Tag: 2022 nba draft

Takeaways from Thunder 2022 rookies intro press conference

Here’s what Sam Presti and the rookies said in Saturday’s introductory presser.

The Oklahoma City Thunder introduced their rookies in their introductory press conference on Saturday with Thunder general manager Sam Presti in attendance.

Rookies Chet Holmgren, Ousmane Dieng, Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams all spoke with the Thunder media for the first time since being drafted in the 2022 NBA draft.

Holmgren went No. 2, Dieng went No. 11, Jalen Williams went No. 12 and Jaylin Williams went No. 34.

Let’s take a look at some of the more noteworthy quotes and paraphrases from the media availability as the fanbase got to know the four rookies a little bit more as Summer League quickly approaches for the team.

Warriors’ Patrick Baldwin Jr. reveals summer league intentions

The Warriors selected Baldwin with the 28th pick in the NBA draft after one season at Milwaukee.

Golden State Warriors draftee Patrick Baldwin Jr. on Friday revealed that it is his intention to play in summer league but the final decision will ultimately come from the team medical staff.

Baldwin appeared in only 11 games last season at Milwaukee due to a left ankle injury suffered in high school. The injury played a major role in what became an inconsistent season for Baldwin and was one reason why he was available at 28 for the Warriors.

The 19-year-old estimated that his ankle is at about 95% right now. He had no limitations during the pre-draft process and participated in 3-on-3 workouts with teams. He is eager to play with the Warriors in summer league and is healthy enough to do so.

Warriors president Bob Myers said the team will be cautious with him.

We had (team doctor) Rick (Celebrini) look at him and he talked about summer league. He can do some things but we’re not going to put him out there if we don’t think he is 100%. Rick will evaluate him and make that call. Hopefully, he can play but not at the expense of hurting him.

Despite the injury flaring up, Baldwin still averaged 12.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists last season. He produced his best game of the season in his debut after recording a double-double on Nov. 9 with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

The Warriors view the selection of Baldwin from an upside standpoint and are banking that he can develop into the prospect many thought he could be in high school. They value his size at 6-foot-9 and believe he can be a versatile player on the court.

The organization will certainly make sure Baldwin is completely healthy before clearing him to play. Their summer league schedule begins with the California Classic on July 2-3 so a decision will likely be made soon on his playing status.

The Warriors tip off their Las Vegas Summer League schedule on July 8.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Rockets sign rookie guard Trevor Hudgins as undrafted free agent

Northwest Missouri State guard Trevor Hudgins, a two-time Division II Player of the Year, is joining the Rockets for summer league (and perhaps beyond) on a two-way contract.

The Houston Rockets made plenty of waves in Thursday’s 2022 NBA draft with the selections of Auburn forward Jabari Smith, LSU forward Tari Eason, and Kentucky guard TyTy Washington in the first round.

The Smith selection came as a late surprise, since most mock drafts had projected him at No. 1 to Orlando. But when the Magic shocked the NBA world by taking Duke’s Paolo Banchero, instead, Houston ended up with one of the draft’s best shooters and most versatile defenders.

The Rockets did not have any second-round selections. But that does not mean that the team is done as they evaluate rookie options.

Once the draft concluded late Thursday night, the Rockets began reaching deals with undrafted free agents, who they can put onto their summer league roster once play begins in Las Vegas on July 7.

The first move to leak was Northwest Missouri State guard Trevor Hudgins signing a two-way contract. Hudgins is a two-time Division II Player of the Year. Other additions will be announced in the coming days.

Scroll on for a look at Hudgins receiving the official call from the Rockets, along with his social media reaction and highlights.

The two-way contract, of which Houston only has two at a given time to hand out, could indicate that Hudgins is a real consideration to earn a 2022-23 training camp invite, as well. First on the agenda is summer league, which is when he’ll look to make a strong impression.

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Yannick Nzosa will be draft and stash prospect for Wizards

Nzosa has played the past two seasons in Spain, averaging 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds with Unicaja Malaga.

Washington Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard confirmed that draft pick Yannick Nzosa will spend at least the next season in Spain with Unicaja Malaga.

Nzosa, a 6-foot-10 center from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was the 54th overall pick on Thursday. He has played the past two seasons with Unicaja Malaga, averaging 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds on 53.4% shooting from the field in 68 total games.

The 18-year-old had an inconsistent showing last season in the Liga ACB and is viewed as a project player. However, Nzosa has the potential to develop into a solid rim protector given his 7-foot-4 wingspan and athleticism.

“He has potential down the road,” Sheppard said. “His age gives us a lot of time. He has got some years and his buyout is manageable. I don’t mind letting him (develop). We’ve had some good experiences in the past letting players (develop) in Spain.”

Nzosa was reportedly set to participate in the draft combine last month but was prevented from doing so by his team. He wanted to leave Spain early to have time to prepare for the event but they denied his request with one game left to play in the season at the time.

He will now have the opportunity to play at least one more season and continue his development in the top league in Spain. He could be a candidate to join the team next year.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Cavaliers to stash draftee Khalifa Diop in Spain for 2022-23 season

Diop was selected with the 39th pick on Thursday after playing last season with Gran Canaria in Spain.

Cleveland Cavaliers president Koby Altman on Friday said draft pick Khalifa Diop will not be with the organization next season and will remain in the Spanish League.

Diop, who was born in Senegal, was selected with the 39th pick on Thursday after playing last season with Gran Canaria in Spain. He was named the EuroCup Rising Star after averaging 6.5 points and 4.2 rebounds on 62.1% shooting from the field in 54 games.

The 7-foot-1 center emerged as a standout on the defensive end of the floor with his ability to protect the paint and switch onto smaller players. However, he is still viewed as a bit of a raw prospect, thus the reason for keeping him in the Liga ACB.

Altman said special advisor Jose Calderon will monitor him in Spain.

“It’s a great league for his development, and if it’s the right team, he’ll also play against other teams from other countries,” Altman said, via Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal. “Hopefully, the team he will play for will be EuroLeague level even though it’s in the Spanish League. Jose will make sure he’s well taken care of.”

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Diop, 20, said he has dreams of eventually playing in the NBA and is working diligently to develop his game. He studies up on film of Bam Adebayo, Clint Capela and Joel Embiid among others, and looks to take things from each of their games.

With another season in Spain, Diop and the Cavaliers will be hoping that he will be ready to make the jump to the NBA. He can do quite a bit on the court at his size and projects to check a lot of boxes for the Cavaliers when that time comes.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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How a second workout may have sealed Pacers’ decision to draft Bennedict Mathurin

Mathurin worked out with the Pacers early this month, and the decision to draft him may have been solidified after that visit.

Arizona sophomore Bennedict Mathurin worked out with the Indiana Pacers early this month, and the decision for the organization to draft him may have been solidified after that visit.

The Pacers selected Mathurin with the sixth overall pick in the NBA draft on Thursday and formally introduced him on Friday, along with Andrew Nembhard (31st pick) and Kendall Brown (48th pick). The trio is expected to be key additions to a Pacers team in the midst of a rebuild.

Indiana identified Mathurin early in the process as a prospect it could target in the lottery. They brought him in for a workout on June 10 and were thoroughly impressed with his performance on the court, and what followed that session, according to head coach Rick Carlisle.

He had his workout in the morning and then we had lunch with him. He was going to be staying overnight that evening and traveling out the next day so he asked if the gym was open and if he could come back at 8 o’clock at night to work out and work on some things. I said, ‘Sure. How about if I meet you in the gym?’ He said, ‘Yeah, that’d be great.’ We got together and had about an hour session working on footwork and stuff like that.

Mathurin entered the pre-draft process highly touted for his work ethic and leadership inside of the locker room. It started when Mathurin was with the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City, and continued at Arizona and, now, in the NBA.

Carlisle and the Pacers knew Mathurin would fit in well.

It told me a lot about him as a guy that really has a great intellectual curiosity for the game and a great love of the game. Guys that have a chance to really succeed and achieve in the league have a real fascination with self-discovery of getting better and he is one of those guys. I could tell that evening it was clear to me that this is our kind of guy.

The Pacers add a player in Mathurin known as a knockdown shooter with a great ability to score. He will need to improve as a defender but has the size at 6-foot-6 and strength needed to emerge on that end of the floor and hold up against NBA competition.

The organization opted at the trade deadline to reset the roster a bit after sending Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings for Tyrese Haliburton. They appear to have added some great pieces on Thursday as they look to continue building toward the future.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Celtics Exec, Brad Stevens, raves about Alabama and JD Davison

Brad Stevens shares high praises for JD Davison and Tide coaching staff

Brad Stevens is one of the brightest minds in all of basketball, and he had nothing but great things to say about the Crimson Tide and recent draft choice [autotag]JD Davison[/autotag].

Stevens started as the head coach of Butler in 2007 and took the Bulldogs to back-to-back final fours and a national title appearance. Stevens was then hired to take over as head coach of the Boston Celtics in 2013, which alongside the Lakers job, is the most prestigious in the NBA. Then a year ago Stevens decided to move to general manager and take on a front-office type of role.

The Celtics only had one selection, pick No. 53 which was used to select former Alabama star, JD Davison. The Celtics had their eyes on Davison all night. The Celtics and Stevens think that JD will be a perfect fit for various reasons, but his athleticism and competitive spirit really come to mind.

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WATCH: The moment Malaki Branham gets selected in 2022 NBA draft

Watch the moment Malaki Branham was selected in the 2022 NBA draft. #GoBucks

The journey of former Ohio State guard Malaki Branham was an interesting one last season. The freshman started the year slowly as he learned to deal with the different competitive level in college. In fact, in December, if you would have told anyone that Branham would be a first-round selection as a one-and-done, nobody would have believed it.

A funny thing happened though once the new year hit. Branham dropped 35 points in a win on the road vs. Nebraska to let everyone know that he was for real. Scoring in double figures then ended up being a consistent thing for a freshman that was beginning to show the world that he was a three-level scorer from multiple spots on the floor.

He began to rise up the draft boards and that’s when everyone realized that Branham’s freshman season at Ohio State would be his only one. The dream of being drafted in the NBA became reality on Thursday night.

In case you missed it, get a look at the moment Branham likely had to pinch himself as the No. 20 overall in the NBA draft, when the San Antonio Spurs felt they got a steal.

It’ll sure be fun to see what Branham does with his opportunity and how quickly he can acclimate himself to the top basketball league in the world. He’s got the skill set, so he just has to find things like he did at Ohio State.

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Projected NBA salaries for Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler

They are worth every penny.

[autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Walker Kessler [/autotag] are both set to receive a big payday from their new NBA teams.

Smith, who was drafted No. 3 overall by the Houston Rockets, has edged out Chris Morris (1988) and Chuck Person (1986), as the highest draft pick in program history.

He did not go No. 1 as was widely rumored before the draft. but he can still sign a four-year $39.8 million deal with the Rockets, according to Spotrac. That would be the maximum he can sign for.

Kessler, who has been tarded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, was taken No. 22 overall and his deal can max out at four years and $13.2 million, according to Spotrac.

With their selections, Bruce Pearl and Auburn have produced four first-rounders and six overall draft picks in the past four seasons. Prio to Chuma Okeke being drafted in 2019, Auburn had not had a player drafted since 2001.

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Los fans se divirtieron con el traje morado de Paolo Banchero en el Draft de la NBA

Para los 24 jugadores invitados al green room del draft de la NBA, la del jueves fue una noche importante. Ya iba a ser una de las noches más importantes de su vida profesional, pero cuando están en el draft en persona, es la primera presentación …

Para los 24 jugadores invitados al green room del draft de la NBA, la del jueves fue una noche importante. Ya iba a ser una de las noches más importantes de su vida profesional, pero cuando están en el draft en persona, es la primera presentación máxima de una carrera de la NBA.

Y es aquí donde aparece el traje de la noche del draft. Y si se trata de seleccionar solamente de los trajes, la ex estrella de Duke, Paolo Banchero sería la selección número 1.

Banchero apareció en el Barclays Center en un traje morado con diamantes de verdad  Se necesita ser una persona segura para usar ese traje, y de verdad que Banchero derrocha confianza.

Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

Hemos llegado muy lejos desde los trajes del draft 2003 de la NBA—  eso de seguro.

Pero de todos modos, si van a usar un traje morado con diamantes en público, deben estar listos para las bromas. Y Twitter NBA no nos falló.

Traducción.- Chequen a Paolo.

Traducción.- Parece que se cayó en el mostrador de artes de Claires.

Traducción.- Decidió vestirse como el Guasón para el draft.

Traducción.- jeje, ¿Qué? ¿Va a ir a luchar contra Batman después del Draft?

 

Traducido por META