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.
