Tag: 2023 NBA Draft

10 NBA rookies make predictions for their first game before the season begins

There are so many great answers from this NBA rookie class.

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After completing their first offseason, a new class of NBA rookies are ready to step on the court to make their professional debuts.

While nothing can compare with the special moment of hearing their name called in the NBA Draft, it is assuredly a surreal feeling to have your lifelong dreams realized on the hardwood.

We spoke to 10 rookies from the 2023 draft class about all of the emotions they anticipate feeling once they officially begin their professional careers as NBA athletes.

Here is what each prospect said about what they expect when they play on the parquet courts in front of thousands of fans.

These interviews have been condensed and edited for clarity.

Should the Brooklyn Nets have traded up in the 2023 NBA Draft?

According to Michael Saenz of Sir Charles In Charge, the Brooklyn Nets made a mistake by not trading up in the 2023 NBA Draft.

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The Brooklyn Nets had a solid 2023 NBA Draft since they were able to come away with three talented players who could be important players for the team in the near future. However, there are some who believe that Brooklyn made a mistake by not using one or both of their first-round picks to move up in the draft.

In a recent article by Sir Charles In Charge, Michael Saenz said that one of the worst moves that the Nets made this offseason was not moving up in the draft to get a player with more upside. Brooklyn had the 21st and 22nd overall picks, but instead of using those picks to make a trade of some sort, they instead used the picks on forward Noah Clowney and wing Dariq Whitehead, respectively.

In fact, Jonathan Givony of ESPN reported leading up to the draft that the Nets were believed to be looking to trade up in the draft so if that indeed was the case, it looks like they didn’t have takers for whatever they were offering. With that being said, coming away from the draft with the two first-round picks and forward Jalen Wilson in the second-round seems like a good haul.

Could the Nets have traded up far enough to draft someone like Dereck Lively II (12th overall pick to the Dallas Mavericks) or Jordan Hawkins (14th overall pick to the New Orleans Pelicans)? Sure, but it depends on what it would’ve taken to acquire either of those spots and since there hasn’t been any reporting on what those costs were, one can only assume that Brooklyn made the best choice at the time.

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Q&A: Raptors rookie Gradey Dick: ‘I just try to be myself in everything that I do. It’s goofy.’

For The Win caught up with Raptors rookie Gradey Dick.

NEW YORK — Toronto Raptors rookie Gradey Dick is one of the most interesting rookies in the league.

The former McDonald’s All-American and Gatorade National Player of the Year (we spoke to him after he won the award) was a standout freshman at Kansas last season, earning Big 12 All-Freshman. The 19-year-old forward was then selected by the Raptors at No. 13 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.

While he is known for his sharpshooting off the court, he is also an animal lover who does a shockingly good impression of the Disney character Donald Duck.

He performs dance routines and backflips on his TikTok, he is followed by Drake on Instagram and he has a personality as vibrant as the suit he wore on draft night.

Before the 2023 NBA Draft, For The Win met up with Dick, who shared his thoughts about his transition to the NBA.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Read more of our pre-draft interviews with NBA prospects.

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5 undrafted rookies on two-way deals who looked like steals during NBA Summer League

How did Adama Sanogo and Oscar Tshiebwe go undrafted?

Even though it might be too early to make any sweeping judgments about strong performances at NBA Summer League, some players have stood out.

As the NBA 2K24 Summer League tournament nears an end, we took a look at a few of the standout undrafted free agents who have already exceeded expectations set by their two-way contracts signed after the 2023 NBA Draft.

While you may be familiar with some names (e.g. Adama Sanogo and Oscar Oscar Tshiebwe) already, others may feel less familiar.

This story used AI-Powered statistics provided by the Stats Perform database.

Stay tuned for our third edition of this series, which will look at players who may have earned a two-way contract (e.g. Jelly Walker, KJ Williams, Nathan Mensah and more) based on their performances in Las Vegas as well.

RELATED: 5 second-round picks in 2023 who already look like draft steals during NBA Summer League

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Boston announces signing of 2023 No. 38 pick Jordan Walsh

The 6-foot-7 shooting guard is expected to debut with the ball club at the NBA’s 2023 Las Vegas Summer League kicking off this Saturday afternoon.

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The Boston Celtics announced the signing of Jordan Walsh, their No. 38 pick of the 2023 NBA draft via press release on Thursday evening.

Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported the former Arkansas Razorback signed a four-year, $7.6 million deal with the Celtics.

The 6-foot-7 shooting guard is expected to debut with the club at the NBA’s 2023 Las Vegas Summer League, which kicks off  Saturday afternoon. Walsh averaged 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 24.4 minutes per contest while shooting 43.3% from the floor overall while with the Razorbacks in his sole and freshman season, setting a school record for games played as a frosh with 36 total played.

Ranked the No. 11 high school prospect by ESPN for 2022, Walsh would help lead his school to the Sweet 16 of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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OKC Thunder officially acquire Cason Wallace and Davis Bertans

The draft-night trade became official.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder officially welcomed their two newest members on Thursday.

The Thunder announced that their draft-night trade with the Dallas Mavericks became official. The Thunder acquired Cason Wallace and Davis Bertans in the deal; in exchange, the Mavericks received Dereck Lively II and a trade exception.

Bertans is owed $33 million over the next two seasons, with an early termination option for the 2024-25 season. The caveat of his option is that if he plays less than 75% of regular season games year, then the 2024-25 salary decreases from $16 million to $5 million.

With the trade now official, Wallace can now join the Thunder’s summer league roster after being forced to sit out the first two games. It’s unknown when he’ll be available to play, but when he does, he’ll likely be a focal point of the offense.

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WATCH: Johnny Davis mic’d up at Wizards’ practice

With the Wizards hitting the “reset” button in 2023-2024, second-year guard and former Badger Johnny Davis could be set for a larger role.

With the Washington Wizards seemingly hitting the “reset” button in 2023-2024, second-year guard and former Badger Johnny Davis could be set for an increased workload. Both Bradley Beal (Suns) and Kristaps Porzingis (Celtics) were dealt, leaving behind a combined 46.4 points per game to be filled.

Davis didn’t really come on until the final weeks of his rookie campaign in Washington, but he was impressive down the stretch. He averaged 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks over 36 minutes per game while starting the final five contests of the regular season.

Now in a position where there isn’t a great amount of established players around him, Davis will look to take the next step up in 2023.

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Tracking where the top undrafted free agents who did not hear their names called in the 2023 NBA Draft have signed

The names who didn’t get called during the draft are finding their new teams.

The 2023 NBA draft has come and gone, but the draft cycle continues a bit longer as several undrafted free agents find their new homes.

While the following prospects didn’t get to hear their name called by the commissioner or deputy commissioner on Thursday night, they can find solace in the fact that their path to the pros is far from over. It’s not unheard of for an undrafted free agent to carve out a role for themselves in the NBA.

We have seen former undrafted free agent Fred VanVleet make the All-Star name. We also saw several players, such as Lakers rookie Austin Reaves, have valuable roles for their team despite not hearing their names called in the draft.

This season, notable prospects such as Oscar Tshiebwe and Drew Timme will join the fraternity of undrafted basketball players who hope to still make a name for themselves in the NBA.

Several notable international prospects (e.g. Nadir Hifi, Enzo Shahrvin, Tom Digbeu, Nikos Rogkavopoulos, Marek Blazevic, Mario Nakić, Keye Van Der Vuurst and others) were not called and will likely remain overseas.

Meanwhile, some NCAA prospects (Virginia Tech’s Grant Basile, Arizona’s Courtney Ramey, Seton Hall’s KC Ndefo and Purdue NW’s Alou Dillon) will sign deals with teams abroad rather than play in the NBA’s Summer League.

Otherwise, here is where the best remaining prospects have landed so far, according to reports:

The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

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What sort of impact can we expect from Jordan Walsh, the Boston Celtics’ No. 38 pick in the 2023 NBA draft?

A good place to start might be his coach with the Arkansas Razorbacks, Eric Musselman.

What sort of impact can we expect Jordan Walsh, the Boston Celtics‘ No. 38 pick in the 2023 NBA draft? A good place to start might be his coach with the Arkansas Razorbacks, Eric Musselman. According to Musselman, Walsh is an exceptional athlete who can play multiple positions.

The Arkansas coach lauds Walsh’s defensive prowess, describing him as a lockdown defender who can individually guard premier scorers and disrupt passing lanes. Walsh’s defensive skills allow for versatility in defensive game plans, and his rebounding abilities and underrated passing skills will surprise Boston fans.

Musselman also mentions areas for improvement, such as staying out of foul trouble and improving his shooting from beyond the arc.

To hear the finer details of the Razorbacks coach’s assessment of Walsh, take a look at the clip embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Fans go crazy for newest Boston Celtic Jordan Walsh at annual youth camp

Fans of the Boston Celtics have embraced Jordan Walsh, the team’s No. 38 pick of the 2023 NBA draft, with open arms.

Fans of the Boston Celtics have embraced Jordan Walsh, the team’s No. 38 pick of the 2023 NBA draft, with open arms, even very young ones such as those who were in attendance for the 2023 Junior Celtics camp the former Arkansas Razorback recently attended as part of his integration into the storied franchise.

The Texan forward has ignited a renewed sense of optimism and anticipation among the younger generation of Celtics fans who are still irked by the team’s decision to trade away veteran point guard Marcus Smart. It also gave many something to look forward to in the Las Vegas Summer League exhibition series kicking off in July.

To see how the attendees at the annual Boston youth basketball camp reacted to seeing Walsh in the flesh for the first time, take a look at the clip embedded below put together by the folks at the CLNS Media “Celtics All Access” YouTube channel.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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