Tag: NBA Draft

Alex Sarr seems to be forcing his way to the Wizards in the NBA Draft and we just want to know if he’s sure about that

Shoutout to Alex Sarr but, uhhh, is he sure?

Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Mike Sykes

Happy Friday, folks! Welcome back to Layup Lines. Thanks so much for joining me today. I hope you’ve had a great week with an even better weekend ahead of you.

Don’t look now, but the NBA Draft is less than a week away! The festivities will begin next Wednesday and Thursday. A new crop of players will begin their NBA journeys.

The best out of that crop might be Alex Sarr — the 6-foot-11 Frenchman with a 7-foot-4 wingspan. He is widely regarded as one of the best prospects in this draft class. He’s bounced between No. 1 and No. 2 overall on ESPN’s big board all season. He may be the closest thing we have to a consensus top prospect in a draft without one.

That’s why it’s so confounding that he wants to doom himself to a future with the Washington Wizards.

According to the latest from Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer, Sarr has been dodging workouts with the Atlanta Hawks in hopes of angling himself to go No. 2 overall to the Wizards. Yes, seriously.

Here’s more from Fischer:

“The Wizards are likely to remain at No. 2 as well, where Washington has the league convinced its focused on selecting Alex Sarr from the Perth Wildcats. The Wizards, according to people familiar with the situation, invested the most time and resources of any NBA club sending various personnel to Australia to evaluate Sarr. This situation is also considered the preferred outcome from Sarr’s camp, as it’s become well known that Sarr has so far declined to work out for Atlanta.”

Alex, my guy, are you sure about this one?

I mean, look. As a Wizards fan, I love this. It’s endearing that he wants to be in D.C. We love that sort of thing here. It goes a long way — just ask John Wall.

But dude. We ain’t talking about Harry Potter here. The Wizards have been, uh, Wizard-ing for a really, really long time. Udonis Haslem just said that players get sent to Washington to “get your affairs in order” a few days ago. And, look, as annoying as that is, he’s not wrong! There’s a reason why so many players leave D.C. and become NBA champions. It just hasn’t been great historically.

To be fair to Sarr, this might be less about the Wizards and more about the alternative. Sarr reportedly wants a more advanced offensive role as a power forward instead of a rim-running center. He’s more likely to find that in Washington than in Atlanta.

Plus, Bill Duffy, Sarr’s agent, doesn’t have a great history with Atlanta players either. So it makes sense that Sarr might be trying to angle his way down a pick here.

But, man. Alex, buddy. I hope you know what you’re in for.

READ MORE: Here’s Bryan Kalbrosky’s latest NBA mock draft with Sarr going No. 2 overall to Washington.

A brilliant idea for JJ Redick

Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

JJ Redick probably won’t be a very good coach for the Lakers early in his tenure with the team. That’s generally how it goes for head coaches without experience leading an NBA bench.

But, given a bit of time, I think Redick could be pretty good! He has the passion for it. He just needs the reps.

Some fans proposed a pretty clever idea to get him up to speed — have him coach the Lakers’ Summer League team in Vegas this year. It’s a good idea! And it’s not without precedent — some pretty good coaches have done the same in recent years.

Bryan Kalbrosky has more on it here:

“Last season, before first-time Adrian Griffin took over for as the new head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, he and his coaching staff got their feet wet in Las Vegas. While his tenure with the organization was ill-fated, it was still a wise move.

Steve Kerr, another former player who did not have any head coaching experience before he was hired, also coached the Warriors in NBA Summer League before his first official game with Golden State in 2014.

The previous season, Jason Kidd also made his head coaching debut during NBA Summer League for the Brooklyn Nets.

Redick should consider doing the same thing so he can have as many reps as possible before eventually stepping on the sidelines for his first game.”

The Lakers should tap in on this. Get JJ in Vegas this summer.

Shootaround

— We’ve got trade grades for the Alex Caruso-Josh Giddey deal here from Robert Zeglinski.

— Prince Grimes has eight Lakers bets you should take a look at now that JJ Redick is the team’s head coach.

— The Celtics’ victory cigars are so deliciously petty and awesome. Here’s Meg Hall with more.

— Tom Brady loved the Drunk Brady t-shirt Al Horford wore to the Celtics’ parade. Here’s Charles Curtis with more.

That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks so much for reading today. We appreciate you. Have a great weekend! Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Clemson-to-Philly connection for PJ Hall in 2024 NBA Draft?

Clemson’s PJ Hall is hoping to see his name called in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft next week.

Earlier this year, two Clemson players — running back Will Shipley and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. — were drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Could another rookie from Clemson be headed to Philadelphia next? At least one NBA Draft analyst think so.

In his latest mock draft, CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone forecasts Clemson forward PJ Hall to be a second-round selection (No. 41 overall) by the Philadelphia 76ers in next week’s NBA Draft. It’s the highest spot Hall has been forecast in recent mock drafts.

Hall worked out for the Golden State Warriors on June 7.

Per Boone’s analysis of Hall:

“The on-court/off-court metrics for Clemson with and without PJ Hall last season are staggering. The big man has a skilled game on the interior and is coming off a career year in which he averaged 18.3 points per game.”

Bleacher Report projects Hall going 45th overall to the Sacramento King in the draft, to be held Wednesday, June 26 and Thursday, June 27. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie projects Hall as the 50th overall pick by the Indiana Pacers.

Comparing Hall to New Orleans Pelicans forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman writes:

“PJ Hall didn’t scrimmage in Chicago after participating last year. There is ultimately enough game film of the senior playing against NBA-caliber bigs from the ACC.

Hall will still have to sell teams on his shooting during workouts, but he’s consistently improved his range. And between his physical profile and fundamentals around the post, his post scoring feels translatable.”

First-round selections for the 2024 NBA Draft will be held Wednesday night at 8 p.m. at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The draft will conclude Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. with second-round selections.

ESPN will broadcast both rounds of the draft. ABC will televise the first round, as well.

Follow us @Clemson_Wire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and commentary.  

Report: At No. 3, Rockets more intrigued by trade offers with future draft capital

Yahoo’s Jake Fischer: “The Rockets, sources said, are more intrigued by receiving future draft capital than any player who’s been made available to this point.”

With a win-now emphasis and a deep young core, as is, numerous reports have made it clear that the Houston Rockets are open to trading their No. 3 overall draft pick in the NBA’s 2024 first round.

The question, however, is if a established player worthy of trading that asset comes available within the next week.

If not, general manager Rafael Stone could simply stand pat at No. 3 and choose the best prospect available — with any concerns related to fit or playing time shelved for another day.

There is, however, at least one other possibility. Jake Fischer, senior NBA reporter for Yahoo! Sports, has more:

The Rockets, sources said, plan to entertain offers for the third pick, which could last all the way until Houston is on the clock Wednesday. The Rockets, sources said, are more intrigued by receiving future draft capital than any player who’s been made available to Houston at this point. Should the Rockets ultimately hold pat at this slot, unmotivated by external offers, Houston has been strongly linked by league personnel to Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard.

It’s not the first time that this potential strategy has been reported, though the previous report (by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle) came out just prior to the May 12 draft-lottery results — when the Rockets jumped from the No. 9 odds slot to the No. 3 pick.

This report from Fischer seemingly indicates that even at a higher draft slot, the strategy remains plausible for the Rockets. Generally speaking, the idea is that by pushing the unused draft assets to a future year, they could be more attractive on the trade market due to the additional optionality for the team receiving the pick(s).

It’s also worth noting that most draft evaluators consider the 2025 and 2026 draft-prospect pools to be far superior to 2024.

In any case, it remains to be seen whether such an offer is actually presented to the Rockets — and whether Stone would actually pull the trigger. But in the final days leading up to the June 26 first round, it seems that Houston wants the league to know that it’s an option.

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One week before NBA draft, Bronny James smokescreens continue

Is Bronny James going to the Phoenix Suns? Probably not, but the whispers linger.

The 2024 NBA draft is next week. The speculation will end and the answers will emerge to all sorts of fascinating questions in professional basketball. One question is where USC’s Bronny James will land. Most observers think he will go to the Los Angeles Lakers, but the smokescreens continue to be set due to the belief that LeBron James will play wherever Bronny goes, as LeBron Wire notes in this story:

“The younger James has limited the number of teams he has worked out with. He has only done workouts with the Lakers and Phoenix Suns, which has led to some whispers that perhaps the elder James could leave to join the Suns. But (LeBron’s agent Rich) Paul tried to end that rumor.”

LeBron Wire also included this quote from Rich Paul:

“LeBron is off this idea of having to play with Bronny,” Paul told ESPN. “If he does, he does. But if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. There’s no deal made that it’s guaranteed that if the Lakers draft Bronny at 55, he will re-sign. If that was the case, I would force them to take him at 17. We don’t need leverage. The Lakers can draft Bronny and LeBron doesn’t re-sign.”

There have been whispers about other NBA teams drafting Bronny, but the consensus has been that the Lakers will either take Bronny at No. 55 or sign him to a contract after he goes undrafted. We’re one week away from finding out.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Check out more NFL draft coverage with the USA TODAY Sports NFL Draft Hub.

Malik Hall working out for Golden State Warriors, numerous other NBA teams

Malik Hall working out for Golden State Warriors, numerous other NBA teams

One former Spartan, Xavier Tillman, won his first NBA title this week, while another looks to jump start his NBA career. At a press conference this week, Hall told reporters that he has met with eight NBA teams for workouts, with the Golden State Warriors, home of fellow Spartan Draymond Green, being his most recent showcase.

Hall will be an intriguing prospect for NBA teams, and could end up on a roster, or at least in the G-League, this fall.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.

ESPN: Rockets showing serious draft interest in Reed Sheppard

ESPN’s Jeremy Woo on Reed Sheppard: “The Rockets have demonstrated serious interest in him at No. 3, with both the front office and ownership intrigued.”

In one of the first reports of the 2024 NBA draft cycle citing internal views from the Rockets, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo reports that Houston is showing serious interest in Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard.

The Rockets currently own the No. 3 overall pick of the first round, and Sheppard is a popular mock-draft projection at that slot.

As part of ESPN’s latest mock draft, Woo writes:

It feels like Sheppard’s range of draft outcomes is quite narrow at this point. The Rockets have demonstrated serious interest in him at No. 3, with both the front office and ownership intrigued by his fit as a shooter and playmaker next to their established young talent.

Should Houston decide to trade back or go another direction, San Antonio is also quite intrigued with Sheppard and will be in position to pounce one pick later.

Houston has been testing the market for this pick, which holds trade value due in part to the thought that Clingan, who many teams view as a potential trade-up target, will be available if the first two picks go as currently expected. Regardless, Sheppard’s shooting ability, intangibles, and room for growth as a playmaker have put him in position to be the first guard off the board, completing his ascent from a November curiosity into a full-blown lottery talent.

A 6-foot-3, 182-pound guard, Sheppard was incredibly efficient in his one season at Kentucky, shooting 53.6% overall and a blistering 52.1% on 3-pointers. In all, the 19-year-old averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per game.

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Former Wisconsin forward gets NBA workout with Utah Jazz

Former Wisconsin forward gets NBA workout with Utah Jazz

Former Wisconsin forward Tyler Wahl recently worked out with the Utah Jazz, according to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson.

Wahl was one of the several NBA draft-eligible players to work out with the Jazz according to Wolfson, along with Melvin Ajinca, Ulrich Chomche, Tyler Kolek (Marquette) and Ajay Mitchell (UCSB).

Related: Wisconsin basketball 2024-25 starting lineup, rotation and bench with Andrija Vukovic signing

The five-year Wisconsin veteran exhausted his final year of eligibility in 2023-24. He is now working to start his professional basketball career and has already had several pre-draft workouts.

Wahl’s decorated Wisconsin career came to an end after 162 appearances — 121 of them starts. His final per-game averages included 26.2 minutes, 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals on 47.7% shooting.

His most productive statistical season came in 2021-22 on a Badgers team that won the Big Ten regular season title. He averaged 30.5 minutes, 11.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals on 51% shooting that season as he, Johnny Davis and Chucky Hepburn led one of the best Wisconsin teams over the last decade.

The versatile forward played an integral role in Wisconsin’s success since joining the team in 2019. The Badgers won two Big Ten regular season titles in that span, including the 2021-22 team’s exceptional 25-8 overall record and 15-5 mark in Big Ten play.

He and the Badgers did not carry that play into the postseason. But Wahl was at the center of a lively half-decade of Wisconsin basketball.

The former Badger is not expected to be selected in the upcoming NBA draft. The Jazz have picks No. 10 and 29 in the first round, plus No. 32 overall at the start of the second round. It’s a near impossibility that the Jazz select Wahl with any of those picks. His likely NBA path is via a training camp invite or G-League contract.

Wahl could also follow the long line of successful Wisconsin players to find professional success overseas. Brad Davison, Nigel Hayes, Ethan Happ, Nate Reuvers and Sam Dekker all have found success taking that route.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

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Jesse Edwards: NBA draft scouting report

2000 | 6’11.5 | 7’5 WS | 236 LBS Team: West Virginia Agency: Joe Smith Best aggregate mock draft rank : NR / Worst rank: NR 2023-24 stats: In 2023-24, Edwards averaged 15.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 blocks, and 1.7 steals per game. He …

2000 | 6’11.5 | 7’5 WS | 236 LBS

Team: West Virginia

Agency: Joe Smith

Best aggregate mock draft rank: NR / Worst rank: NR

2023-24 stats:

In 2023-24, Edwards averaged 15.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 blocks, and 1.7 steals per game. He shot 60.3 percent from the field, did not attempt any three-pointers, and shot 52.7 percent from the foul line.

Malique Lewis: NBA draft scouting report

2004 | 6’7 | 7’1 WS | 209 LBS Team: Mexico City Capitanes Agents: Todd Ramasar, Alexis Liatsos Best aggregate mock draft rank : 53 / Worst rank: NR 2023-24 stats: In 2023-24, Lewis averaged 9.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.0 …

2004 | 6’7 | 7’1 WS | 209 LBS

Team: Mexico City Capitanes

Agents: Todd Ramasar, Alexis Liatsos

Best aggregate mock draft rank: 53 / Worst rank: NR

2023-24 stats:

In 2023-24, Lewis averaged 9.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game. He shot 50.6 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from three, and 69.2 percent from the foul line.

Isaiah Crawford: NBA draft scouting report

2001 | 6’5 | 7’0 WS | 216 LBS Team: Louisiana Tech Best aggregate mock draft rank : NR / Worst rank: NR 2023-24 stats: In 2023-24, Crawford averaged 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 2.4 steals per game. He shot 49.7 percent …

2001 | 6’5 | 7’0 WS | 216 LBS

Team: Louisiana Tech

Best aggregate mock draft rank: NR / Worst rank: NR

2023-24 stats:

In 2023-24, Crawford averaged 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 2.4 steals per game. He shot 49.7 percent from the field, 41.1 percent from three, and 72.5 percent from the foul line.