>>NBA Draft Tips Off Tonight In Brooklyn
(Brooklyn, NY) — Eyes around the world are tuning in for the NBA Draft. The league’s future stars are being selected tonight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. French phenom Victor Wembanyama is expected to go first overall to the San Antonio Spurs. The seven-foot-five center says he’s “immune” to the draft hype surrounding him, which many claim is similar to when LeBron James came into the league. Alabama’s Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson out of the G-League Ignite are the next players likely to be picked after Wembanyama. The Portland Trailblazers select third overall while the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons round out the top five.
>>Hornets Down To Two Players For Second Overall Pick
(Charlotte, NC) — The Hornets are set to use the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on one of two players. Charlotte general manager Mitch Kupchak said during a pre-draft press conference that the team is down to two possible selections for the second pick. Alabama’s Brandon Miller and the G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson are the rumored candidates for the pick to follow France’s Victor Wembanyama. ESPN reported on Tuesday that the Hornets are expected to take Miller. Kupchak said that he’s “not going to rule out the possibility that we wouldn’t trade the pick” while stating that with less than 24 hours before the draft he does “expect to take the pick at two.”
>>Report: Wizards, Celtics And Grizzlies Complete Trade
(Undated) — Three teams agreed to a blockbuster trade on the eve of the NBA Draft. According to ESPN, the Washington Wizards are completing a three-way deal with the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies that will send Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies, Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics and Tyus Jones to the Wizards. Porzingis will be opting into his 36-million-dollar player option for the 2023-24 season. Washington is also acquiring Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala in the deal. The Grizzlies are sending the 25th overall pick in tonight’s draft, and a protected 2024 first round pick via the Golden State Warriors, to the Celtics. Boston is sending the 35th overall pick to the Wizards.
>>Report: Khris Middleton Declines Option, Becomes Free Agent
(Milwaukee, WI) — A star player in the NBA is hitting the open market. ESPN reports Khris Middleton has declined his 40-million-dollar player option with the Milwaukee Bucks to become a free agent. Adrian Wojnarowski reports a return to the Bucks on a new deal remains a possibility for Middleton. The three-time All-Star averaged just over 15 points nearly five assists per game last season. He was limited to 33 games due to several injuries. Middleton has spent 10 of his 11 seasons with the Bucks and helped Milwaukee win the NBA Championship in 2021.
>>Nuggets’ Bruce Brown Declines Player Option
(Denver, CO) — A member of the defending NBA champions is declining his player option to hit free agency. Nuggets guard Bruce Brown declined his 6.8-million dollar option and will become an unrestricted free agent. Brown played a significant role off the bench in Denver’s championship series against the Miami Heat. The 26-year-old averaged 11.4 points and 4.4 rebounds during the five game series. Brown had signed a two-year, 13.2-million dollar deal with the Nuggets before the 2022-23 season.
>>Report: NBA Set To Increase Salary Cap
(Undated) — The NBA is informing its teams of a salary cap increase for the upcoming season. ESPN reports that the league informed teams on Wednesday of the updated salary cap projections for the 2023-24 season. The NBA salary cap is projected to be 136-million dollars, with the luxury tax projected at 165-million dollars. The numbers are still just projections and will not be finalized until the NBA’s financial audit is completed before the new league year begins on June 30th.