Tag: 2025 NBA Draft

Report: Pelicans to defer Lakers’ first-round draft pick to 2025

The Pelicans will reportedly defer the first-round pick owed to them from the Lakers to 2025.

The New Orleans Pelicans will reportedly defer the 2024 first-round pick owed to them from the Los Angeles Lakers to 2025, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The Pelicans are to receive the pick as part of the Anthony Davis trade with the Lakers. They have already acquired two picks from the deal and will opt to receive the final pick next year, giving the Lakers the 17th overall selection this month.

New Orleans had until 11:59 p.m. EDT on Saturday to decide on the pick.

The two teams agreed to the trade in June 2019, with the Lakers sending Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram and three first-round picks to the Pelicans.

After deferring the Lakers’ first-round pick to 2025, the Pelicans have the 21st pick in the draft this year. The Lakers also have the 55th pick in the second round to pair with the 17th pick.

The 2024 NBA draft will take place June 26-27 in New York City.

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Cooper Flagg finishes senior year as number one prospect in On3’s Top 150 rankings

Cooper Flagg fends off Ace Bailey in final on3 recruiting rankings.

Cooper Flagg has had one heck of a final year in high school. It started with him reclassifying last September to rejoin his original class. Soon after, he committed to the Duke Blue Devils, his dream school and the team he’s been a fan of since he was a little kid. He would then lead Montverde Academy to a national title, and along the way, Flagg dominated and received all types of awards.

He would be named McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand All-American and compete in the Nike Hoop Summit. Now, he finishes the whirlwind year as On3’s number-one player in its final 2024 recruiting rankings.

Ace Bailey, the number two overall prospect, pushed Flagg all season long in. an attempt to overtake him. Still, Jamie Shaw of On3 Sports specifically cited Flagg’s ability and consistency in performing at the highest levels since entering high school as the most significant reason Flagg remained ahead of Bailey. Bailey is hyper-athletic, with great size and a great frame, and he showcased terrific shotmaking but also relied too much on his jump shot. In contrast, Flagg utilizes his ever-improving jump shot as a small part of his ability to get to the basket and be a creator and initiator in half-court, where he makes terrific reads.

The conversation will continue during the summer and through each player’s one and only college seasons at Duke and Rutgers, respectively, as each is on a crash course for the 2025 NBA Draft.

Flagg can now rest and enjoy his time off and being to prepare for the next challenge: becoming a Duke basketball player. He won’t make the trip to Durham for good until sometime in June, but based on everything we’ve seen from Flagg, this young man will not be afraid of the moment or challenge.

Alabama senior Grant Nelson to return to Tuscaloosa for 5th year of college

Nelson registered six 20-point games, including a season-high 24 points and seven rebounds on Nov. 6 in a win over Morehead State.

Alabama senior Grant Nelson announced Monday on Instagram that he will return to the program and utilize his fifth year of college for the 2024-25 season.

Nelson averaged 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 assists on 48.8% shooting from the field in 37 games. He registered six 20-point games, including a season-high 24 points and seven rebounds on Nov. 6 in a win over Morehead State.

He was named to the NCAA West Region All-Tournament Team after helping the Crimson Tide to the Final Four. He became the first player in the NCAA Tournament since Kevin Love in 2008 with 24 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in the Sweet 16 or later on March 28.

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Nelson transferred to Alabama after spending three years at North Dakota State University. He was an All-Summit League first-team and All-Defensive Team selection last year as a junior and the Sixth Man of the Year as a freshman.

After starting every game, Nelson projects to return to that role next season. The Crimson Tide, who have the second-ranked recruiting class, will add three top-50 prospects to the roster and Aden Holloway, Chris Youngblood and Houston Mallette via the transfer portal.

Alabama has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in four consecutive seasons, including three appearances in the Sweet 16. The team lost to UConn this year in the Final Four.

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Bulls urged to tank for 2025 NBA Draft and chance at Cooper Flagg

The Chicago Bulls should start prepping for the future, and that means eyeing Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The Chicago Bulls have spent the past two seasons swimming in a sea of mediocrity, and they’ve been okay with it. However, now that it’s clear that something isn’t working, they need to focus on the future. Morten Stig Jensen of Sports Illustrated recently broke down why the Bulls need to start prepping (and tanking) for the 2025 NBA Draft and a chance at selecting Cooper Flagg.

“Last year, despite having every reason to, the Chicago Bulls refused to tank. This cost them a shot at Victor Wembanyama,” wrote Stig Jensen. “This season, despite once again having every reason to, they once again refused to tank. Fortunately, their timing this time around was far better given that there is no Wembanyama on the draft board this year.

“However, with the 2025 draft coming up next year, the Bulls need to actually put themselves in a position to compete for the services of a possible superstar. Because what’s the point of just making the play-in year after year and ultimately getting nowhere? Cooper Flagg represents the next big name, and the next big chance of securing your franchise a player you can lean on for 15 years.”

Getting a guy like Flagg could chance the course of the Bulls franchise, so they need to be ready to make it happen (or at least get a top pick in the 2025 draft).

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Kansas All-American Hunter Dickinson to return for 5th college season

Dickinson was named a consensus second-team All-American, averaging 17.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 blocks.

Kansas senior Hunter Dickinson announced Friday on social media that he will return to school to play the 2024-25 season with the Jayhawks, his fifth season in college.

Dickinson was named a consensus second-team All-American this past season, averaging 17.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 blocks on 54.8% shooting from the field. He ranked eighth in the country in rebounding and 12th in double-doubles (17).

He was also named to the All-Big 12 first team.

The 7-footer joined the Jayhawks last year after spending his first three seasons in college at Michigan. He was one of four active players in Division I this season with at least 2,200 career points and 1,100 rebounds, joining Zach Edey, Armando Bacot and Baylor Scheierman.

Dickinson will return to a team with the sixth-ranked incoming recruiting class, headlined by top-50 prospects Flory Bidunga (No. 11) and Rakease Passmore (No. 50). Jayhawks coach Bill Self is also adding Rylen Griffin (Alabama) and AJ Storr (Wisconsin) via the transfer portal.

With Dickinson back in the fold, Kansas will likely be the front-runner to be the preseason No. 1 team in the country next season. The team also returns starters Dajuan Harris Jr. and K.J. Adams, likely making it the favorite in the Big 12.

The Jayhawks (22-10) made their 51st appearance in the NCAA Tournament this past season as the fourth seed. They lost to No. 5 Gonzaga in the second round.

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LeBron comments on the basketball future of Bronny James at USC

LeBron James said Tuesday that his son, Bronny, has some tough decision to make regarding his basketball future.

On Tuesday, Hall of Fame sportswriter Dick Weiss reported USC freshman Bronny James had decided to enter the transfer portal after one season at USC.

However, Weiss has since retracted his initial report.

James’ future at USC came into question after head coach Andy Enfield left for the same position at SMU. Enfield had recruited James to join the team, resulting in the four-star prospect signing his national letter of intent on May 10, 2023.

After reporting that James would enter the transfer portal following the departure of Enfield on a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Weiss said he could no longer confirm the story.

Bronny hasn’t publicly commented on his future, though the 19-year-old still has the Trojans in his bio on Instagram. However, his father, LeBron James, was asked about the report after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.

“I don’t know where (the report) came from but at the end of the day, Bronny is his own man,” James said, via Spectrum SportsNet. “He has some tough decisions to make and when he is ready to make those decisions, he’ll let us all know. As his family, we’re going to support whatever he does.”

Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 36.6% shooting from the field in 25 games with the Trojans this season. He scored in double figures three times, including a career-high 15 points and three assists on Dec. 30.

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Paolo Banchero makes trip to deliver Gatorade NPOY award to Duke signee and projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg

Cooper Flagg joins prestigious club as he was named Gatorade National Player of the Year, and Duke great Paolo Banchero was there to give him the trophy.

The Brotherhood is genuine. People may not believe it, but Duke’s basketball brotherhood is authentic, and at this point, Duke has infiltrated basketball at all levels.

Former Blue Devil Paolo Banchero is in the midst of his second NBA season, and it’s been an exceptional year. He was named an All-Star for the first time and he’s led his Orlando Magic team into the playoff picture with a 42-29 record.

Before his days as the face of the Magic franchise, he spent a tremendous year in Durham as the face of Duke’s program during Coach K’s last season as head coach of the Blue Devils. While Duke came up short, losing to UNC in the Final Four, Banchero brought Duke to the national semifinals for the first time since 2015.

The mesmerizing, do-it-all power forward averaged 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds as the focal point of their offensive attack. So it only makes sense that Banchero would pass that torch to the next do-it-all forward with a chance to be a No. 1 NBA draft pick.

Duke signee, the Class of 2024’s top overall recruit, and projected No. 1 draft pick in the 2025 NBA draft Cooper Flagg was named Gatorade Player of the Year on Wednesday, and Banchero was there to deliver the good news and the trophy to him.

It’s a full circle moment for Flagg, who grew up a Duke fan and is now months away from heading to Durham to write his chapter in the same way Banchero did.

Flagg, who was also named the Naismith High School Boys’ Player of the Year, led the No.1-ranked Montverde Academy to a 30-0 regular season record.

Like Banchero, Flagg is a dynamic forward capable of doing anything on the floor. The two differ mainly in the scoring department, where Banchero probably had a little more diversity in his ability to score the ball. Still, Flagg can pass, shoot, and dribble, and he is a better defender than Banchero was at this stage of his career.

Either way, Duke’s 2025 season will center on the newly minted Gatorade National Player of the Year’s ability to dominate on the basketball court. A Final Four trip like Banchero’s would be an incredible accomplishment for his likely one-year college career.

5-star prospect Khaman Maluach has committed to play at Duke

Khaman Maluach joins a talented recruiting class for Duke coach Jon Scheyer, including Cooper Flagg, Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba.

Khaman Maluach, a 7-foot center from the NBA Africa Academy, has committed to play at Duke next season, the five-star prospect told Jonathan Givony of ESPN on Wednesday.

Maluach, who was born in South Sudan, chose the Blue Devils over Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, the G League Ignite and the National Basketball League in Australia. He joins a talented recruiting class for coach Jon Scheyer, including Cooper Flagg, Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba.

The 17-year-old started playing basketball roughly five years ago in Uganda. He joined the NBA Africa Academy in Senegal and has made a rapid rise up the rankings to become the third-ranked prospect in the class of 2024, according to 247Sports.

Maluach became the third-youngest player to play in the FIBA Basketball World Cup last year when he represented South Sudan. He totaled eight points, 15 rebounds and three blocks in four games to help South Sudan claim a berth in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

He was named an All-Star and Defensive MVP last month at the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp at NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana. He measured in with a 7-foot, 4 1/2-inch wingspan and a 9-foot, 8-inch standing reach.

Maluach is considered a potential top-five pick in the 2025 NBA draft as an international prospect born in 2006. He is highly touted for his size and versatility as a player who can shoot and defend, with his length and mobility.

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Travis Branham of 247Sports has crystal balled Khaman Malauch to Duke

Duke has its third prediction for the Blue Devils to land projected lottery pick Khaman Maluach.

Things are heating up in the Duke Blue Devils’ pursuit of what would likely be the final piece of their already historic 2024 recruiting class.

Khaman Maluach, a 7-foot-2 center from South Sudan, is nearing a decision and announcement about where he will play basketball next year.

Maluach is not ranked on 247’s website due to a policy they have on international recruits, but the moment he announces he plans to attend college in the USA, he will be added to the rankings and is a lock to be a five-star prospect. His talent speaks for itself, as he is already being mocked as a top-five pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Maluach has narrowed his decision to five options: Duke, G League Ignite, Kansas, Kentucky, and UCLA. Duke was his first visit before eventually visiting the other blue bloods listed. Still, despite his visits and conversations with the G League Ignite representatives, Duke has remained a constant. So much so that one of 247 Sports’ best basketball recruiting insiders has logged a crystal ball in favor of Duke landing the incredibly gifted prospect.

If said prediction comes to fruition, Duke could potentially have its best recruiting class of all time, shattering some of their other incredible hauls over the last ten years. Cooper Flagg is already in the boat and is the nation’s No. 1 player.

It doesn’t seem like hyperbole to think that if Maluach decides to play basketball for a year in college, he’ll be a top-five recruit. Add that to five-star Isaiah Evans and Kon Knueppel and four-star high school teammates Patrick Ngongba II and Darren Harris, and it’s hard to imagine a better haul in recent high school recruiting memory. The Blue Devils would have five players within the top 20 of 247’s rankings.

An announcement is expected before the end of March. Whether or not Duke lands Maluach is still to be decided, but the momentum favors Duke as we enter the waning hours of this recruitment.

South Sudan to make history with third-youngest player ever in FIBA World Cup

South Sudan is set to make history by having one of the youngest players ever in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

When South Sudan takes the court in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the men’s national team will make history with one of the youngest players ever to compete.

Khaman Maluach, 16, was named to South Sudan’s 12-man roster for the World Cup on Thursday. He will be the third-youngest player to suit up in the tournament, which started in 1950, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

The 7-foot-2 Maluach started playing basketball roughly four years ago in Uganda. He then joined the NBA Africa Academy in Senegal and is one of four players from the academy competing in the World Cup, joining Cui Yongxi, Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels.

Maluach is on pace to graduate high school in the summer of 2025. He has received college offers from Duke and UCLA and will be eligible to enter the draft immediately because he is an international prospect born in 2006.

South Sudan became a sovereign state from Sudan in July 2011 and joined FIBA two years later. The team, whose president is Luol Deng, will be competing in its first international event outside of Africa at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The group will open its tournament on Saturday against Puerto Rico in Group B in Manila, Philippines (4 a.m. EDT, ESPN+). The team will also face China on Monday (4 a.m.) and Serbia on Wednesday (4 a.m.) to round out the group phase.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the second round.

South Sudan is headlined by free agent Wenyen Gabriel, Chicago Bulls guard Carlik Jones, Maine Celtics guard Marial Shayok and Peter Jok, who attended Iowa. The group went 3-2 in its exhibition schedule ahead of the event.

The FIBA Basketball World Cup will help seven countries qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The seven spots include the top two teams from both the Americas and Europe (not including host France) and one team from Africa, Asia and Oceania.

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