Новости за 17.05.2023

Tony Jones: Bruce Brown said the Nuggets’ goal was to attack D’Angelo Russell defensively on every possession. “He’s not the best defender, so we wanted to make it tough on him”
Source: Twitter @Tjonesonthenba

Dmitry Planidin: Victor Wembanyama has absolutely destroyed LNB opposition this season. At the age of 19. – MVP – Scoring champ – All-LNB 1st Five – DPOY – YPOY – Best shot-blocker
Source: Twitter

Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden intends to decline his $35.6 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent this summer in order to secure a long-term deal, league sources tell Bleacher Report. Harden, 33, took a sizable pay cut last offseason to help the Sixers build the roster out. The guard will now be seeking a four-year contract. The 10-time All-Star is coming off a year averaging 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and a league-leading 10.7 assists. The Houston Rockets have long been a rumored destination... Читать дальше...

The Phoenix Suns are likely to guarantee the full salary of star guard Chris Paul for the 2023-24 season, league sources tell Bleacher Report. Paul, 38, is only guaranteed $15.8 million of his $30.8 million wage if he were to be waived by the June 28 deadline. Phoenix still maintains some flexibility with the decision, but the franchise is currently of the mindset that Paul will open up next season as the team’s starting point guard, sources say.
Source: Chris Haynes @ Bleacher Report

The Portland Trail Blazers finished the 2022-23 season with the fifth-worst record and moved up in the lottery to land the No. 3 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. Portland, in an effort to continue building a contending roster around its star Damian Lillard, is expected to make the pick available for a trade, league sources tell Bleacher Report.
Source: Chris Haynes @ Bleacher Report

D’Angelo Russell — who shot just 4-for-11 and played only nine minutes in the second half after registering a plus-minus of -23 in 17 first-half minutes — would naturally be under consideration; however, multiple team sources told ESPN that there is concern the team could “lose” the 27-year-old point guard if he views the adjustment as a demotion after starting every other game this postseason.
Source: Dave McMenamin @ ESPN

Rival executives are closely monitoring Portland, believing that this pick is potential trade bait if the Blazers try to improve the roster and compete with Damian Lillard entering the end of his prime years. As one agent told HoopsHype following the draft lottery, “If Portland puts Lillard on the market, the entire NBA is going to stop until he’s traded.”
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype

Rival NBA executives expect Dallas to dangle the 10th overall pick as trade bait to improve the team in the immediate future around franchise star Luka Doncic with the hope of re-signing Kyrie Irving too.
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype

Executives and agents in Chicago are buzzing about the future of the Philadelphia 76ers. The team’s firing of Doc Rivers Tuesday morning had several league sources in Chicago cautioning that James Harden’s much-rumored interest in returning to the Houston Rockets may not be such a shoo-in with Rivers gone in Philly. (To be clear, Harden and the Rockets remain very much interested in the concept of a reunion, sources said.)
Source: Zach Lowe @ ESPN

With Houston preparing to make an aggressive push to sign James Harden this summer, rival NBA executives believe this pick will be used as trade bait as the Rockets look to take a significant step forward next season. […] Whether Houston keeps the pick for itself or uses it in trade talks to acquire a proven star, the best available talent is likely Amen or Ausar Thompson.
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype

Executives here are also buzzing about the future of the Golden State Warriors after the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated them over the weekend. Judging from my conversations, there remains a strong level of interest in Jonathan Kuminga around the league.
Source: Zach Lowe @ ESPN

The San Antonio Spurs hit the jackpot in the draft lottery landing the No. 1 pick for the right to select Victor Wembanyama.

The San Antonio Spurs have been out of the playoffs for four years now but only started bottoming out in 2022-23. They’ve collected a great group of players relative to their draft selections like Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and their draft success in later parts of the first round goes back further. All they’ve lacked was a chance to draft a potential All-Star with a high lottery selection.

With the Spurs clinching the lottery, French phenom Victor Wembanyama is poised to join the ranks of Tim Duncan and David Robinson as No. 1 pick for San Antonio.

Wembanyama was telling people close to him that he wanted to play for the Spurs. Parker became a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer in San Antonio. Diaw, the president of Metropolitans 92, won a title with the Spurs in 2014. The Spurs have been the NBA’s best at developing international players such as Parker, Diaw and Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
Source: Marc J. Spears @ Andscape

Jeff Zillgitt: Statement from Ja Morant: “I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me. This is a journey & I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself”
Source: Twitter @JeffZillgitt

Mark Medina: Spurs’ Peter Holt to ESPN on landing No. 1 pick: “I might faint. We’re so excited.”
Source: Twitter @MarkG_Medina

Shams Charania: San Antonio is set to be Victor Wembanyama’s NBA home. Top 3 order in 2023 NBA draft: 1. San Antonio 2. Charlotte 3. Portland
Source: Twitter @ShamsCharania

Who will your team select in the upcoming draft? Although we can’t definitively answer that until July 22nd, we’re not entirely in the dark until then. Factoring in draft projections from our Aggregate Mock Draft and all known workouts, we have created the Draft Predictor. This tool calculates the odds for every selection in the 2023 NBA Draft.

We know that, at some point during the night of June 22, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum will announce who’s the last pick of the 2023 NBA draft. We’ll then have full certainty of how one of the busiest nights in the association fared. But until then, we have to rely on mock drafts and other factors to have a better idea of how the draft will go. To make it easier, we introduce the 2023 NBA Draft Predictor.

ESPN: “Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend — that video. Now, we’re in the process of investigating it.” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke on Ja Morant after his latest video.
Source: Twitter

Michael Singer: Jamal Murray is active for tonight, I’m told.
Source: Twitter @msinger