. Phillips entered his freshman season with early 1st round buzz as a bouncy athlete who possesses a 6'6.75", 197 frame and 6'11.5" wingspan, but he didn't get to showcase much on an experienced Tennessee team, averaging just 8.3 points. I think Phillips is worth the gamble in this situation because although he only shot 23.9% on 3's overall, it was up to 35.3% during conference play, and making 82.2% of free throws is an encouraging sign for his shooting form. If his tools result in a hit, they will end up with a 1st round talent after all.
Bucks
Traded for #36 Andre Jackson
#58 Chris Livingston
I've yet to see reporting on what they gave up to get Jackson, but I'm a big fan of his. There are real questions about him as a prospect due to the lack of a scoring threat, but he's just a fun player who impacted winning on both ends for the National Champs. Jackson tied for the team lead with 4.7 assists per game while only averaging 2 turnovers, and he projects to be a good connector on the wing at the next level. He's even more of a playmaker on defense, and he brings a 6'5.5", 198 lb frame and a 6'9.75" wingspan to the table. I wouldn't be surprised to see the junior find a way to make an impact already as a rookie, even with the poor shooting.
Conversely, Livingston is definitely more of a project, and it was a bit surprising that he didn't go back to school after only averaging 6.3 points, albeit on a Kentucky offense that wasn't the most exciting. The physical presence is there, though, at 6'6", 219 lbs with a 6'11.25" wingspan, and he's been on radars ever since being named MVP of the U-16 FIBA Americas back in 2019 with Team USA. Being a strong defender at potentially both forward spots and playing hard will give him a chance, and hopefully he can improve on the 30.5% and 72.2% he shot from the lines. Those aren't disastrous percentages, and he's reportedly shot it it well in workouts to have gotten the draft promise for this pick.
Grizzlies
#45 G.G. Jackson
#56 Tarik Biberovic (staying in Europe)
Like Chicago above and Cleveland below, Memphis swung for the fences with a pure upside play after questionable production this past season, and it is understandable at this point in the draft. Jackson was supposed to be the top recruit of this year's high school class and heading to North Carolina, but after winning gold with Team USA at the U-18 Americas last summer, he reclassified and instead went to South Carolina for immediate opportunity. He did lead the team in scoring with 15.4 points, but it came on a grotesque 38.4%/32.4%/67.7% shooting line for a 11-21 team. He had too much freedom as a big man trying to play like a guard, resulting in 2.7 turnovers with only 0.8 assists, and he grabbed only 17% of defensive rebounds despite being 6'8.25", 211 lbs with a 6'11.5" wingspan. The good news is that Jackson doesn't even turn 19 until December 17th (barely qualifying for this draft), and he is a fluid athlete who can create shots. O'Connor's comparison to Marcus Morris seems fitting on multiple levels.
Biberovic was not on my radar at all, and it's already been reported that he will be a Euro Stash this season. He did not play much for Fenerbahce this season with only 8 starts in 36 appearances, but he has shot it well for them the last couple of years.
Cavaliers
#49 Emoni Bates
This has unfortunately turned into a cautionary tale of overhyping a player way too early. Bates was receiving Wembanyma type of hype as a 15 year old back in 2019, but his development hasn't continued, both physically or skill-wise. He came in at just 179 lbs at 6'8.25" with an average 6'9" wingspan following an underwhelming college career. Originally committed to Michigan State, Bates ended up going to Memphis after reclassifying to the 2021 high school class despite being a skinny 17 year old, and following that struggle of a season, he shockingly transferred to Eastern Michigan near his hometown of Ypsilanti. He put up 19.2 points per game on and inefficient 40.5%/33%/78.2% or 52.8% true shooting with 1.4 assists against 2.5 turnovers this season, and therein lies the problem. The shot-making prowess that Bates was lauded for early on has led to mostly just relying on tough attempts, and there aren't enough winning plays otherwise. It's worth Cleveland taking the chance here and letting him try to grow more in the G League with the opportunity cost being so low. If he gets stronger defensively and creates more shots for others to go with a better selection of ones for himself, then they potentially got a 1st round talent despite not having a pick that high.
Suns
#52 Toumani Camara
The last draft pick that Phoenix has full control over for the foreseeable future might end up a pretty useful one. Camara is already 23 after coming over from Belgium before four years of college and could possibly contribute right away as a 3+D forward. The shooting is the question because while he improved to 36.3% as a senior, he was at 27.8% for his career prior, and his free throw shooting still only topped out at 66.9%. Otherwise, there are a lot of positives for a pick this late with his 6'7", 220 lb frame, 7'0.5" wingspan, and ability to switch on defense. In addition to a 23.2% defensive rebounding rate, he got up to a 10.2% rate on the offensive glass last year, and he made 60.6% of 2's en route to 13.9 points. A team that's going to be dealing with the 2nd Apron like the Suns is going to need cheap potential contributors like this.
Transactions
Detroit adds Harris (Shams 6/30)
Pistons receive:
2027 Mavericks 2nd round pick
2029 Bucks 2nd round pick
Nets receive:
TBD (likely cash or a top-55 protected pick; really just salary relief and a TE)
This won't be official until the new league year starts since Detroit is taking Harris into their cap space, and Brooklyn will create a Trade Exception exception equivalent to his salary. It makes a lot of sense for both teams and signals that the Pistons might not have been getting much traction with big free agents. This will take up a large chunk of their cap room, but I like it as a stopgap use of it to add draft capital and a good veteran shooter around their young players. We'll see if they trade eventually Bojan Bogdanovic, but you can never have enough spacing to provide room for growth, especially with a short term contract.
While it is disappointing that Brooklyn has to attach two picks to a player who was once a key part of their team (his injury was an underrated part of their nightmare 2021-22 season), they now have a lot of wings making good money, and this opens up a lot of flexibility. They're preparing for a big offer sheet on restricted free agent Cam Johnson, and now they can safely do so while staying out of the luxury tax. Depending on what that number comes in at, they could also have access the full MLE, and potentially BAE if they are willing to the tax, while staying under the First Apron.
Update: James Edwards III reports that it is the bare minimum of $110,000 being sent from Detroit in this salary dump.
Sacramento picks up Duarte (Shams 6/30)
Kings receive:
Pacers receive:
2028 Mavericks 2nd round pick
2030 Kings 2nd round pick
This would seem to indicate that the Kings are in fact going the cap space route and using a small chunk of it here, unless further details emerge of what they're sending back. I wasn't the biggest of Duarte in the 2021 draft as a classic "win now" prospect due to already being 24 at the time, and after a hot first month of his career, he hasn't really stood out. That's partly due to injuries, with only 55 and 46 games played so far, so this could be a nice buy low move for a 3+D wing still on his rookie contract. I don't blame Indiana for cutting him loose, though, as they have new options on the perimeter instead of the 26 year old. Now they can get to over $36 million in cap space as one of the few teams with real spending power.
7/6 update: Woj reports that it will be two 2nd round picks all the way in 2028 and 2030 to finalize this trade.
Kings extend Barnes on the eve of free agency: 3 years, $54 million (Woj 6/29)
This was pretty surprising since it seemed that Sacramento had ambitions of a big splash in free agency after sacrificing their 1st round pick to clear salary. Now the amount that was removed and them some is back with Barnes, whom the Kings would've needed to renounced to make a large offer elsewhere. Instead, a solid forward is back at a number around $10 million lower than what his cap hold would've been, so if retaining him, it makes sense to do it now. While this might feel a little underwhelming like with Vucevic below, it might not be a bad thing to keep a player who started every game of Sacramento's best season in nearly 20 years. They could still generate over $19 million in room if they cut Dozier or around $16 million if keeping him and Lyles' small cap hold, and they would still have the room MLE available after that, potentially for Sasha Vezenkov from overseas. Maybe the Holmes trade was just to clear space to renegotiate and extend Domantis Sabonis' last year of his contract, or just to give them breathing room under the tax line if they want to stay over the cap with their free agents and use the full MLE. There's definitely still flexibility here, even if a huge signing is not happening.
Bulls extend Vuc before free agency: 3 years, $60 million (Shams 6/28)
Mike Scotto reported last week that the veteran center would likely be back in Chicago for around $65 million over three years, and this is a decent value as he turns 33 right after the start of the season. Vucevic has amusingly averaged exactly 17.6 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in each of the last two seasons, with his efficiency going up this past year, and that is certainly nothing to scoff at. He dominates the defensive glass, and a big man making 34.9% of 3's on over 4 attempts per game is especially needed on a team that ranked last in both attempts and makes. You can question this team that's stuck in the middle keeping the status quo, but this is a fine deal in a vacuum.
Hawks finally unload Collins' contract (Woj 6/26)
Jazz receive:
6/29 update: Both Clarkson and THT opted in, so Utah likely won't be a big spender. What I'm most interested in seeing is a possible renegotiation and extension for the former since it seemed like he'd have a larger market than 1 year, $14.3 million. As Hollinger suggested earlier this month, structuring it this way as opposed to just opting out and re-signing a big deal would allow for a bloated salary this season that has a much sharper decline of as much as 40% in order to provide more flexibility.
Timberwolves extend Reid ahead of free agency: 3 years, $45 million (Woj 6/25)
I'm a little surprised that Reid didn't opt to go somewhere else where he could have more opportunity, but this is a good contract for the former undrafted big man. It's the most he could get in an extension, the equivalent of the estimated average salary, and is more than what the Mid-Level Exception could pay (projected to be $38.5 million for a three year deal). Going to another team through the MLE was likely what his market was going to be, and the last year being a player option is great for him in case he continues to ascend. In Reid'z 11 starts last season, he averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1.8 assists 1.4 steals, and 1 block in only 26.1 minutes; and for the season overall he had a per 36 minutes line of 22.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks with 53.7%/34.6%/67.7% shooting.
It's also surprising that Minnesota is investing even more in bigs considering the huge money committed to Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, but they are still about $8 million away from the Luxury Tax even after this. Reid being able to play with either starter is definitely helpful.
Golden State makes shocking move for CP3 (Woj 6/22)
Wizards receive:
Update: Shams reported during the 2nd round of the draft that Baldwin is now involved with the #57 pick that they used on Trayce Jackson-Davis coming back from Washington's side. This was quite a swing of emotions as a Warriors fan because seeing PBJ and his sweet shooting stroke sent out stings, but I've been a big fan of TJD for a long time, even before his breakout All-American senior season. Dale Davis' son is a perfect fit for Golden State with his passing and defense, and as a 23 year old, he could likely contribute better than the 20 year old Baldwin while coming cheaper.
2nd update: The Warriors have announced a trade of #57 for cash considerations, so it will technically be a separate transaction since Poole's salary can't match Paul's until the new league year. We can infer that this was basically part of the negotiations, though, so I'm listing it as one big trade. This explains why Mike Dunleavy was allowed to talk about TJD post draft and not the rest of the players.
I did not have Golden State attaching draft capital to swap JP3 for CP3 on my bingo card. At least the pick is protected in a similar manner to their past D'Angelo Russell and Kelly Oubre trades and so far down the line to not hamper them too much, but that is a tough add on to get off of the big rookie extension signed just this past October. An optimist would say this could work to provide a much steadier leading hand to the second unit after Poole, who was fourth in the league in total turnovers, has consistently had drastic starter/bench splits. Arguably just as importantly, with Paul's 2024-25 salary fully non-guaranteed, it frees up long-term salary for this historically expensive team who projects to be over the Second Apron for as long as the core veterans are around. That being said, Paul will turn 39 during the playoffs (and this is of course a move guided towards the postseason), and they are clearly selling low on a player who just turned 24 this week with this being somewhat of a salary dump.
I'm a little surprised that Washington took on a long-term salary based on their other moves, but they have much more flexibility to do so now. Poole has shown enough offensive upside to be worth this deal, especially since they don't have any other big commitments. In the end, they finally get a 1st round pick out of their high profile deals, albeit one that Zach Lowe reports is top-20 protected, and I'd guess that it immediately reverts to a 2nd since it can't roll over past 2030 this far away.
LA moves up in the 2nd round (Woj 6/22)
Lakers receive:
#40 pick
Pacers receive:
#47 pick
Cash considerations
I talked about all of Indiana's picks below, and I wouldn't be surprised if they trade this new pick for a future one when it comes up on the clock. As discussed, that 40 range is a sweet spot in this class, and LA likely has a target or two lined up to make this reportedly expensive deal pay off.
Boston, Washington, and Memphis pull off 3-teamer (Woj in the end/Shams with early report 6/21)
Celtics receive:
Grizzlies receive:
Wizards receive:
#35 pick (from Celtics)
What a saga throughout the day this turned out to be. After Shams first reported this morning that the Celtics were working on a deal for Porzingis, it appeared for most of the day that a three-way trade with the Clippers was going to happen with Malcolm Brogdon getting sent out instead and the Wizards receiving the #30 pick and expiring contracts. After that fell apart late due to LA's concern around Brogdon's medicals, per Marc Stein, this deal came together with a similar framework, and it is a doozy.
Knocking off the basics first, there was a midnight ET deadline for Porzingis to pick up his player option to facilitate this deal, likely with the framework of an extension with Boston either immediately or in six months after restrictions are relaxed. Muscala also had to get his team option picked up to help match salaries, and he's a winner in this deal since it was likely to be declined otherwise. While Smart is being sent out after nearly a decade in Boston, he does at least get a $1 million trade bonus spread out over the course of his contract, per Bobby Marks. Lastly, Washington is set to create a $12,354,400 Trade Exception as it stands with Muscala coming into the Rui Hachimura or Beal TEs, but we'll see if this gets roped into any other moves like the Phoenix trade.
While this may sting for Boston fans, getting to move up 10 spots into the 1st and a future 1st on top of a dangerous big like Porzingis was too good of a value to pass up. This does raise their payroll by around $14 million to put them close to the Second Apron, so the departure of Grant Williams in restricted free agency seems even more likely now. Now the question is whether they still try to move off of Brogdon after news of that previous deal got out, or if trading Smart out of their excess of guards balanced their roster enough in their eyes.
This is a high price for Memphis, but it's an interesting swing, particularly in light of Ja Morant's 25 game suspension. Jones has always filled in admirably for him, but the veteran is a year away from free agency and clearly a lesser player than Smart. The former Defensive Player of the Year can also help fill Dillon Brooks' role in a way, but it is going to be a curious fit once those first 25 games are up. Will they start three guard lineups with either Smart or Desmond Bane giving up size to small forwards? Bane is listed at 6'5" but famously only has a 6'4" wingspan while Smart has a 6'9.25" wingspan but measured only 6'2" at the 2014 combine. They have some options on the wing with David Roddy, Ziare Williams, Jake LaRavia, and John Konchar, but I wonder what any subsequent move might be, perhaps involving Luke Kennard since he's now the fourth guard.
Finally, this is a solid recovery for Washington after being at risk of losing Porzingis for nothing. The #35 pick can provide value, especially with how the tiers might shake out in this year's class, and Jones has always been a nice player. It is a little redundant to have both him and Monte Morris on the roster along with Delon Wright and (for now) Chris Paul, so we'll see where they pivot next.
Denver moves around the draft again (Woj 6/21)
Nuggets receive:
#29 pick
#32 pick
Pacers receive:
#40 pick
2024 1st round pick (least favorable of the pick owed from Thunder below)
There was almost no way that Indiana was making three 1st round picks plus #32 and #55, so this is a way to spread things out a bit. I’d still expect them to make moves around the board over the next day and a half.
It’s probably a coincidence that this deal was made shortly after Bruce Brown declined his player option as expected, but Denver now has three picks (#29, #32, and #37) in a nice part of this year’s draft that could provide a mix of older prospects who can help now and upside projects. Ideally they could re-sign to another 1+1 with an understanding that they’d give him a big deal he’s earned next year with Early Bird Rights since they only have Non-Bird Rights this year, but with Peyton Watson in development from last year’s draft and these picks, they’re in okay shape if that doesn’t happen.
Beal chooses Phoenix as a new home (Woj; Shams with the details 6/18)
Suns receive:
Wizards receive:
2nd round picks in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2030
Right to swap 1st round picks in 2024, 2026, 2028, 2030 (2028 swap is after the Nets' right to swap)
That came together quickly. It seemed like Washington wanted to get a kickstart on their rebuild before Damian Lillard possibly hit the market to draw suitors away, but they had such little negotiating leverage anyway due to the rare no-trade clause they gave to Beal in his new contract last summer. Because he could veto any deal, he basically dictated where he was traded and how much his new team would have to give up and thus leave with him to play with. Beal chose Phoenix and playing with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, whom he would've been teammates with on Team USA in 2021 if not for having to drop out due to COVID protocols. It's ironic that Washington fans who once dreamed of KD coming home will finally see him play with Beal on another team. The newest Suns reportedly preferred Paul being in the deal rather than the younger Deandre Ayton who the Wizards presumably wanted instead, and I'm curious if that is due to Beal wanting the big man as a teammate, or if it's for Phoenix to retain the ability to flip the 25 year old (next month) elsewhere for depth.
Everything is fascinating with this move from the perspective of the Suns, who were the only postseason team to force the Nuggets to a Game 6. In a vacuum, swapping out the 38 year old Paul, bench player Shamet, and somewhat minor draft assets (basically all that they had left to send out) for an All-NBA caliber player who is only turning 30 this month is an obvious upgrade. However, this takes away a lot of any remaining flexibility they had as we move into the more restrictive new CBA, they were already a top-heavy roster that needed more rotation players who could hold up in the playoffs, and there's a lot of crossover with the star shooting guard already on the roster. With Beal standing a little under 6'4" (albeit with a 6'8" wingspan), Booker, who is 6'4.5" with a 6'8.25" wingspan, might have to move up a position and defend small forwards. Or Book might just have to be the de facto point guard if just those two are the starting backcourt, so he has the most pressure added with this deal either way, in my opinion. Since those two and Durant will have the ball in their hands a lot, I wonder if they would just be better off with a point forward type of player who could defend bigger wings and serve as more of a connector instead of them bothering with a traditional point guard to "run the offense."
Although the biggest risk here is health concerns with all three, this new star trio could work well together since they are all great shooters, willing passers, and used to working with or without the ball. Beal's 3-point percentage will be fun to watch this year as he's fluctuated over his career to a strong 37.2% mark on the high volume of 5.9 attempts per game. He shot 39.3% on 5.4 attempts in 33.9 minutes over the first six years of his career when he had John Wall setting him up, but as his former point guard started dealing with major injuries in 2018, Beal has been at 34.7% on 6.5 attempts in 35.8 minutes over the past five seasons. Analyzing NBA.com's tracking that goes back to Beal's second season, he is a career 39.86% shooter on 2,386 catch and shoot 3's and 33.38% shooter on 1,375 pull up attempts. In those early years, he averaged 3.97 attempts per game off of the catch and 1.51 pull ups compared to 3.47 and 2.94 the last five seasons. It's understandable that his outside efficiency went down as he had to create (and take) more shots himself, and that number could rise back up with Durant and Booker drawing defensive attention away. Oh, and his increased usage overall has led to averages of 27 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds with 47.4%/34.7%/84.5% shooting over those last five years.
Depending on what they did with Paul, the all-in Suns were already looking at filling out the roster with mostly minimum contracts (ranging from $2-3 million based on experience) due to being close to the Second Apron, and now they definitely will be going past it. Look for them to prioritize re-signing Torrey Craig, Jock Landale, Bismack Biyombo, and/or Darius Bazley to mid-sized deals through Bird or Early Bird Rights to have for depth as well as possible salary ballast in future trades. They could try to bring back guys like Josh Okogie and Damion Lee with Non-Bird Rights, but they're limited to offering just 120% of the minimum salary. Because Durant's and Ayton’s max contracts end in the summer of 2026, they could avoid being over the Second Apron after that and thus prevent their 2032 1st round pick from dropping to the end of the round with the new penalties. Goodwin's inclusion in this trade was reported a little later by Josh Robbins and is a nice add-on for a team that definitely needs inexpensive depth going forward. He's a 24 year old combo guard who can make plays on both ends with a per 36 minutes stat line of 13.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.8 blocks, and only 1.9 turnovers last season. The converted two-way player needs to continue improving on his 32.2% 3-point shooting in order to play off of his star teammates, but he can help lead a second unit at the very least.
I'm a little surprised Washington threw him in, but this trade is all about securing financial flexibility going forward and ideally facilitating a true rebuild instead of battling for just the Play-In every year. While I've always had a soft spot for Shamet, the 26 year old doesn't have any guaranteed salary after this season, and neither does Paul. The future Hall of Famer came away in nice shape since his salary guarantee will likely increase from $15.8 million to over $25 million (potentially the full $30.8 million, per Brian Windhorst) in order to make this trade work cap-wise, and he could still be re-routed to a playoff contender before this deal is finalized with Chris Haynes reporting a Clippers homecoming as a possibility. (I've been expecting LA to consolidate their multitude of veterans on expiring contracts for a deal, and they could even make the math work with Marcus Morris' $17.1 million and some combination of young players like Amir Coffey, Bones Hyland, BJ Boston, and Jason Preston. Coffey would actually be a really nice fit in Phoenix if they could nab him out of a three-way deal here, perhaps through the Dario Saric Trade Exception.)
As the trade currently stands, Washington will create a Trade Exception of about $5.4 million, and who knows, maybe they can get a high 2nd rounder or even a juicy pick swap down the line if Phoenix implodes as the roster gets older. It will be interesting to see if the Wiz still try to re-sign Kyle Kuzma to a big deal once he officially opts out, possibly with the intention of dealing him down the line as long as the contract doesn't scare off suitors. I'm expecting Kristaps Porzingis to pick up his $36,016,200 player option and then be dealt, ideally with a preferred destination where he could get an extension better than what he could get on the open market this summer. They could potentially become a big cap space team this summer but more likely next year, when the draft pick they owe to New York is top-12 protected and much more likely to be kept now.
6/19 update: The addition of Todd, per Woj, is likely more of a salary dump for Washington since he has guaranteed money, but perhaps he could be an interesting flier who is slightly cheaper than the veteran minimum for Phoenix. The 21 year old was a well-regarded prospect coming out of high school and as part of the inaugural G League Ignite team thanks to his potential as a stretch big, but he's only played 18 NBA games over two seasons for a reason as he's seemed to regress on the Capital City Go-Go.
6/22 update: It ended up being all of Phoenix's available 2nd round picks from 2024 through 2030 (2029 was already sent out) and all available pick swaps, per Woj. Getting next year's swap in there is hilarious considering how apart in the standings these teams are likely to be this season.
Denver trades another future 1st for earlier picks (Woj 6/9)
Nuggets receive:
2023 #37 pick
2024 1st round pick (worst of Rockets' [protected 1-4], Clippers', Thunder's or Jazz's [protected 1-10])
2024 2nd round pick
Thunder receive:
2029 1st round pick (unknown protections at this time)
An interesting thing here is that Denver already has the #40 pick, so they must like the group of players in that draft range. These teams combined to make a similar move last year when the Nuggets dumped JaMychal Green's salary and a lightly protected 2027 1st rounder for the #30 pick that became Peyton Watson. No players were involved this time, which is why this deal was able to be agreed upon while the postseason was still ongoing, but I don't think this will be official until the new league year so that there could be (likely light) protections into 2030.
Although there's trading picks that far down the line always comes with inherit risk, I think this is a really good deal for Denver to get more help now and in the near future while their title window remains wide open. This is also a lot of short-term value for just one pick way down the line. I understand the move from Oklahoma City's perspective since they could have as many as four 1st round picks in 2024, and they likely won't even have roster spots for that many rookies. It makes sense to spread out their assets further down the line, with possible upside added if the protections are light.
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