NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-06-26 18:49:05
NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-06-26 18:49:05
NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-06-27 00:42:33
NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-06-26 11:41:27
NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-06-26 04:48:52
NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-06-26 11:41:27
NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-06-27 00:42:33
NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-06-26 18:49:05
NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-06-27 00:42:33
NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-06-26 11:41:27
Knicks Notes: 2025 NBA Draft prospects to know, update on coaching search
The Knicks are on the clock
They have the 50th pick in Thursday night's second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Who do they like?
As we noted earlier on The Putback, New York hosted former Alabama and Rutgers big man Clifford Omoruyi as part of a group workout this week.
In talking to opposing teams this week, the name that kept coming up was Florida State's Jamir Watkins. Watkins has several fans in the Knicks' organization. Several opposing teams don't think that the Knicks would let Watkins slip past No. 50.
Will Watkins be there at No. 50? ESPN's most recent mock draft has Watkins going at No. 38.
Watkins, a 6-foot-6 guard, averaged 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game as a senior.
He can defend multiple positions and is seen as a solid on-ball defender. The Trenton Catholic product averaged 1.9 steals as a junior at Florida State.
BORREGO UP NEXT
James Borrego will get an interview with the Knicks for their head-coaching vacancy, league sources confirm. Borrego is an assistant with New Orleans. He has head coaching experience but is the second current assistant coach to interview with the Knicks. New York brought in veteran assistant Micah Nori earlier this week for an interview.
The Knicks' other known interviews are Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown. Coaches have talked about the opportunity that the Knicks have ahead of them -- given the devastating injuries to Eastern Conference stars Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard --in the interviews. The importance of player health has also been discussed in the interviews.
Also on the coaching search, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison issued the strongest statement to date on the future of Jason Kidd.
"Are there rumors out there about J-Kidd? I thought I shut them down," Harrison told reporters in Dallas. "Yes, he will be the head coach next year."
Kidd has been seen as a possibility for the Knicks, so Harrison's forceful statement is noteworthy. The Mavericks had previously denied the Knicks' request to speak to Kidd but hadn't publicly addressed the rumors.
If you look at the landscape, logic says Kidd will be getting an extension from the Mavs. Houston's Ime Udoka and Chicago's Billy Donovan both received extensions after the Knicks requested -- and were denied -- permission to speak to them about the head-coaching vacancy. (Udoka's extension, according to ESPN, was in the works well ahead of the Knicks' request.)
Still, Kidd has veteran representation at the Excel Sports agency. So you would think that all of the rumors around Kidd and the Knicks would result in some added compensation for the head coach.
Suns pick up two centers, draft Duke's Khaman Maluach, then trade for Hornets Mark Williams
The Phoenix Suns essentially traded for two centers in the first round of the NBA Draft, and it all came together fast.
First came the surprise news that they were trading for Charlotte's Mark Williams, a talented center with health and injury concerns (he was the player the Lakers agreed to trade for at February's deadline, but backed out after his physical). Phoenix sent Charlotte the No. 29 pick in this draft (originally Cleveland's) as well as a 2029 first-round pick, a trade broken by Shams Charania.
Then came the No. 10 pick, which is Phoenix's, but it just re-acquired it in the Kevin Durant trade (because that trade can't be made official until July 6, the Rockets made the pick for the Suns). Phoenix used it on Kahman Maluach, the 7'2" center from Duke.
Maluach was born in South Sudan — something he is very proud of — but has been a challenge for him after the U.S. Government, under President Trump's orders, revoked visas for South Sudanese living in the United States. The NBA league office has worked with Maluach to keep him in the United States.
"Living in Africa, I had the whole continent on my back..."
— NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2025
ALL THE FEELS for Khaman Maluach https://t.co/Okf6QTxwlspic.twitter.com/EmdTa2fAC5
This is part of the Suns' retooling their roster around Devin Booker, giving him a couple of big centers in the paint who can be big screeners and lob threats on offense, as well as rim protectors on defense. It was a good night's work for Phoenix.
Nets 2025 NBA Draft: Every pick from Brooklyn
Here are all of the Nets' picks from both rounds of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn...
Round 2
No. 36 pick: Traded to the Phoenix Suns
Brooklyn is dealing its only pick in the second round of the draft on Thursday to the Suns in exchange for two future second-round picks, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Round 1
No. 27 pick: F/C Danny Wolf, Michigan
The 6-foot-11, 252-pound big man is more of a point-forward than he is a center with his versatile skillset. He was named to the All-Ivy First Team and was the Ivy League Tournament Most Outstanding Player during his sophomore year at Yale before transferring to Michigan for the 2024-2025 season.
Wolf averaged 13.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game over 37 games for the Wolverines. He earned All-Big Ten Second Team and Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors while helping Michigan reach the Sweet Sixteen before losing to top-ranked Auburn.
NBA.com: Wolf has interesting versatility with his 7-foot frame, able to dribble and pass in the halfcourt and in transition. He also makes up in footwork and physicality what he lacks in athleticism. His jumpshot can come and go, but his touch is good enough to be a strong baseline for further development. Wolf has shown enough in most aspects of the game to play both on and off the ball.
No. 26 pick: G Ben Saraf, Israel
Saraf, 19, began his professional career at 16 years old in the second-division Israeli Basketball National League before joining Elitzur Kiryat Ata of the Israeli Basketball Premier League ahead of the 2023-2024 season. He averaged 10.7 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.2 rebounds and was named Israeli League Premier Rising Star.
Playing for Israel, Saraf led the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket tournament in scoring with 28.1 points per game and was named tournament MVP. The guard joined Ratiopharm Ulm of the German Basketball Bundesliga for the 2024-2025 season, averaging 12.3 points, 4.3 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game.
NBA.com: Passing is his best skill and the lefty Saraf is an excellent playmaker. He has above-average height, can make almost every type of pass and makes reads with ease. Saraf drives often, focusing on downhill moves and change of direction rather than shifting left to right on the perimeter. He pulls up with confidence from the mid-range and has a solid form that could lead to improved 3-point shooting as he develops.
No. 22 pick: G/F Drake Powell, UNC
Acquired on Tuesday along with Terance Mann in a three-team deal with the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks, the Nets used their third first-rounder on the freshman from UNC. Powell became the first player from North Carolina drafted in the first round since, coincidentally, the Nets took Day'Ron Sharpe with the No. 29 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-6 and 190-pound wing was a top-15 ranked, five-star recruit and 2024 McDonald's All-American and stayed in his home state of North Carolina to play for the Tar Heels. He was a bit inconsistent during his freshman season, averaging only 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists across 25.6 minutes in 37 games, but still showed off his athleticism and potential. He came on stronger toward the end of the season, including a 16-point performance against Miami. Overall, Powell shot 48.8 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from three.
NBA.com: Powell’s offensive game is still developing. He has a knack for finishing through contact and plays with an aggressive motor, which combines well with his elite athleticism. He’s also a connective playmaker. Powell can also get the job on defense due to his instincts and his athleticism, and his reads should improve as he gets more experience under his belt. As raw as he is, the potential is there.
No. 19 pick: G Nolan Traoré, France
Traoré, listed at 6-foot-5 and 175 pounds, is an athletic guard from France. He averaged 11.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists across 22.8 minutes per game in 29 contests with Saint-Quentin of the LNB Élite.
In 2024, the then-18-year-old set an Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT) Finals single-game record with 45 points in U18 PFBB INSEP Paris’s 101-96 victory over U18 FC Barcelona.
NBA.com: Scouts will rave about Traoré’s potential and athleticism, as he’s a player who looks more than ready to play at the NBA level from a physical perspective. He has excellent vision for his age, above-average speed and an elite acceleration that makes him not only the fastest player in this class, but one of the fastest players in the NBA if he ends up being drafted. Plus, he also has an outstanding bounce and physical abilities that should get most scouts excited. He also understands how to create his own shot, and his playmaking ability is above-average as well. There are areas in which he needs to improve, though, most notably his defense.
No. 8 pick: G Egor Demin, BYU
While many thought GM Sean Marks would make a splash and trade up, the team kept the eighth overall pick and used it on guard Egor Demin from BYU. The 19-year-old from Russia played for Real Madrid before his lone season of college basketball, in which he averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game over 33 contests.
Demin showed why he was a five-star prospect and took home Big 12 All-Freshman Team and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors. He totaled 180 assists to set a BYU single-season record by a freshman and will get plenty of opportunities to run the show in Brooklyn.
NBA.com: Demin is a 6-foot-9 point forward with some of the best passing skills in the draft. He has the vision, size and creativity to make almost every type of pass with accuracy and seems to prefer setting up his teammates rather than scoring. While Demin isn’t a great jump shooter, he is crafty around the basket and in the mid-range area with fakes and a soft touch. Defensively, he’s at his best anticipating the offense, jumping into passing lanes and using active hands to generate steals and blocks.
Report: Grizzlies trade picks with Blazers to land Cedric Coward, then Portland shocks by picking Hansen Yang
The Trail Blazers provided the biggest shock of the night, confusing their fans in Portland but delighting a lot of fans in China.
The Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers agreed to a trade just before the Blazers were set to pick at No. 11: Memphis would get the No. 11 pick, while Portland would get the No. 16 pick, Orlando's 2028 first-round pick, and two second-round picks, a story broken by Shams Charania of The Athletic. (Because the league had not yet approved the trade, Portland made the 11th pick for Memphis, and Memphis would do the same for Portland at 16).
After trading away Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies needed more size and shooting on the wing, so with this trade they snapped up Cedric Coward. While Coward didn't play a game since November for Washington State due to a shoulder injury, but as he went through the draft process he caught a lot of team's eyes: He's 6-5 with a 7-2 wingspan, an impressive 32.5-inch standing vertical leap at the NBA Draft Combine, and shot 38.8 percent from 3 in college. While he needs some development, he has all the tools to be a good fit next to Ja Morant. This was their guy, and they went and got him.
Then, Portland made the shock of the draft by selecting Hansen Yang, a center from China, who was projected to go in the second round (although there had been whispers that he might have a first-round promise, which was expected to be late if it existed at all). Nobody saw this coming.
Yang impressed at the NBA Draft Combine as a 7'1" center with a good feel for the game and impressive passing. He showed off a respectable jump shot as well. There were things to like. Yang is also a massive star in his native China (Chinese NBA reporters left the NBA Finals at points to cover his draft prep work because that was the bigger draw).
However, he's not an NBA-level athlete, not explosive and not stronger than his NBA competition — he's big but not moving guys off the block to get to his spot like Karl-Anthony Towns. Yang has thrived in the Chinese league as a post scorer, but that's not really a thing in NBA offenses (and there are questions about how he'd do at it). Additionally, there are concerns on the defensive end, where he can alter and block shots when he camps in the paint, but he would get torched when pulled out onto the perimeter.
Most teams saw him as more of a draft-and-stash in the second round, and maybe bring him to training camp and see how it goes. Now Portland has bet big on him.