June 22nd

Jun 22, 2024

News and Rumours

All the news and rumours from the past 24 hours.

Sarr To Wizards a ‘Certainty’

Alexander Sarr being selected by the Washington Wizards at No. 2 overall is now seen as a certainty, according to NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony. “I think No. 2 is pretty much a lock to be Alex Sarr to Washington,” Givony stated on SportsCenter.

Nuggets To Work Out Smith

As the Denver Nuggets prepare for next week’s NBA Draft, they will bring in forward Tyler Smith for a workout tomorrow, according to League Sources. Smith played last season with G-League Ignite

Q&A: G League Ignite's Tyler Smith ready for 2024 Panini Rising Stars | NBA.com

Pick Twenty-Two ‘Open For Business’

The Suns are “open for business” in regards to the No. 22 overall pick, per Evan Sidery. Phoenix will not only discuss trade-down scenarios, but also potentially move up if a prospect they covet starts to slide.

Pistons Considering Trading Down

Detroit Pistons executive Trajan Langdon says the Pistons will very much consider all offers with the fifth pick. He also mentioned they’re not necessarily looking to trade out of the draft altogether, and that he feels confident Detroit will get a good player.

Timberwolves Host Workout

The Timberwolves are hosting a draft workout today with the following prospects: Jamison Battle (Ohio State), Reece Beekman (Virginia), Adem Bona (UCLA), Ulrich Chomche (NBA Academy – Africa/Cameroon), Keshad Johnson (Arizona), and Malik Willingham (Minnesota State-Mankato).

Knicks Host Workout

The Knicks held a pre-draft workout today with the following players, league sources told The Post: Yongxi Cui (G, China), David Jones (Memphis), Spencer Jones (Stanford), Ajay Mitchell (UCSB), Antonio Reeves (Kentucky),Tyler Thomas (Hofstra), and Keshad Johnson (Arizona).

Salaun Suffers Injury

Sources told Nic Thomas that Tidjane Salaun suffered an injury in a pre-draft workout for the San Antonio Spurs. The French guard has since cancelled a workout with the Charlotte Hornets, and he is expected to cancel all future workouts, scheduled with Portland, Sacramento and OKC.

NBA and French League To Launch Development Program

The NBA and France’s LNB are finalizing an agreement targeting domestic talent in France. Specifically, a development program presenting improved options for the youngsters to stay in France before becoming available for the annual NBA draft, instead of playing outside the country. “The program will allow a certain number of players to be supported and highlighted to boost an already excellent group of French players,” Fabrice Jouhaud, the general director of LNB revealed to Le Monde and Theo Quintard.

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Expert Analysis

What are the ‘experts’ saying?

Sarr Provides Two-Way Upside

“Alex Sarr, however, is not just a one-way player; he can make stuff happen on the offensive end of the floor. He’s more fluid with the ball for someone his size, which allows him to attack the rim in transition or in limited situations in the halfcourt when he finds a straight line to the rim. Sarr also offers some potential as a floor-spacer, being a willing shooter from beyond the three-point line.”

- Ignacio Rissotto, No Ceilings

Jones’ Interior Defense His Main Value

“Strengthening a team’s interior defense is the main value (Isaac Jones) brings while showing flashes of being able to guard out on the perimeter. It’s expected that Jones will be one of the first to get signed to a two-way contract. His goal should be to experiment with his pick-and-roll defense to be less drop-coverage reliant. In a faster-paced G League game, his off-ball defense which wasn’t consistent will be another area where he can solidify his chances of earning a standard contract.”

- Ersin Demir, Ersin Demir’s NBA Draft Newsletter

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Prospect Performances

Every notable prospect performance from the last 24 hours.

Unfortunately, there are no active leagues with draft prospects at the moment. With that in mind, this portion of The Inside Scoop will be empty until further notice.

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