Category: NBA Draft

Thunder draft Josh Giddey with No. 6 pick in NBA draft

With the sixth pick in the NBA draft, the OKC Thunder went with Josh Giddey, a 6-foot-8 smooth-passing Australian who played in the NBL.

The Oklahoma City Thunder once again went against traditional thought with the No. 6 pick in the NBA draft. After months of speculation on whether they would take Jonathan Kuminga, Scottie Barnes or James Bouknight, they went in a different direction: smooth-passing Australian guard Josh Giddey.

With Giddey on board, the Thunder boost their playmaking versatility and positionless basketball that head coach Mark Daigneault so desires from his squad.

Like Aleksej Pokusevski last year, Giddey is 18 years old but has professional experience. In the NBL, he recorded three triple-doubles and averaged 10.9 points, 7.5 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game as he was named the NBL Rookie of the Year.

Giddey is 6-foot-8, which adds an element to his game that is difficult to find among guards. He and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander form a tall and long duo on the perimeter, and they will look to initiate the offense together in a way Oklahoma City struggled to last season.

In taking Giddey, the Thunder passed on Kuminga and Bouknight, among other players. Kuminga is considered very raw but had been projected to go as high as fifth. Bouknight looks like a player who could develop into an elite scorer.

Instead of going with one of those guys, the Thunder went in a direction that they have done so often: a playmaking, oversized player with professional experience.

Barring any trades, they also hold picks No. 16, 18, 34, 36 and 55 on Thursday night.

2021 NBA Draft: Every draft-day trade

A list of every draft-day trade made on Thursday.

It’s NBA Draft day, and we could see a flurry of trades on Thursday as teams seek to maximize the value of their draft assets.

There are several teams loaded with draft picks that are expected to be active in the trade market, and with so many talented players in a loaded draft class, expect to see teams trying to move up the board to secure their top targets.

Draft analysis: Check out our Roundtable Mock Draft.

The 2021 NBA Draft will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN.

Here’s a running list of every draft day trade. This post will be updated throughout the day.

Bleacher Report has three Longhorns taken in final NBA mock draft

Bleacher Report’s final NBA mock draft of the year.

On July 29, the lives of 60 basketball players from across the world will change forever.

The 2021 NBA draft will begin on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. CST on ESPN. The Texas Longhorns have four prospects that are hopeful to hear their name called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

The draft process has gone differently for each of Texas’ draft prospects, as Kai Jones has consistently been viewed as a lottery pick, whereas Greg Brown III has seen his stock fall.

On the other hand, Jericho Sims likely had the best pre-draft process of any player in the class. He was once viewed as a player who should head back to Austin, but his performance at the combine and workouts has caused him to skyrocket up draft boards. Matt Coleman III has also garnered interest from teams for a potential summer league roster spot.

Bleacher Report released their final mock draft of the year, and it has three of the four Texas prospects being selected. Let’s see where the experts think the trio of Longhorns will land.

Rumors: Thunder, Raptors talk; Cavs want ‘king’s ransom’; SGA trade has been discussed?

Draft rumors include the Thunder and Raptors exploring trade talks, the Cavs asking for a huge return and a potential offer including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

With the draft about 48 hours away, trade talk is heating up at the top, as the Oklahoma City Thunder have seemingly ramped up efforts to move up for a better chance at landing a future star.

There have been rumors that the Thunder and Toronto Raptors, who hold the No. 4 pick, have had exploratory discussions. The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly require a “king’s ransom” to move pick No. 3. And the Thunder may have offered Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Detroit Pistons.

Let’s take a look at those rumors and the implications they bring.

The Thunder hold picks No. 6, 16, 18, 34, 36 and 55 in the 2021 draft, which is scheduled to begin Thursday at 7 p.m. Central Time.

Celtics reportedly working out Oklahoma guard Austin Reaves ahead of 2021 NBA draft

The former Sooner was a sharpshooter of note before his role changed at a new school.

The Boston Celtics are hosting Oklahoma guard Austin Reaves for a late workout ahead of the 2021 NBA draft according to Forbes Sports’ Chris Grenham. The 23-year-old sharpshooter redshirted a season after transferring from Wichita State in 2018 and has seen his 3-point shooting falter with the Sooners, hurting his draft stock.

But, Reaves still sports a career 34.7% efficiency rate with that shot after a sizzling start of 45.1% with the Shockers. At 6-foot-5, the Arkansas native logged 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and nearly a steal per game in his final collegiate season, and could be an intriguing steal if he falls to Boston’s range at No. 45. 

A strong showing at the 2021 NBA Combine likely helped the Oklahoma product’s chances of being taken earlier, but it isn’t out of the question that he could still be on the board for the Celtics with some luck.

A significant shift in how he was used from one school to another Reaves discusses at length in a new interview by Grenham with the former Sooner helps explain the plummeting shooting.

It’s not clear that that’s enough to convince Boston he’s a worthwhile gamble for the team’s sole selection in the 2021 NBA draft, but the mere fact they are hosting him so late in the process suggests that he is a name to watch for Boston fans.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Lakers working out Brandon Boston Jr., Moses Wright, three more prospects

The Los Angeles Lakers brought in Brandon Boston Jr., Moses Wright and three more players for workouts ahead of the NBA draft.

The Los Angeles Lakers announced workouts for five more players ahead of the NBA draft.

The new group consists of Brandon Boston Jr. of Kentucky, Moses Wright of Georgia Tech, Jose Alvarado of Georgia Tech, Spencer Littleton of Toledo and MaCio Teague of Baylor.

Boston, a 6-foot-7 forward, played one season at Kentucky and averaged 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 30.3 minutes. He shot 35.5% overall on 11.6 attempts and 30% from deep on 4.0 attempts.

Boston is projected to be an early to mid second-round pick, so he could be a possibility if the Lakers move down to acquire more second-round selections.

Wright, 6 feet, 9 inches, is more of a small-ball big man with the potential to be a floor-spacing big. He played four seasons at Georgia Tech and as a senior, he averaged 17.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 steals.

Wright shot 41.4 percent from deep on 1.2 attempts, which could be something to tap into for development staff members. Wright is projected to be a late second-round pick to undrafted.

Alvarado, a 6-foot-0 guard, also played four seasons at Georgia Tech. As a senior, he averaged 15.2 points, 4.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 steals. He converted on 39% of his 3s on 4.5 attempts. Alvarado is projected to go undrafted or sneak into the end of the second round.

Littleson is a 6-foot-4 guard who played four seasons of college ball; he played his last three seasons at Toledo. As a senior, Littleson shot 47.2% from deep on 7.3 attempts, one of the best combinations of percentage and volume in college. But he’ll likely go undrafted as there’s not much else to his skill set besides the 3-point shooting, which, nonetheless, is a valuable trait to have.

Teague, a 6-foot-4 guard, also played four seasons — the last two with the Baylor Bears. As a senior, he averaged 15.9 points and shot 39.5% from deep on 5.1 attempts. He’s projected to go undrafted.

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Report: Lakers have explored trading up in the 2021 NBA draft

The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly considered moving up in the 2021 NBA draft.

The 2021 NBA draft is just a few days away, so teams must begin finalizing their top options on who to select.

This year, the Los Angeles Lakers have the No. 22 overall pick in the draft and have plenty of solid options they can select who fit the team’s needs.

Los Angeles’ biggest need is a combination of shooting and shotmaking, someone who can take on defenders and convert off-the-dribble or by attacking the basket.

One of the players who fits that need is Oregon guard Chris Duarte, who was originally seen as a late first-round pick option because, at 24 years old, he’s one of the oldest players in the draft; that’s not ideal for upside reasons.

But with teams conducting workouts with players throughout the last few weeks, Duarte’s stock has jumped, and he could be a possible option for the Golden State Warriors at No. 14 because of his instant ability to make threes.

If the Lakers want to be aggressive to land Duarte, or any other prospect they’re high on they think won’t be available at No. 22, then trading up in the draft is a plausible choice.

According to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, Los Angeles has explored that possibility:

“Duarte is thought to be the guy the Lakers want to fall. I’ve heard some sources discuss that they’ve looked into moving up the board. But it might be tough to do that given their current asset cache.”

The Lakers have also reportedly looked to move down in the draft and acquire more second-round picks, which would be reasonable given the salary difference between first-round picks and second-rounders.

But as Vecenie points out, the Lakers have a barren field of assets. They’ve reportedly offered one or a combination of Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to almost every team in the league, which is the best it gets for trade chips L.A. can use right now.

Talen Horton-Tucker, Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell are all possibilities, but the former two are entering free agency and would need to agree to a sign-and-trade while Harrell has a pending player option.

Taking all of the draft news into context, it looks like the Lakers have done their homework and have an idea of the type of prospects they want whether they move up, stay put or trade down.

The draft begins on July 29.

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The best options for the Lakers in the 2021 NBA draft

These are the best prospects the Los Angeles Lakers should target in the 2021 NBA draft.

The 2021 NBA draft is just a few days away, and the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to have a pick this time.

After trading their first-round pick last season in a deal for Dennis Schroder, the Lakers have the No. 22 pick this year.

The question is whether the Lakers will move that pick for a win-now player or move back in the draft to acquire more picks, which is a possibility.

One of Los Angeles’ biggest needs for next season is another ball-handling option that can relieve some of the offensive burden shouldered by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Fortunately for the Lakers, numerous guards are projected to be available in the range L.A. is slated to pick, but 3-and-D wings could also be an option.

Here are the top prospects L.A. should consider — in no specific order — in the draft, depending on if they keep their pick or move back in the draft, including honorable mentions:

Duke prospect Jalen Johnson discusses looking up to LeBron James

Jalen Johnson, a potential first-round pick from Duke, discussed why he looks up to LeBron James.

As the 2021 NBA draft approaches, Jalen Johnson is regarded as a potential lottery selection.

Johnson played one season at Duke and averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, 1.2 steals and 21.4 minutes per game. He converted on 52.3% of his shots on 8.4 attempts and 44.4% from deep on 1.4 attempts.

The 6-foot-9 forward could be a top-10 selection depending how the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings view him; all three teams could use more wing depth.

Johnson’s assist numbers are low on paper, but his passing vision and ability to deliver accurate passes are exquisite for his position. Going into the NBA, he’ll need to answer questions about his free-throw and 3-point shooting, as he struggled or didn’t shoot many of each.

During a recent press conference with the media, Johnson discussed who in the NBA he looks up to and tries to model his game after, via Ben Baer of NBA.com:

“LeBron James for sure. Just with everything he does on the court, the way he communicates, the way he leads, his IQ.”

With the playmaking skills Johnson has displayed, he could help a team as a de facto point guard, similar to how LeBron James has operated throughout his career.

But Johnson will need to polish his overall defense and stay locked in, especially off the ball. And as mentioned, he must improve his ability to create and knock down shots on high volume.

Johnson will turn 20 in December, which is why his upside intrigues teams around the league. However, he might not be available at No. 22, which is when the Los Angeles Lakers are slated to make their pick.

The draft will commence on July 29.

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With Raptors reportedly mulling 3 prospects, could Thunder trade up?

If the Raptors like Jonathan Kuminga and Scottie Barnes, would that give the Thunder an opening to trade up and nab Jalen Suggs?

With the draft less than a week away, it has been seeming more and more likely that the Oklahoma City Thunder will remain at pick No. 6 and end up with whoever remains between Jonathan Kuminga and Scottie Barnes.

But reported uncertainty from a team above the Thunder might provide the Oklahoma City front office a pathway to trading up.

The Toronto Raptors are “mulling” Jalen Suggs, Kuminga and Barnes, according to Chad Ford. Suggs seemed to have separated himself from the two forwards on prospect lists, but from the sound of it, Toronto has yet to make a decision.

If this is true, the Thunder could have an opening to move up two spots.

Suggs is widely regarded as a top-four prospect. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie has the Gonzaga guard second in his final big board posted Saturday. Many believe that the 6-foot-4 playmaker has All-Star potential.

He could be a dangerous threat next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

If Toronto truly does not have a preference between Suggs, Barnes and Kuminga, the Thunder can strike using one of their many assets to move up. They have picks 6, 16, 18, 34, 36 and 55 in the upcoming draft, and then a trove of future selections.

Oklahoma City could also wait and see if Suggs falls to six if they so choose. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman reported that there’s a “good possibility” that the Orlando Magic select Scottie Barnes with the No. 5 pick, but that could change in a heartbeat if Suggs is available.

The draft is Thursday. Let’s see if the Thunder can heat up some trade talks before then.