NBA rumors: Bradley Beal, Bobby Portis, Nicolas Batum, Lakers, Nets

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reports the latest intel on Bradley Beal, Bobby Portis and Nicolas Batum. Plus, updates on Lakers, Nets and more.

One of the top free agents on the market has made a decision regarding his player option.

Below is the latest intel gathered by HoopsHype on some of the top names on the free agent market, including Bradley Beal, and notable prospects in this year’s draft class like Jake LaRavia.

Aggregate NBA mock draft 7.0: Ousmane Dieng moves into lottery, Jalen Williams top 20; trade talks

The NBA Draft is less than a week away, with more potential big trades on the horizon following the Christian Wood acquisition by the Dallas Mavericks, as noted throughout our new HoopsHype aggregate mock draft. To get a better projection of where …

The NBA Draft is less than a week away, with more potential big trades on the horizon following the Christian Wood acquisition by the Dallas Mavericks, as noted throughout our new HoopsHype aggregate mock draft.

To get a better projection of where all of the projected top prospects stand currently, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, The Ringer, Sports Illustrated, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, SB Nation, Yahoo, Basketball News, and USA TODAY’s For The Win.

The most notable risers within the projected lottery selections included Dyson Daniels moving up further within the top 10 picks, Ousmane Dieng becoming a projected lottery pick, and Jalen Williams vaulting into the Top 20 range. Jake LaRavia and Dalen Terry, two of the biggest risers throughout the draft process, have moved into the late first round.

Other risers in the second round include Ryan Rollins, Andrew Nembhard, David Roddy, John Butler, Michael Foster, Gabriele Procida, and Dereon Seabron.

The notable name that fell was MarJon Beauchamp, who now is projected outside the top 20 picks despite receiving a green room invite. Josh Minott and Jean Montero were among those whose stock fell in the second round.

NOTE: These rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for the overall consensus, not our own opinion. For example, if a player was the first pick on a publication’s mock draft, he received 58 points. If a player was second, he received 57 points and so on. We then tabulated the total number of points for each player’s consensus ranking. 

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Aggregate NBA mock draft 6.0: Dyson Daniels moves into top 10; Christian Wood trade rumors

Following the withdrawals of several prospects, the aggregate NBA mock draft has shifted noticeably, and more intel on teams have surfaced with the draft nearing. To get a better projection of where all of the projected top prospects stand …

Following the withdrawals of several prospects, the aggregate NBA mock draft has shifted noticeably, and more intel on teams have surfaced with the draft nearing.

To get a better projection of where all of the projected top prospects stand currently, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, The Ringer, Sports Illustrated, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, SB Nation, Yahoo, Basketball News, and USA TODAY’s For The Win.

The most notable risers within the projected lottery selections included Keegan Murray leaping Shaedon Sharpe into the top five range, Dyson Daniels entering the top 10, and Malaki Branham cracking the end of the lottery. Dalen Terry also vaulted 12 spots since our last aggregate mock draft and is currently positioned as an early second-round pick.

Some of the more notable names that fell slightly included TyTy Washington, Max Christie and Leonard Miller.

NOTE: These rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for the overall consensus, not our own opinion. For example, if a player was the first pick on a publication’s mock draft, he received 58 points. If a player was second, he received 57 points and so on. We then tabulated the total number of points for each player’s consensus ranking.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Aggregate NBA mock draft 5.0: Jabari Smith leaps Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero; trade possibilities

Following the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery, NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype said they are monitoring the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers as two potential teams that could trade their picks in search of player(s) that can help …

Following the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery, NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype said they are monitoring the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers as two potential teams that could trade their picks in search of player(s) that can help immediately. Sacramento has missed the playoffs for a record 16 consecutive seasons. Portland’s franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard turns 32 on July 15, with the clock ticking on his prime years.

Other executives are monitoring Oklahoma City, Charlotte, San Antonio, and Minnesota as potential traders. The Thunder has four picks in the top 34 and can consolidate some of those picks. The Hornets can afford to move one of their first-round picks (13 and 15). The Grizzlies have an established young core ready to take the next step with picks 22 and 29 to dangle as bait. The Spurs (picks 9, 20, 25 and 38) have a surplus of late first-rounders that should be available. The Timberwolves have the No. 19 pick and three picks in the 40-50 range to dangle.

The consensus big three of this year’s draft class remains Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero, with Shaedon Sharpe rising into the top five in the latest aggregate mock draft.

To get a better projection of where all of the projected top prospects stand currently, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, The Ringer, Sports Illustrated, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, SB Nation, Yahoo, Basketball News, and USA TODAY’s For The Win.

Sharpe (Kentucky), Dyson Daniels (G League Ignite), Mark Williams (Duke), Ousmane Dieng (New Zealand NBL), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), Nikola Jovic (Mega Basket Serbia), Walker Kessler (Auburn), Leonard Miller (Fort Erie International Academy), Max Christie (Michigan State), Terquavion Smith (NC State), Jalen Williams (Santa Clara), Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest), Caleb Houston (Michigan), Dalen Terry (Arizona) and Ryan Rollins (Toledo) have all risen within the top 45 picks.

Within the top 10 picks, AJ Griffin (Duke), Johnny Davis (Wisconsin) and Jalen Duran (Memphis) all fell slightly. Ochai Agbaji (Kansas) fell slightly outside the lottery. Kendall Brown (Baylor) had the biggest fall of the projected first-round prospects.

NOTE: These rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for the overall consensus, not our own opinion. For example, if a player was the first pick on a publication’s mock draft, he received 58 points. If a player was second, he received 57 points and so on. We then tabulated the total number of points for each player’s consensus ranking.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Podcast: Bradley Beal’s future and Jazz, Pelicans, Bulls trade targets

https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/5sxBxs19Y0NzjmCFBVgIPE HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan discuss Bradley Beal’s future and why the Wizards could go after Domantas Sabonis and Jerami Grant. Plus, how the Jazz could upgrade following …

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan discuss Bradley Beal’s future and why the Wizards could go after Domantas Sabonis and Jerami Grant. Plus, how the Jazz could upgrade following the Joe Ingles ACL injury, Pelicans trade targets, why Dennis Schroeder could be a fit for the Bulls, along with Bucks updates on the latest edition of the HoopsHype podcast.

For more interviews with players, coaches, and media members, be sure to like and subscribe to the HoopsHype podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts. Listen to the podcast above or check out some snippets of the conversation in a transcribed version below.

Podcast: Myles Turner’s injury, Jerami Grant trade talks and Joe Cronin’s future

https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/2YDrI5FP050CmCTcO3hPow HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan explain how Myles Turner’s injury affects the trade market. Plus, updates on the trade talks for Pistons forward Jerami Grant, what executives …

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan explain how Myles Turner’s injury affects the trade market. Plus, updates on the trade talks for Pistons forward Jerami Grant, what executives think of Cam Reddish joining the Knicks, Joe Cronin’s future as Portland’s general manager, and Bryn Forbes going to Denver on the latest edition of the HoopsHype podcast.

For more interviews with players, coaches, and media members, be sure to like and subscribe to the HoopsHype podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts. Listen to the podcast above or check out some snippets of the conversation in a transcribed version below.

The top trade candidate on each NBA team this season

Ben Simmons and Marvin Bagley are the early trade rumors leaders, and there will be plenty more to come this season. The 2022 free agency market could be dry, as colleague Yossi Gozlan previously wrote on HoopsHype, meaning teams could look to …

Ben Simmons and Marvin Bagley are the early trade rumors leaders, and there will be plenty more to come this season.

The 2022 free agency market could be dry, as colleague Yossi Gozlan previously wrote on HoopsHype, meaning teams could look to improve via the trade market.

So with the regular season already underway,  HoopsHype spoke with four NBA executives to gauge potential trade candidates and listed the player(s) most likely to be traded on each team.

Wizards season preview: Will Bradley Beal stay or do they blow it up?

While still carried by Bradley Beal, the Washington Wizards enter the upcoming season as a much deeper team than they were in 2020-21.

While still carried by Bradley Beal, the Washington Wizards enter the upcoming season as a much deeper team than they were in 2020-21.

Beal is the sole lifeblood of the organization for the Wizards. Instead of sharing the floor with the likes of John Wall or Russell Westbrook, he will be surrounded by more role players in Washington than he had in previous campaigns. As such, Beal is a clear favorite to win the NBA’s scoring title. But will that be enough to help them make any noise in the playoffs?

Below, check out our preview for the 2021-22 Wizards campaign.

NBA offseason winners: Knicks, Lakers, Bulls, Heat, Wizards, more with Michael Scotto & Yossi Gozlan

Why the Knicks, Lakers, Bulls, Heat, Wizards, and others were winners of the 2021 NBA offseason and reporting on DeAndre Jordan trade talks.

On the latest edition of the HoopsHype podcast, hosts Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan discussed which teams came out as winners this offseason, including the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, and more.

For more interviews with players, coaches, and media members, be sure to like and subscribe to the HoopsHype podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts. Listen to the podcast above or check out some snippets of the conversation in a transcribed version below.

NBA free agency: Projected starting lineup for Wizards with Spencer Dinwiddie

The Washington Wizards may not have been flashy with their offseason moves but you can make a case that they were certainly savvy.

The Washington Wizards may not have been flashy with their offseason moves but you can make a case that they were certainly savvy.

Washington’s front office was able to move off the massive contract that was owed to point guard Russell Westbrook and acquired decent depth in return. Now, the Wizards have some solid pieces in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as well as Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell.

Outside of trading Westbrook, their big move was landing guard Spencer Dinwiddie in a sign-and-trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Dinwiddie reportedly signed a three-year, $62 million deal with Washington.

Of course, the Wizards are fully built around Beal, who seems comfortable enough with the organization to not demand a trade. But they have managed to surround him with a young core highlighted by Rui Hachmiura and Deni Avdija, both young and promising wings selected in the lottery of back-to-back drafts.

This is what their depth chart may look like when the season begins, though there could be more moves with sharpshooting Davis Bertans potentially on the trading block.