Les Carpenter grades the draft:
Here’s a full report of tonight’s NBA draft.
Thank you so much for following along. There were lots of questions that were answered tonight, but many more that will prevail into the NBA’s free-agency signing period, which starts 6 July.
No 60 pick: Philadelphia 76ers select Kostas Antetokounmpo
With the final pick of the 2018 draft, the Sixers take the younger brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo, but, in keeping with their theme for the night, they’ve already reportedly dealt his rights to the Mavericks.
The @sixers select Kostas Antetokounmpo with the 60th pick in the 2018 #NBADraft
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 22, 2018
Reports: Philly has traded Antetokounmpo's draft rights to Dallas. pic.twitter.com/yjfr396Kl7
Updated
No 59 pick: Phoenix Suns select George King
King is a senior who averaged 13 points a contest out for the University of Colorado.
Updated
No 58 pick: Denver Nuggets select Thomas Welsh
Welsh is a seven-footer who shot above 40% from three-point range.
Updated
No 57 pick: Oklahoma City Thunder select Kevin Hervey
Hervey is a 20-point-a-game scorer and the fourth player ever drafted from the University of Texas-Arlington.
Updated
No 56 pick: Philadelphia 76ers select Ray Spalding
Spalding averaged 12 points and nine boards for the University of Louisville as a junior last year.
Updated
Reaction to the Golden State Warriors’s pick of Jacob Evans
🗣️ @CoachCroninUC
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) June 22, 2018
Reaction to @JacobEvans_1 being selected by the @warriors in the 2018 #NBADraft #Bearcats pic.twitter.com/6frwb5Tkgz
No 55 pick: Charlotte Hornets select Arnoldas Kulboka
Kulboka is 20-year-old from Lithuania who played one year in Italy.
Updated
No 54 pick: Dallas Mavericks select Shake Milton
Milton scored 18 points a game last season for the SMU Mustangs at a .434 clip from deep.
No 53 pick: Oklahoma City Thunder select Devon Hall
The Thunder get a standout from the University of Virginia’s constricting defense. The senior guard also shot .432 from three last season.
No 52 pick: Utah Jazz select Vince Edwards
Veteran player for Utah who played 138 games in four years for the Purdue Boilermakers.
No 51 pick: New Orleans Pelicans select Tony Carr
Solid get late in the second round for New Orleans as they net a 20 point scorer who shot .433 from three-point range.
No 50 pick: Indiana Pacers select Alize Johnson
Johnson is a 6ft 9in forward who averaged 15 points a contest for the Missouri State Bears last season.
Updated
No 49 pick: San Antonio Spurs select Chimezie Metu
The Spurs get a 6ft 11in forward out of USC who averaged 16 points and seven rebounds per game as a junior.
Updated
No 48 pick: Minnesota Timberwolves select Keita Bates-Diop
Anytime you can grab a 20-point-per-game scorer this late is a good result. Bates-Diop comes out of Ohio State University.
Updated
Will there be another Ball in the NBA?
fans at Braclays Center now screaming for LiAngelo Ball to get drafted with each pick
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) June 22, 2018
No 47 pick: Los Angeles Lakers select Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
Very nice pick by the Lakers so late in the second round as they get a sharpshooter in Mykhailiuk who shot .444 from three at Kansas last season.
Updated
No 46 pick: Houston Rockets select De'Anthony Melton
The Rockets make their first pick of the night and take Melton who didn’t play at USC last season due to fraud charges. Nice.
Updated
If you’re still with us, here’s some good reading on Michael Porter Jr.
Old Q&A with Michael Porter, Jr., before the injury with @TheUndefeated. https://t.co/Y5vS2Dgqgb
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) June 22, 2018
No 45 pick: Brooklyn Nets select Hamidou Diallo
Solid pick for Brooklyn late in the night as they get a decent SEC guard out of Kentucky. Diallo is the fourth player from the Lexington powerhouse chosen tonight.
Updated
No 44 pick: Washington Wizards select Issuf Sanon
I didn’t do my homework...
Another Canadian makes it to the league
Reposting this from earlier as Justin Jackson joins Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes it two Canadians to be selected tonight!
No 43 pick: Denver Nuggets select Justin Jackson
Denver adds Justin Jackson out of the University of Maryland to Michael Porter Jr from the first round. I think fans in the Mile High City will be pleased with their team’s work tonight.
Updated
No 42 pick: Detroit Pistons select Bruce Brown
An OK pick for the Pistons who get a tall guard at 6ft 5in.
Updated
No 41 pick: Orlando Magic select Jarred Vanderbilt
Nice pick for the Magic who get a freshman out of Kentucky that struggled for playing time. Might be assigned to the G League to get some reps in.
Updated
No 40 pick: Brooklyn Nets select Rodions Kurucs
Yeah, I have no idea... Here you go.
No 39 pick: Philadelphia 76ers select Isaac Bonga
Sounds like Philly will stash Bonga in Germany for at least a couple of years...
Updated
No 38 pick: Philadelphia 76ers select Khyri Thomas
Another trade!
Philadelphia’s No. 38 overall pick Khyri Thomas will be traded to Detroit, league sources say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2018
No 37 pick: Sacramento select Gary Trent Jr
But wait!
Sacramento is trading No. 37 pick Gary Trent to Portland, league sources say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2018
No 36 pick: New York Knicks select Mitchell Robinson
Wingspan of 7ft 4 in should be a decent asset next to Kristaps Porzingis in the middle..
Updated
The Knicks are on the clock...
Here’s a look at tomorrow’s sports pages in the Big Apple
The back page: #Knicks land their guy, who's not named Michael Porter or Mikal Bridges #NBADraft https://t.co/u7AdLNUV9p pic.twitter.com/e6LVE7tv8A
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 22, 2018
No 34 pick: Atlanta Hawks select Devonte Graham
Third star point guard in a row as the Hawks take Devonte Graham out of the University of Kansas. Atlanta making a case for the winners of tonight’s draft.
Updated
No 33 pick: Dallas Mavericks select Jalen Brunson
Another talented point guard goes high in the second round, as the Mavericks take the engine behind Villanova’s two championships. Will be an excellent backup to Dennis Smith Jr that should also see time on the court next to the Mavericks’s sophomore guard.
Updated
No 32 pick: Memphis Grizzlies select Jevon Carter
Huge get for Memphis by taking Jevon Carter out of the University of West Virginia. West Virginia were the best defensive team in the nation for all four of Carter’s seasons in Morgantown, and the bulldog point guard was an instrumental part of that.
Updated
No 31 pick: Phoenix Suns select Elie Okobo
Okobo was high on The Ringer’s draft board, so seems like another great pick for the Suns to add to DeAndre Ayton.
Updated
At the halfway point... 30 to go!
The first round of the 2018 #NBADraft is in the books! pic.twitter.com/nduC5iJevI
— Rotoworld Basketball (@Rotoworld_BK) June 22, 2018
Only a couple minutes in between each of the second-round picks, which means that we can all go to bed in roughly an hour!
No 30 pick: Atlanta Hawks select Omari Spellman
Great pick for the Hawks, who get a 6ft 9in power forward who has the size to hold down bigs at the center position, as well as the finesse to slip to the outside for the three. I watched Spellman destroy Gonzaga back in December and definitely saw him going higher tonight. Potential steal for the Hawks who’ve had a great night so far.
Brooklyn fans, this will help...
With the 29th overall pick in the 2018 #nbadraft the @BrooklynNets select 6-9 and 19-year-old scoring wing Dzanan Musa, who played with @KKCedevita this season + is from #Bosnia + #Herzegovina
— DraftExpressContent (@DXContent) June 22, 2018
Interview with Musa from this year with @Mike_Schmitz >> https://t.co/zXGEUiOmNW pic.twitter.com/quCCWGuWcW
No 29 pick: Brooklyn Nets select Dzanan Musa
Who? Yeah, me neither... According to The Ringer, Musa is a Rodney Hood-esque forward that can get hot and has the length to be a lockdown defender.
If you missed it earlier, the NBA asked ESPN and Yahoo! Sports to not tip the picks before they were announced on TV. The language Woj and Chams have used to get around this all night has been hilarious... I think Woj is running out of verbs...
Source: Boston is tantalized by Robert Williams with the 27th pick.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2018
Source: The Sixers are enamored with Landry Shamut at the 26th pick.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2018
No 28 pick: Golden State Warriors select Jacob Evans
The two-time reigning champs get a scrappy defender in Jacob Evans from the University of Cincinnati. Evans was part of an elite Bearcats defense last season and will bring great size and shooting to the West Coast. A solid pick for the Dubs.
Golden State is on the clock..
No 27 pick: Boston Celtics selects Robert Williams
The Celtics’s first pick of the night is a great one in Robert Williams, a versatile rim protector out of Texas A&M. I saw Williams play back in January and he helped stall a prolific Missouri offense to just 49 points in a comfortable win. Brad Stevens always manages to find a way to get the most of his players, and there may not be a better place to land for Williams. Maybe the steal of the first round.
No 26 pick: Philadelphia 76ers select Landry Shamet
Wichita State gets on the board! The Sixers take the Shockers’s leader in Shamet who’s a long combo guard who shot .442 from three this past season. What head coach Gregg Marshall has done for the Shockers program in the last five years is remarkable, and Shamet might end up being the best player to come out of that program.
Best players still available...
Best players available at this stage according to the ESPN 100: Robert Williams, Dzanan Musa, Elie Okobo, De'Anthony Melton, Jevon Carter, Mitchell Robinson, Bruce Brown, Keita Bates-Diop, Melvin Frazier, Jacob Evans, Hamidou Diallo, Khyri Thomas, Jalen Brunson, Mo Wagner
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 22, 2018
No 25 pick: Los Angeles Lakers select Mo Wagner
Moooooo! The Lakers join the party with a really fun big man in Mo Wagner, who carried the Michigan Wolverines to the NCAA Championship game this past season. Wagner can play down in the post, shoot threes and has enough positive energy to make everyone smile.
No 24 pick: Portland Trail Blazers select Anfernee Simons
Trail Blazers take Simons out of the IMG Academy in Florida, which is an alternative to the college game. Simons has plenty of flaws, but will have time to iron those out playing behind Damian Lillard and C.J McCollum in the Pacific Northwest. Interesting pick who is one for the future.
No 23 pick: Indiana Pacers select Aaron Holiday
A steal for Indiana who take the younger brother of Jrue and Justin Holiday (that’s one heck of a family). The former UCLA Bruin was a career .422 three-point shooter in three seasons out west, and will be able to spread the floor for Victor Oladipo to get to the basket. Love this pick.
Notable No 23 picks...
Notable players drafted 23rd overall:
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) June 22, 2018
Carl Nicks (Pacers’ Player Development Manager)
Nikola Mirotic
Trevor Booker
Tayshaun Prince
Ty Lue
Travis Best.
Last five years:
OG Anunoby
Ante Zizic
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Rodney Hood
Solomon Hill
No 22 pick: Chicago Bulls select Chandler Hutchinson
The Broncos of Boise State get their first player taken since 1999! Solid pick for the Bulls who take a senior that scored 20 points and almost eight rebounds a game. Nice pick up at 22.
Donovan Mitchell and Grayson Allen are now teammates...
Never forget @spidadmitchellhttps://t.co/AbwqPl6DbH
— Michael Cunningham (@MCunninghamAJC) June 22, 2018
No 21 pick: Utah Jazz select Grayson Allen
Wow! Didn’t see Allen being taken this high, especially after questions surrounded his maturity and temperament for most of his four-year college career. Surprising move by the Jazz who are a young team on the rise. Pardon the cliché, but only time will tell if this one works out for Utah — it just depends on what Grayson they get. Third Dukie to be taken tonight though!
No 20 pick: Minnesota Timberwolves select Josh Okogie
Nice pick by the T’Wolves who get a 3-and-D wing that figures to play a similar role to Robert Covington of the 76ers. Okogie scored 18 points a game as a sophomore at Georgia Tech and grabbed more than six rebounds — pretty good for a 6ft 4in guard.
No 19 pick: Atlanta Hawks select Kevin Huerter
Huerter is a sophomore out of the University of Maryland who’s a sharpshooter with a decent feel to get his teammates involved. In the new NBA, where three-point shooting is so sought after, Huerter figures to be a solid pick for the Hawks who are looking to get as many shooters around Trae Young as they can. Solid pick!
No 18 pick: San Antonio Spurs select Lonnie Walker
The Spurs are in unfamiliar territory right now. Not only are they in the midst of a worst-case scenario with superstar Kawhi Leonard who wants to be traded, Gregg Popovich and co haven’t selected this high since they took Tim Duncan No 1 overall in 1997. In Lonnie Walker, the Spurs get an explosive guard who seems to fit the mold of the classic Spurs developmental picks of the past.
Updated
No 17 pick: Milwaukee Bucks select Donte DiVincenzo
Donte! The Bucks go with the star of the NCAA championship game who scored 31 points when Villanova beat Michigan back in April. DiVincenzo will provide new head coach Mike Budenholzer with yet another elite athlete, who can shoot the three, get to the basket and play lockdown defense on opposing guards. A GREAT pick that opens the floor for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Updated
No 16 pick: Phoenix Suns select Zhaire Smith
Trade! Shams first on this one...
Sources: The Phoenix Suns are selecting Zhaire Smith with the No. 16 pick in the NBA draft.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2018
Sources: Suns have traded Zhaire Smith and 2021 Miami first-rounder to 76ers for Mikal Bridges.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2018
Joel being Joel
Don’t compare Ayton to me either... I play DEFENSE
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 22, 2018
No 15 pick: Washington Wizards select Troy Brown Jr
Interesting selection by Washington, which now raises more questions than it answers. The Wizards already have John Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter Jr set as their one-two-three, and lack star talent in the front court. Brown Jr, a guard/wing, provides good shooting and defense, but an unspectacular pick.
Missouri gets its highest pick in 18 years
No 14 pick: Denver Nuggets select Michael Porter Jr
Michael Porter Jr slips to No 14 which will be a HUGE disappointment for the Missouri-native. MPJ was the top high-school recruit last year, but back surgery allowed him to play just 53 minutes for the Tigers. The medical records clearly scared teams off, but this might come back to bite a lot of teams in a place they wouldn’t want to be bitten.
No 13 pick: Los Angeles Clippers select Jerome Robinson
Clippers’s second pick in a row lands them a solid scorer whose 6ft 5in frame will allow LA great versatility on the wing. Together with the 6ft 6in Gilgeous-Alexander, the Clips could have a one-two punch that dwarfs opposing backcourts for years to come.
Updated
Don’t love Miles Bridges’s decision to return to Michigan State for his sophomore year. Perhaps his intangibles improved, but his stats certainly didn’t. Was slated to be a top-5 pick last year, so that will cost him a few million in the bank account.
No 12 pick: Los Angeles Clippers select Miles Bridges
Clippers take Miles Bridges, but will flip him to the Hornets for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, this one reported by Shams...
Sources: The Clippers will select Miles Bridges with No. 12 pick and trade him to Charlotte for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2018
Trade!
But wait!
Clippers will send the 12th pick and two second-round picks to Hornets for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, league sources said. https://t.co/IfMknfp5Hm
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2018
Canada stand up!
No 11 pick: Charlotte Hornets select Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
LOVE this pick for Charlotte, who are struggling for direction with a ton of bad contracts. A new coach for next season, and now a new player that can play either the point or shooting guard. Does this mean Kemba Walker will be back on the trading block though?
No 10 pick: Philadelphia 76ers select Mikal Bridges
Sixers take the hometown kid! Mikal Bridges will play his basketball at Wells Fargo Center, about an hour from where he grew up. Oh, and his mother happens to be the vice president of human resources for the company that handles the hiring for the Philadelphia Sixers. Back to the basketball... Bridges is an EXCELLENT three-point shooter, and has the length to be a great defender. Will slot in nicely next to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
Some boos from Knicks fans in the crowd... Porzingis was also infamously booed, so what do they know. Knicks fans...
No 9 pick: New York Knicks select Kevin Knox
The Knicks get another piece to build around Kristaps Prozingis. Knox was part of a solid Kentucky team this past year, though he was far from the lofty talents that have passed through Lexington in recent years. Knox is a long wing that can guard one through four and will be able to contribute immediately at Madison Square Garden.
Collin Sexton likes the ball
No 8 pick: Cleveland Cavaliers Select Collin Sexton
The Cavs pass on Porter Jr.! That’s the first big surprise of the night as the Cavs take Collin Sexton, arguably the best guard in the draft alongside Trae Young. Sexton had one of the highest usage rates in college last year, so his NBA development will all depend on what LeBron James does in free agency...
No 7 pick: Chicago Bulls select Wendell Carter Jr
Duke gets its second player selected of the night! Carter Jr is a streaky 6ft 10in forward and was once Duke’s top prospect, until Marvin Bagley III reclassified Still, Carter Jr averaged 13 points and nine boards a game and will be a solid pick for Chicago who needs as much talent as they can get their hands on at the moment.
Updated
No 6 pick: Orlando Magic select Mohamed Bamba
Strange one for Orlando, who already have Bismack Biyombo, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic up front. Still, I watched Bamba at the University of Texas in January and in person he looks a legit eight foot! Excited to see him play with Jonathan Isaac.
The next Steph Curry?
That’s been question stalking Trae Young all year. The dude can put the ball in from the logo, but he is more than just a shooter...
Updated
No 5 pick: Dallas Mavericks select Trae Young
But don’t get too comfortable, Mavs fans...
As part of the Atlanta-Dallas agreement, Dallas will make the fifth pick for the Atlanta Hawks -- Trae Young -- and send him to Hawks, sources said. Hawks GM Travis Schlenk gets his man in Young.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 21, 2018
Updated
Jaren Jackson Jr. video highlights
No 4 pick: Memphis Grizzlies select Jaren Jackson Jr
Memphis goes with Jaren Jackson Jr. who was a standout freshman at Michigan State this year. At 6ft 11in, Jackson Jr. is a premier shot blocker and rim protecter. Alongside Marc Gasol, you can expect the grit-and-grind Grizzlies to continue for a few more years to come.
Updated
Dončić video highlights
Who is Luka Dončić?
No 3 pick: Atlanta Hawks select Luka Dončić
The Hawks take one of the most mysterious players in the draft, but have reportedly agreed to trade the pick to Dallas for the fifth pick. Still, the nineteen-year-old was voted the EuroLeague’s youngest ever MVP this past season and has been compared to everyone from Magic Johnson to Kristaps Porziņģis. The doubts have crept in over the level of competition in Europe and other comparisons to Ricky Rubio might have scared Phoenix and Sacramento off. Still, a HUGE get for either the Hawks or Mavs.
Updated
TRADE!!!
Atlanta and Dallas have agreed to a deal, league sources tell ESPN. They'll trade Nos. 3 and 5 picks, sending Luka Doncic to Dallas and Trae Young to Atlanta, sources said. Dallas will send Atlanta a future first.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 21, 2018
Bagley III video highlights
Here’s a look at some of Bagley’s top highlights from the past season.
Updated
Duke dominates!
In any case, Bagley going No 2 to the Kings is another success story for Duke, who has produced a top-three pick for five straight years. Coach K’s Blue Devils have become the premier pipeline of NBA talent in college basketball. (Sorry, UNC fans...)
Updated
No 2 pick: Sacramento Kings select Marvin Bagley III
The Kings take Bagley! Picking second usually involves taking the next best player, but the top of this year’s draft is deep. Sacramento has had a slew of top picks in recent years, yet they still find themselves among the worst teams in the league. In Bagley, Kings fans can expect to see one of the best young offensive talents, one who averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds as a freshman at Duke this year. BUT going with Bagley means the Kings leave European sensation Luka Dončić on the board. It’ll be so Sacramento if Dončić blossoms into an all-star point guard in the future and Bagley becomes a solid starter.
Updated
Ayton is an offensive juggernaut
Here’s how good Ayton was on offense last year for Arizona...
Ayton video highlights
No 1 pick: Phoenix Suns select DeAndre Ayton
The Suns take Ayton! It can sometimes be tricky selecting first, but the Suns go with Ayton, who was an absolute beast on offense this season with the Arizona Wildcats and should become a decent NBA defender in due course. Let’s be honest though, Phoenix has needs all over the court, with Devin Booker the only bona fide star currently on the roster. Alongside Josh Jackson — the fourth overall pick in last year’s draft — the Suns now have a star trio with which to build from. It might be a few more years before you see them in the playoffs though...
Updated
Here. We. Go.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver is minutes away from appearing on stage in Brooklyn to announce the first overall pick. Who’s it going to be? My vote: DeAndre Ayton.
Draymond Green petty? Never.
And here is Draymond Green reeling off all 34 guys drafted before him in 2012. He’s not bothered though...
Take that for data!
You don’t have to pick in the top five to get a star in the draft. Just ask Darko Miličić and the Detroit Pistons. All-Stars like Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green were taken with the 30th and 35th picks, respectively, so the talented folks at The Pudding decided to re-rank every draft over the past 20 years based on each player’s career stats. The results (and visuals) are spectacular...
Mo Bamba not feeling the love
One player not getting much consideration for No 1 is Mohamed Bamba out of Texas. The dude is 7’1 and has a wingspan of 7’10. That’s almost eight feet of arms! Oh, and he can sling threes like Manute Bol.
Mo Bamba - he of the 8-foot wingspan - casually stepping into 3’s
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) June 18, 2018
(Via cbrickley603 / IG) pic.twitter.com/o2A4pMlpKW
Hawks and Mavericks talking trade
Half an hour to go until NBA commissioner Adam Silver is scheduled to step onto the stage at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Marc Stein of the New York Times reporting a potential pick swap between Dallas and Atlanta...
The Hawks and Mavericks are still talking, according to league sources, but Dallas is unwilling to trade No. 5 and Wes Matthews for No. 3 and Kent Bazemore. Such a move is essentially paying $19.3 million to move up two spots in tonight's draft
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 21, 2018
M-I-Z! Z-O-U!
Regardless of where Michael Porter Jr. lands tonight, the impact he’s had on the University of Missouri’s basketball program has been absolutely huge. The Tigers were for years one of the worst recruiters among the big colleges, but shortly after MPJ switched his commitment from Washington to Missouri, the Tigers shot up to No 4 in ESPN’s class rankings and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years. Another strong recruiting year should see them return to the dance again next year.
Michael Porter Jr. to... No 12?
ESPN insider Jonathan Givony has the former No 1 high-school recruit as low as No 12 on his mock draft. Did not see that one coming! MPJ this week called himself the “best player in this draft”, so it will be a big disappointment if he drops outside the top 10, but a huge steal for the Clippers who own the 12th pick tonight.
New Mock Draft update on ESPN. Michael Porter falls to 12, as concerns are mounting among teams in the lottery about his long-term outlook: https://t.co/hpiDE2e70Y
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 21, 2018
Soon-to-be millionaires
Don’t they all look dapper?
The scene from the NBA Draft Green Room as the first pick is a little over an hour away. pic.twitter.com/NlDtzxoVWt
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 21, 2018
Free-agency moves...
A couple of moves that have been made over the past 24 hours, reported first by who else...
New York Knicks center Kyle O’Quinn has declined his $4.2M option for the 2018-19 season to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, league sources told ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 21, 2018
Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon has exercised his $7.2M player option for next season, league sources tell Yahoo.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 21, 2018
Lakers enquire on Kawhi Leonard
Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports reports that the L.A. Lakers have engaged the San Antonio Spurs about Kawhi Leonard. The disgruntled superstar met with head coach Gregg Popovich in San Diego on Tuesday, but wants out! Leonard of course appeared in only nine games this season due to a mysterious quadriceps injury, resulting in disagreements between the Spurs’ doctors and Kawhi’s own group about how to treat the injury. Leonard is under team control for only one more year, leaving the Spurs in a tough position to get back enough value for the franchise-changing player.
If not the Lakers then where?
Preamble
Hello and welcome to The Guardian’s 2018 NBA Draft Liveblog! Lots of questions will be answered tonight, but first the big news of the evening… NBA reporting-phenoms Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania will not be tweeting draft picks before they’re officially announced. The NBA asked reporters from ESPN and Yahoo! Sports to refrain from revealing the picks before NBA commissioner Adam Silver. The call by the NBA means thousands of Woj’s followers (myself included) won’t have to mute him for the rest of the night.
Dwight Howard has been traded, again. The Charlotte Hornets have reportedly sent Howard to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Timofey Mozgov, two second-round draft picks and cash considerations. One of those second-rounders will be the 45th pick in tonight’s draft, the other in 2021. The move allows Brooklyn to dump the two years and $32.7 million left on Mozgov’s deal and replace it with Howard’s expiring contract. This will mean the Nets could have enough cap space for TWO max-contracts next summer.
Lakers acquire 39th pick in tonight’s draft.
The Lakers have acquired the 39th pick in Thursday’s Draft from the 76ers, league source tells ESPN. Lakers will send Philly its 2019 second round pick via Bulls and cash.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 21, 2018
Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka made their first move of the draft, which not only nets them another player, but also has implications for the upcoming free-agency period that starts 6 July. Second-round draft picks don’t count against the salary cap until after free-agency ends, which means the extra pick won’t hamper the Lakers’ salary for when they target the game’s top free agents (*cough*LeBron James *cough).
Updated
