Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
2003 | 6’8 | 7’3 WS | 243 LBS Team: UCLA Agent: Sam Permut Best aggregate mock draft rank : 38 / Worst rank: NR 2023-24 stats: In 2023-24, Bona averaged 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 58.8 …
2003 | 6’8 | 7’3 WS | 243 LBS
Team: UCLA
Agent: Sam Permut
Best aggregate mock draft rank: 38 / Worst rank: NR
2023-24 stats:
In 2023-24, Bona averaged 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 58.8 percent from the field and 69.6 percent from the foul line.
After landing the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, the Rockets are reportedly open to trading the selection.
After landing the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, the Houston Rockets are reportedly open to trading the selection to acquire a veteran player to add to their roster.
The Rockets have built through the draft in recent years, selecting players like Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore. The team also has veterans in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks and will be looking to add to that core.
With the organization looking to take the next step in its rebuild, the front office will discuss potential trade packages with teams involving the third pick, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
The No. 3 pick – one of five potential first-round picks the Rockets can trade this offseason in a package to land a star player – will be discussed in trade talks leading up to draft night, league sources told HoopsHype.
The Rockets jumped massively up the standings this season after posting a 41-41 record, which was a 19-game improvement from last year. The group, by led first-year coach Ime Udoka, had great stretches of the season and looked to be a team on the rise.
The team will likely look to continue to prioritize playing time for its veterans moving forward, making the No. 3 pick expendable. The pick is one of the Rockets’ best assets, and the front office will be tasked with seeing how valuable it can be in trade discussions.
If the Rockets cannot find a trade partner and keep the pick, they will reportedly look to draft a guard with the pick. They could target the likes of Stephon Castle, Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard or Nikola Topić, among others.
The 2024 NBA draft will take place June 26-27 in New York City.
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ESPN 2024 NBA mock draft: Thunder selects Providence’s Devin Carter.
As the calendar flips to June, the 2024 NBA draft is less than a month away. The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter it with the No. 12 selection via the Houston Rockets.
The lottery pick is OKC’s sole selection this year — a far cry from the previous years when it had multiplayer classes. Despite this, Thunder general manager Sam Presti admitted he was a fan of this year’s class, which is viewed as one of the weaker classes in recent history.
In ESPN’s latest 2024 NBA mock draft, experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo had the Thunder selecting Providence guard Devin Carter with the No. 12 spot.
“Carter has earned himself looks in the top 10 from teams, including San Antonio and Memphis, who value his reliability, toughness and all-around readiness to step in and contribute immediately. He brings quite a bit to the table defensively, has made strides as a shooter and plays with a nonstop motor, making him a particularly appealing choice for teams angling to compete sooner rather than later.
The Thunder have quite a bit of depth in the backcourt already, with two excellent defensive guards in Lu Dort and Cason Wallace, but could opt to stack the deck further at this spot and let Carter challenge for minutes right away. “
The 22-year-old spent three college seasons split between South Carolina and Providence. He averaged 19.7 points on 47.3% shooting, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season. He shot 37.7% from 3 on 6.8 attempts.
Despite being just 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Carter could address the Thunder’s rebounding woes. He’s also a high-volume outside shooter, which OKC needs on its roster. The fit makes sense as a role player for the Thunder.
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Could the San Antonio Spurs select Tidjane Salaun in the NBA Draft?
Heading into the offseason, the NBA Draft will provide the San Antonio Spurs with a solid opportunity to snag new young pieces. In ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft, the Spurs selected French forward Tidjane Salaun with the eighth pick in the draft.
“Salaun has arrived in the U.S. for workouts, but will head back overseas next week to the NBA’s pre-draft camp in Treviso, Italy, to complete his required medicals and testing,” wrote Jeremy Woo. “He has gained steam as a lottery candidate after finishing his season in strong form, showcasing his physical tools and potential versatility at either forward spot.
“Salaun, yet to turn 19, is still a ways away from contributing at a high level, but the room for long-term growth makes him an appealing development pick in the mid-to-late lottery. His familiarity with Victor Wembanyama likely doesn’t hurt his case as an option for San Antonio, but the Spurs are considering a handful of prospects at this spot, including Dillingham, Nikola Topic, Cody Williams and Dalton Knecht.”
Could the Spurs create a new French duo with Salaun and Victor Wembanyama?
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In a recent NBA mock draft, the San Antonio Spurs picked up UConn guard Stephon Castle.
The San Antonio Spurs have two top-10 picks in this year’s draft. With them, they have an opportunity to add solid young talent next to Victor Wembanyama. In ESPN’s latest mock draft, they have the Spurs selecting UConn guard Stephon Castle with the fourth pick.
“The Spurs have been exploring all options with their two top-10 picks as they enter a critical offseason,” wrote Jeremy Woo. “With Victor Wembanyama on a superstar-level trajectory, San Antonio has an opportunity to accelerate its path toward the playoffs, whether that’s via the draft, trades or other means. The biggest roster need is at point guard, and rival teams have connected the Spurs to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Darius Garland as they work to revamp the team.
“Keeping both these picks and taking multiple swings in the draft is also an attractive path, with the challenge being nailing the right pairing of players who will fit together with Wembanyama. San Antonio has demonstrated strong interest in Castle, who might well land here if the Spurs stay put. Castle’s two-way versatility, playmaking potential and size give him attractive upside, and also make him an easy player to pair with whomever the Spurs draft at No. 8.”
Castle’s upside at the point guard position makes him a very intriguing target for the Spurs.
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2000 | 6’3 | 6’5 WS | 201 LBS Team: Connecticut Agency: Priority Sports Best aggregate mock draft rank : 37 / Worst rank: NR 2023-24 stats: In 2023-24, Spencer averaged 14.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.3 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. He …
2000 | 6’3 | 6’5 WS | 201 LBS
Team: Connecticut
Agency: Priority Sports
Best aggregate mock draft rank: 37 / Worst rank: NR
2023-24 stats:
In 2023-24, Spencer averaged 14.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.3 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 48.4 percent from the field, 44.0 percent from three, and 91.1 percent from the foul line.
In this mock trade, the Chicago Bulls would trade Alex Caruso to the Houston Rockets for the third pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
If the Chicago Bulls want to reshape the course of their franchise, they should plan for the future this summer instead of choosing to remain competitive. Aaron Kellerstrass of Pippen Ain’t Easy proposed a mock trade that would flip Alex Caruso and the 11th pick to the Houston Rockets for the third pick and the 44th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
“Should the Bulls really be trying to move up in what is mostly seen as a weak draft?’ Kellerstrass wrote. “Probably not, but if they are enamored with a particular prospect, they may be able to use Caruso’s expiring contract to get the 3rd pick from Houston, who is dying to make some win-now moves, not add more young players. If the Bulls get the sense that Caruso is not going to sign an extension, then they should trade him, as they risk losing him for nothing, which has been a common theme in Chicago.
“This would give them a chance to grab a table-setting point guard like Nikola Topic or possibly a two-way wing like Zaccharie Risacher. Losing Caruso wouldn’t help in the short term, but if there is a risk he is going to leave anyway, this would allow the Bulls to get a future piece without giving up too much to get it. They also get an additional pick in the second round to add a project.”
Adding a top-three pick in this year’s draft would help the Bulls reload their pool of young talent.
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Whether or not one believes in his recently sagging 3-point shot likely determines whether one takes him.
Breaking down Alexandre Sarr as a San Antonio Spurs 2024 NBA draft prospect may seem like a counterproductive chore for some, given the general consensus we are seeing in mock drafts that he will likely be gone before the Spurs draft with their earliest (No. 4) first round selection.
But when it comes to top picks in weak drafts as this one is, things can be very fluid, and can shift rapidly if a team in the low lottery elects to buck convention with an unexpected pick. So it makes all the sense in the world to look into how the 7-foot-1 swingman could fit alongside star French forward Victor Wembanyama.
Whether or not one believes in his recently sagging 3-point shot likely determines whether one takes him even at No. 4 overall, which is far from all there is to his game, even if it is critical.
The folks behind the “SSPN: A San Antonio Spurs Podcast” YouTube channel took a closer look on a recent show. Check it out above!
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Could the Chicago Bulls make a deal with the Houston Rockets for the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft?
The Chicago Bulls have the 11th pick in this year’s draft, but with the team potentially pivoting toward a rebuild, they could look for more. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the Houston Rockets are open to shopping the third pick, and Aaron Kellerstrass of Pippen Ain’t Easy suggested that the Bulls think about making a move for it.
“Caruso would be a nice fit, though it’s unlikely the Rockets would give up the third pick in exchange for one year of Caruso, fit or not,” Kellerstrass wrote. “If the Bulls were to attach their own 11th pick to the deal, Houston may have some interest. The Bulls would get a chance at a higher-tier draft prospect, though in this draft, you could argue that they have about as much chance of finding a star at 11 as they do with the 3rd pick. Chicago would have to really like someone at the top of the draft, otherwise Caruso and pick 11 are arguably more valuable.
“Chicago could also get involved in a deal that could potentially land them one of Houston’s excess young players (Tari Eason comes to mind) if Houston decides to keep their pick but still wants a veteran player.”
Adding the third pick would give the Bulls a chance to add one of the best players in this year’s draft.
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Another mock draft has the Chicago Bulls taking Matas Buzelis with the 11th pick.
The Chicago Bulls have the 11th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Adding some fresh young talent to the roster will be a crucial part of their summer. In his third straight mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report mocked G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis to the Bulls at pick No. 11.
“Teams will consider Matas Buzelis earlier than No. 11. At 6’9″ in socks, his scoring versatility and defensive playmaking flashes create a coveted archetype,” Wasserman wrote. “But at this stage, the idea of Buzelis remains more enticing than the results. The results and feelings on the 19-year-old wing continue to be mixed.
“Workouts will be extra important for Buzelis, who came to Ignite with expectations of being a solid shooter but finished at 26.1 percent from three.”
Buzelis had a relatively rough year with the Ignite this past season, but there is still a clear pathway forward for him to be a great NBA player.
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