Knicks gladly pick Barrett with 2019 third pick

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

The New York Knicks were glad that R. J. Barrett fell to them at the No. 3 pick. The Knicks used their pick to draft the Canadian.

Barrett gives the Knicks a nice young piece, as they rebuild for the future. He’ll be partnered with Dennis Smith Jr., who was acquired by New York in February.

R.J. Barrett poses with the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted at the 2019 NBA Draft (Getty Images)

They will also be partnered with Frank Ntilikina if he is not traded. He struggled last season, which led to the trade talks.

Since 1969, Zion Williamson — who was the No. 1 overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans — and Barrett became the sixth pairing of teammates to go in the top three. Former Kansas teammates Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid were the last to accomplish this in 2014.

They also join former Kentucky players Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in 2012. Former Connecticut players Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon went in the top three in 2004.

Also, former Duke players Jay Williams and Mike Dunleavy Jr. went in the top 3 in 2002. Former UCLA players Lew Alcindor and Lucius Allen went in the top 3 in 1969.

Barrett comes to a team that finished with a 17-65 record. They were 15th overall in the NBA Eastern Conference.

The Knicks averaged 104.6 points per game. However, their defense allowed 113.8 points per game.

New York had 30 different lineups in 2018-19. After Tim Hardaway Jr. was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, the Knicks played Kevin Knox out of position as the three with Luke Kornet at the 4.

With this selection, he should step in and be the three in the starting lineup from the beginning. This, of course, is if they cannot acquire Kawhi Leonard or Kevin Durant in free agency.

Barrett is presently the second Duke player on the Knicks roster. Lance Thomas is the other.

The Mississauga, Canada native — who went to Monteverde Academy in Florida — made 38 appearances, including 38 starts with the Blue Devils. He averaged 22.6 points per game, along with 7.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks in 35.3 minutes per game.

Grizzlies taken Morant with 2019 second pick

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

The Memphis Grizzlies have the new face of their franchise. The Grizzlies drafted Ja Morant with the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Morant was drafted on Thursday night at the Barclays Center. He’ll replace Mike Conley Jr., who will officially be traded in July.

Ja Morant poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted in the 2019 NBA Draft (Getty Images)

Conley Jr. is on the move to the Utah Jazz once that deal is complete. In the proposed deal, the Grizzlies will acquire Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver, Grayson Allen, the 23^rd overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and a future first-round draft selection.

Korver may retire or ask to be released as he does not want to relocate his family once again. He was traded in-season from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Jazz.

Morant will take the place of Conley Jr., who spent more than a decade with the Grizzlies. His name was being brought up in trade rumors before the February trade deadline, but the team eventually held onto him despite trading Marc Gasol to the Toronto Raptors.

The Dalzell, South Carolina native spent the last two seasons as a member of the Murray State Racers in the Ohio Valley Conference. This past season; however, he developed into a star.

Morant made 33 appearances, including 33 starts. He averaged 24.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 36.6 minutes per game.

He is expected to be the team’s starting point guard. Avery Bradley is expected to be his backcourt mate.

The front court is expected to include Kyle Anderson starting at small forward and Brandon Clarke at power forward. Jaren Jackson Jr., the team’s 2018 first-round draft selection, is expected to be the team’s starting center.

Pelicans draft Zion Williamson with 2019 top pick

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

The New Orleans Pelicans have a new face of the franchise. They selected Zion Williamson with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft on Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Williamson will replace Anthony Davis, who will eventually be traded. The Pelicans will officially trade Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers on July 6th.

Zion Williamson poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans at the 2019 NBA Draft (Getty Images)

The agreed upon deal would sent Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round draft picks to the Pelicans. New Orleans then drafted the No. 4 overall pick to the Atlanta Hawks for more draft assets.

In addition, the Pelicans also have the right to swap first-round picks with the Lakers during the 2023 NBA Draft. New Orleans received the Lakers first-round picks in 2019, 2021 (if in the top 8), 2022 (if not in the top 8 in 2021), and either a first-round pick in 2024 or 2025.

Those selections — along with Williamson — gives the Pelicans a bright young core for the future under Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin.

Williamson played one college season with the Duke Blue Devils. He is the third player to go No. 1 overall after playing for Duke, including Elton Brand and Kyrie Irving.

In his one-season with the team, the Spartanburg, South Carolina native made 33 appearances, including 33 starts. He averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks in 30 minutes per game.

Williamson is expected to be the team’s center. Ingram is projected to be the team’s power forward.

The team is also expected to start Ball at point guard, E’Twaun Moore at shooting guard, and Jrue Holiday at small forward.

Duke’s Williamson declares for the 2019 NBA Draft

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

Duke Blue Devils forward Zion Williamson has declared for the 2019 NBA Draft. He is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick.

He declared on an Instagram story. Williamson was expected to be one-and-done since Day 1 when he stepped onto a college campus.

Zion Williamson reacts after a dunk against the North Carolina Tar Heels (Getty Images)

He is one of three former Duke Blue Devils, who declared for the draft. He joins R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish. Tre Jones, who was one of four star freshman, elected to return for his sophomore season.

When Williamson becomes the No. 1 overall pick, it’ll be the first player, who went No. 1 overall from Duke University since 2011. The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Kyrie Irving with that pick.

Williamson was tied with Barrett in leading the team in scoring. Both averaged 22.6 points per game.

The Spartanburg, South Carolina native also averaged 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks in 30 minutes per game.

The Mississauga, Canada native averaged 7.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks in 35.3 minutes per game.

It’ll be the sixth straight year that the Blue Devils had a Top 5 pick in the NBA Draft. This includes Jabari Parker (No. 2; 2014), Jahlil Okafor (No. 3; 2015), Brandon Ingram (No. 2; 2016), Jayson Tatum (No. 3, 2017), and Marvin Bagley III (No. 2; 2018).

Williamson could become just the fourth No. 1 overall pick in school history. Besides Irving, Elton Brand also went No. 1 overall in the 1999 NBA Draft. Art Heyman was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1963 NBA Draft.

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Murray State’s Ja Morant enters 2019 NBA Draft

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher 

Murray State Racers guard Ja Morant has entered the 2019 NBA Draft. He completed his sophomore season before entering the draft. 

Morant is expected to be a Top 5 lottery pick. Some scouts believe he is comparable to Sacramento Kings guard De’Aron Fox.

Ja Morant drives to the basket against the West Virginia Mountaineers (Getty Images)

The 19-year-old Dalzell, South Carolina native is listed as the No. 2 draft prospect, according to several mock drafts. He will find out where he is going on June 20th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

Morant was named to the Associated Press First Team All-America for this season. He was also named an All-America by the NABC. 

He also led the team in scoring in nearly every game except for five games. Morant led the team with a 24.5 points per game average in 33 starts. 

He also averaged 5.7 rebounds, 10.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in a team-high 36.6 minutes per game. 

Morant was the only Racers player, who averaged 20-plus points per game.

The Racers had a 28-5 record this season. Morant helped the team to a 15-1 home record, while they were 13-4 on the road. 

Their season came to an end on March 23 against the Florida State Seminoles. The Racers lost 90-62 in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament despite Morant scoring 28 points. 

Murray State star sophomore Ja Morant — the projected top-2 pick — will declare for the 2019 NBA draft during a press conference today, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 3, 2019

 

Leonard saga ends: Kawhi shipped to Toronto

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

Kawhi Leonard has finally been traded. The disgruntled former San Antonio Spurs trade rumors have been going on for the past several weeks.

Leonard was dealt to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday morning. Danny Green also joins him in the deal.

DeMar DeRozan is seen here as a member of the Toronto Raptors (Getty Images)

In exchange for Leonard and Green, the Spurs are receiving DeMar DeRozan,
Jakob Pöltl, and a 2019 first-round draft pick.

The deal with the Spurs intensified in recent days. Toronto was the only destination left after the Los Angeles Lakers refused to include Brandon Ingram in a deal and the Philadelphia 76ers refused to include Markelle Fultz and
Dario Šarić in a package.

Neither Leonard, or DeRozan are reportedly happy with their new destination. Leonard is saying that he will refuse to play in Toronto, while DeRozan is not happy he’s dealt, as he saying there “ain’t no loyalty” after the deal.

“Can’t trust ’em,” DeRozan said. “Ain’t no loyalty in this game. Sell you out quick for a little bit of nothing…”

Toronto is definitely taking a gamble with Leonard. He has one-year left on his current deal and there are concerns with his quad.

The Raptors will reportedly take the same approach that the Oklahoma City Thunder took with Paul George last summer. After spending one season with the team, George decided to remain in OKC.

If Leonard is healthy, he should definitely be able to put up elite numbers.

Leonard, who his teammates questioned his intentions with his quad injury, as Tony Parker said his quad injury was a 100 times worse than Leonard’s. He also reportedly caused a fracture within the locker room.

The former NBA Finals MVP played in just nine games last season. He averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. He spent seven seasons with the Spurs.

Green, who spent the past eight seasons with the Spurs after being his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, appeared in 70 games, including 60 starts. He averaged 8.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game last season.

He appeared in 520 games, including 464 starts. He averaged 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in his career in San Antonio.

DeRozan, who spent his entire career with the Raptors before the deal, averaged 23.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks in 80 starts last season. The 80 starts with Toronto last season were the most since the 2012-13 season when he started all 82 games.

In his Raptors career, he appeared in 675 games, including 663 starts. He averaged 19.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game.

Poeltl, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Raptors, appeared in a career-high 82 games last season. He averaged 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.

Middle Son LiAngelo Ball goes undrafted

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

According to his father, LaVar Ball, his son, LiAngelo Ball — the middle of three sons — would be a lottery pick. However, on Thursday night, the NBA showed that they thought differently.

The 19-year-old Ball went undrafted. Also, he is not one of the undrafted players, who has already signed two-way deals with teams.

LiAngelo Ball talks to the media in May after working out for the Lakers prior to the NBA Draft (Getty Images)

Ball is the younger brother of Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball, who was the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Ball, the father, said publicly that his three sons would be playing for the Lakers.

He last played for Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas, also known as BC Prienai and BC Vytautas, a professional team that plays in Prienai, Lithuania in Prienai Arena.

There was belief even before the draft that he was likely to go undrafted. Ball attempted to follow in his brother’s footsteps by attending the UCLA Bruins.

However, before the season even began, he was involved in a Shanghai, China shoplifting incident, along with two other freshmen, Cody Riley, and Jalen Hill, on November 7, 2017, before their regular season opener against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

According to media reports, they all were facing a fine, along with anywhere between three-years and ten-years in prison. It was learned earlier this year in March that the trio stole sunglasses and bracelets from three stores — two stores had items stolen 90 minutes after the first crime — and the charges were later dropped, as the players were eventually allowed to return home to the States.

Riley and Hill were suspended for the entire season. Had Ball stayed in school instead of being pulled out by his father in December, he also would have been suspended for the year.

Now, he has no future in college. He also has no future in the NBA.

Ball gets his wish; joins the Lakers

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

I’m going to speak it into existence, LaVar Ball said. He got his wish, as the Los Angeles Lakers selected Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Ball gets to stay home, as he’s from the Los Angeles area. He also attended the UCLA Bruins, which is based in the L.A. area.

Lonzo Ball (Getty Images)

He is a dynamic guard, who will take the place of former No. 2 overall pick D’Angelo Russell. He’ll be moved to the Brooklyn Nets, along with Timofey Mozgov for Brook Lopez and the 27th overall pick.

Ball has the potential to make his teammates better – and will team with last year’s No. 2 overall Brandon Ingram.

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76ers draft Fultz with the top pick

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

Like has been speculated since the trade with the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers have drafted point guard Markelle Fultz, the former Washington Huskies guard, with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Fultz is the second straight player drafted by the franchise with the top pick.

Last season, the team drafted Ben Simmons with their natural No. 1 overall pick. However, Simmons missed the entire season with an injury.

Markelle Fultz (Getty Images)

Fultz is expected to be the final piece of the infamous “Trust the Process” that former general manager Sam Hinkie started several years ago. He’s also expected to be a perfect fit with the 76ers, as they have a talented, young cast moving forward and Fultz can play off the ball.

T.J. McConnell has been the team’s point guard last season. But the 76ers have been searching for a guard, who can add perimeter shooting, which Fultz can help with.

The Sixers are finally moving in the right direction. They had just 75 wins in the past four years — and were criticized for Hinkie’s tear-bones effort to rebuild the team from the ground up — but now with their young talent, including Fultz, they’re going to be a young team to beat in the future.

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Celtics land top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

The Boston Celtics were projected to be the winners of the NBA Lottery thanks to having the most ping pong balls. On Tuesday night, the Celtics won the NBA Draft lottery and earning their first No. 1 pick in the Common Draft Era.

The Celtics are joined in the Top 3 picks by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s the second straight year that these three teams will be in the Top 3 selections.

Danny Ainge (Elise Amendola/Associated Press)

“I’m excited,” Joel Embiid said. “We jumped up one more spot [Phoenix Suns were the fourth pick]. I wish we would have gotten the No. 1 pick, but we trust the process and it’s going to be exciting to see what we’re going for.”

It’s unheard of for the team, who had the best record in the Eastern Conference, to get the top pick. But that’s exactly what they did thanks to a trade with the Brooklyn Nets several years ago.

In fact, they’ll join the Lakers, who finished with the best record in their conference, then get the No. 1 overall pick. With the top pick in the 1982 draft, the Lakers selected James Worthy.

In the key trade with the Nets in 2013, the Celtics sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to Brooklyn. Since the Nets were the worst team in the league this season, they had the greatest chance of getting the top pick – for the Celtics.

In the wild trade, the Nets will unfortunately get the Celtics original pick, which will be 27th overall. The Celtics also have the Nets first-round pick next year, which will be for the third straight year.

Pierce, a Celtics legend, who also retired at the end of the 2016-17 season with the Los Angeles Clippers, said he had a hand in the Celtics’ fortune. It’s also the first-time ever that the Celtics and the Lakers have the top two picks in the same draft.

The Lakers will be picking second for the third straight year. They acquired D’Angelo Russell with the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, while picking Brandon Ingram with the second pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

The NBA Draft will be on June 22nd on ESPN.

Lottery results, followed by the first-round order:

1. Boston (From Brooklyn)
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Philadelphia (from Sacramento)
4. Phoenix
5. Sacramento (from Philadelphia)
6. Orlando
7. Minnesota
8. New York
9. Dallas
10. Sacramento (From New Orleans)
11. Charlotte
12. Detroit
13. Denver
14. Miami

15. Portland
16. Chicago
17. Milwaukee
18. Indiana
19. Atlanta
20. Portland (From Memphis via Denver and Cleveland)
21. Oklahoma City
22. Brooklyn (From Washington)
23. Toronto (From LA Clippers via Milwaukee)
24. Utah
25. Orlando (From Toronto)
26. Portland (From Cleveland)
27. Brooklyn (From Boston)
28. Los Angeles Lakers (From Houston)
29. San Antonio
30. Utah (From Golden State)

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