Wasps

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has agreed to a five-year, $172 million maximum rookie contract extension, his agent Thaddeus Foucher of @Wasserman tells ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1422406550308720643" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: It was rumored that the Thunder were actually shopping around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander before draft night but teams were ultimately reluctant to trade away their top picks for the standout guard out of Kentucky. Gilgeous-Alexander spent the second half of the season rehabbing a foot injury but when on the court he's shown he can be a teams' go-to-guy down the stretch.
In his second-year with the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 23.7 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 33.7 per game minutes across 35 games played. Wojnarowski added that the deal includes a 30 percent escalator clause that would turn the guaranteed $172M base into $207M should SGA be voted onto one of the three All-NBA teams and the deal doesn&rsquo;t include any early termination options.

According to ESPN, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder have agreed to a five-year, $172M extension.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agrees to five-year, $172M extension with Thunder

A source suggests the Washington Wizards are hoping USC's Onyeka Okongwu falls to them at No. 9. If he isn't there, they'd be interested in trading the pick.
Source: <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2915414-2020-nba-draft-buzz-emerging-point-guards-and-latest-rumors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report</a>
ANALYSIS: The freshman big man drew plenty of attention in his first and only season with the Trojans. Okongwu displayed his defensive prowess, strength on the boards and finishing ability, averaging 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game.

The freshman big man drew plenty of attention in his first and only season with the Trojans.

Wizards dealing 9th pick if Okongwu gone?

Stanford's Tyrell Terry got people talking by measuring around 6'3" and weighing in at 174 pounds, a notable difference from the 6'2", 160 pounds Stanford lists him as.
I've heard Terry linked to the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers as teams showing interest.&nbsp;
Source: <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2915414-2020-nba-draft-buzz-emerging-point-guards-and-latest-rumors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report</a>
ANALYSIS: The freshman Stanford standout opened many eyes in his lone year with the Cardinal. He averaged over 14 points per game and knocked down above 40 percent of his triple tries. Those measurements are likely going to improve his stock considering the drastic difference in weight and extra inch in height.

The freshman Stanford standout opened many eyes in his lone year with the Cardinal.

Lakers, Bucks, 76ers linked to Tyrell Terry

Point guard Payton Pritchard has fans in NBA front offices, and some may be willing to use a first-round pick to get him. A league source told Bleacher Report there are whispers about a possible promise made to Pritchard after he averaged 20.5 points and 5.5 assists while shooting 41.5 percent from three.
He comes off as a player teams could immediately plug in and play and get production from on a rookie contract.&nbsp;
Source: <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2915414-2020-nba-draft-buzz-emerging-point-guards-and-latest-rumors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report</a>
ANALYSIS: Known for his clutch nature, Pritchard became a household name in college with the Oregon Ducks. According to Wasserman, he has been working out in Los Angeles and been getting good feedback from teams regarding his standing in this upcoming draft.

Known for his clutch nature, Pritchard became a household name in college with the Oregon Ducks.

Payton Prichard has a first-round promise?

LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, and Killian Hayes have generated the most buzz among point guards. But Kira Lewis Jr. has seemingly entered the conversation as a potential riser and option for lottery teams.
After a workout with the Orlando Magic last Thursday, sources tell Bleacher Report that Lewis worked out for the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls this week.
"Lewis has great speed, creates for himself and others and should thrive in today's game," one scout told B/R. "He's still young [he turned 19 in April] after two years in college. He has upside."
Source: <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2915414-2020-nba-draft-buzz-emerging-point-guards-and-latest-rumors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report</a>
ANALYSIS: In his sophomore year, Lewis averaged 18.5 points and 5.2 assists per game at Alabama. He improved his numbers and percentages across the board, including his three-point percentage, a 36.6 percent clip.

In his sophomore year, Lewis averaged 18.5 points and 5.2 assists per game at Alabama.

Kira Lewis Jr. rising up draft boards to lottery

The Minnesota Timberwolves, who hold the top pick in this year's NBA Draft, are reportedly "high" on Dayton forward Obi Toppin.
Source: <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2913808-how-high-will-2020-nba-drafts-most-popular-prospect-climb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The Wolves have been heavily rumored to pursue a range of directions with their top pick, including drafting LaMelo Ball or trading out of the spot entirely. But according to Wasserman, Minnesota is among the many teams coveting Toppin's offensive versatility. The 2019-20 Wooden Award winner averaged 20 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc.

The Dayton forward has a host of potential lottery suitors, and Minnesota is atop the draft board with the first overall pick.

Timberwolves interested in Obi Toppin?

Cinderella teams make for great stories and busted brackets. They don&rsquo;t necessarily make for great television ratings, though.
After getting a dream Final Four field last year, CBS and Turner Sports have something&nbsp;very different this weekend with Florida Atlantic, Miami, San Diego State and Connecticut making it to Houston.
The lack of recognizable names could affect the ratings.
Upsets during the first two weeks have seemingly already taken a toll. The tournament is averaging 9.11 million viewers through the regional finals, which is down 6% from last year. This after the first round on March 16-17 averaged 9.2 million, a record for the most-watched round of 64.
Last year&rsquo;s Final Four of Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and Villanova resonated even with casual fans because it was loaded with national brands. It also included Mike Krzyzewski&rsquo;s final tournament as Duke&rsquo;s coach.
This year&rsquo;s group doesn&rsquo;t have the same cachet.
&ldquo;The public is telling us that they would rather see the bluebloods. The ratings support that,&rdquo; said former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson, who now runs his own sports television consulting company. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s because they&rsquo;re not familiar with teams like San Diego State, Miami or FAU. There was relatively little press attention paid to those teams during the year. Connecticut has a history, but they&rsquo;re the only one of the four that really has had national exposure.&rdquo;
College basketball also isn&rsquo;t different from other sports when it comes to marquee teams translating to bigger audiences.
Two of last year&rsquo;s Final Four games rank among the three most-watched college basketball games in cable TV history. The semifinal matchup between North Carolina and Duke averaged 18.5 million on TBS and ranks second, while Kansas&rsquo; comeback victory over North Carolina averaged 18.1 million.
According to Sports Media Watch, which tracked Final Four ratings to 1975, the Baylor-Houston game from two years ago ranks as the least-watched semifinal at 8.36 million (individual semis started being tracked in 2002).
The low for a title game on CBS is 2004, when 17.09 million watched UConn defeat Georgia Tech. The overall low was in 2018 on TBS, when 15.99 million viewed Villanova&rsquo;s win over Michigan. CBS and TBS began alternating Final Fours in 2016.
Another thing that might factor into ratings this year is that Miami and Florida Atlantic are from the same television markets (Miami/West Palm Beach).
There are signs that suggest the viewer drop won&rsquo;t be as bad. Last Sunday&rsquo;s regional final between Miami and Texas on CBS averaged 11.3 million, which was the most-watched basketball game since last year&rsquo;s deciding game of the NBA Finals.
Also, the 2011 semifinal between Butler and Virginia Commonwealth &mdash; the last time two mid-majors met in a Final Four &mdash; was down only 2% from the 2010 early semi, when Butler beat Michigan State.
&ldquo;UConn is a very well-known program but with the other three, that&rsquo;s where the interesting storylines are,&rdquo; said Tag Garson, senior vice president of properties for Wasserman Media Group. &ldquo;There are pundits who said they were seeded on a line that wasn&rsquo;t reflective enough of the type season they had. There are some tremendous players that will be playing this weekend regardless of which team you are talking about.&rdquo;

How will a Final Four consisting of Florida Atlantic, Miami, San Diego State and Connecticut affect March Madness TV ratings?

Lack of big-name teams could take toll on Final Four ratings

Women&rsquo;s basketball seems to have found a winner with its new Sweet 16 format in March Madness and the timing couldn&rsquo;t be better with looming TV contract negotiations on the horizon.
There were record-setting attendance at the two sites &mdash; Greenville, South Carolina and Seattle &mdash; along with record numbers for TV ratings. It fueled the momentum heading into a star-packed Final Four lineup in Dallas.
NCAA selection committee chair Lisa Peterson expects the format success to help in upcoming contract negotiations. The current NCAA TV deal ends next summer.
&ldquo;It has to,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very much looking forward to seeing those conversations. It only can be good for the game. People are talking about it.&rdquo;
TV ratings for games on Friday and Saturday averaged 1.2 million viewers, a 73% increase over last year. Saturday afternoon&rsquo;s Ohio State and UConn matchup on ABC was the most watched women&rsquo;s Sweet 16 game on record with an average of 2.4 million.
Ratings were also up for the games Sunday and Monday on ESPN &mdash; up 43% gain and averaged 2.2 million. Sunday night&rsquo;s Iowa-Louisville contest which featured dynamic guard Caitlin Clark led the way at 2.5 million, making it the most watched Elite Eight game on record.
Tag Garson, Wasserman&rsquo;s senior vice president of properties, said this year&rsquo;s ratings will be one of many pieces that factor into what path the NCAA will take.
&ldquo;When you&rsquo;re looking at how ratings are performing as you&rsquo;re preparing for a negotiation you don&rsquo;t just look at one year,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re looking at the historical value while projecting out the future value.&rdquo;
The NCAA is expected to decide by this fall whether to separate the women&rsquo;s tournament or keep it as part of the championships TV package that includes at least 24 sports.
Peterson and her group will have a lot to review.
Arenas in Greenville and Seattle were mostly full which created an entertaining atmosphere. While attendance was expected to be high in Greenville with the undefeated Gamecocks there. the closest team to Seattle was Colorado &mdash; 1,300 miles away.
The distance didn&rsquo;t stop fans from flocking to Seattle, with strong support from basketball fans around the city thanks in part to the success of the WNBA&rsquo;s Storm over the last two decades. In the end, the Seattle region outdrew its South Carolina counterpart by a few thousand. Overall 82,275 fans took in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games, including 43,556 in Seattle.
&ldquo;It really was a great atmosphere to play in. You love to play in these kind of atmospheres with this kind of crowd and play in a great building like this,&rdquo; said UConn coach Geno Auriemma whose team played in Seattle.
The NCAA also hopes the success leads to more cities bidding to host the regional games and eventually the Final Four.
&ldquo;The number of cities that had bid (in the past), we didn&rsquo;t have that many more options,&rdquo; Peterson said. &ldquo;With the success we&rsquo;ve had hopefully it opens up new doors so we don&rsquo;t keep going to the same cities.&rdquo;
The local organizing committee in Seattle said that they expected the tournament to generate more than $8.3 million to the city.
&ldquo;When we host events like this there&rsquo;s no playbook to say it&rsquo;s a guaranteed success,&rdquo; Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell told The Associated Press. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t know how the fans are going to come out, but what has been proven time and time again, particularly around women&rsquo;s sports is that they come from all over the state even come from Canada. ... The revenue is incredible for our tax base.&rdquo;
Harrell threw Seattle&rsquo;s hat in the ring for a future women&rsquo;s Final Four, saying he would love it if his city got that opportunity.
One of the next steps the NCAA is planning for upcoming two regional sites is to turn them into &ldquo;mini Final Fours.&rdquo;
Many fans seemed to enjoy the new format going to more than just their team&rsquo;s games. Dave Lichliter, who is from Pennsylvania, went to games both Friday and Saturday and enjoyed the expanded field.
&ldquo;You get to see more teams,&rdquo; said Lichliter, who was wearing an LSU championship football shirt from 2019. &ldquo;Next year is Albany (New York) and Portland (Oregon), so we&rsquo;ll see how that goes.&rdquo;
So will the NCAA.
The two-city format will be in place at least another three years. The next bid cycle starts in July where regional hosting will be decided from 2027-31.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re doing this for three years. It&rsquo;s not a permanent deal,&rdquo; Peterson said. &ldquo;As always we&rsquo;ll evaluate it. If we feel it doesn&rsquo;t work, we&rsquo;ll see what we need to do to change it. Whether it&rsquo;s changing formats, or if that&rsquo;s adding a day, Whatever that looks like, we&rsquo;ll keep looking at it.&rdquo;
There were a few logistical bumps with the two sites.
With eight schools at one venue required some adjustments by teams and arena staffs. Practice time on the court was cut from 90 minutes to 60 to allow all eight time on the court. It also required a little more coordination when it came to the locker rooms with teams having to double up.
But none of it seem to bother the players. Some said it felt like an AAU tournament from their younger days with so many teams in the same place.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s fun. I think it&rsquo;s cool,&rdquo; said Clark, before he Hawkeyes guard added: &ldquo;Obviously we&rsquo;re not going to be coming to all the games, that&rsquo;s just not really how it works, but I think I like the two regional sites.&rdquo;
___
AP Sports Writers Tim Booth in Seattle, Pete Iacobelli in Greenville, South Carolina and Joe Reedy contributed to this story.

There were record-setting attendance at the two sites — Greenville, South Carolina and Seattle — along with record numbers for TV.

Women making case in tourney for own March Madness TV deal

LAS VEGAS (AP) &mdash; Two nights after Julian Strawther exuberantly stormed through the tunnel at T-Mobile Arena following his 3-pointer from the March Madness logo that lifted Gonzaga past UCLA, his walk to the locker room Saturday night was somber.
Strawther and Drew Timme embraced one another, with towels draping their heads while tears welled their eyes, after the third-seeded Bulldogs were throttled by No. 4 seed Connecticut 82-54 in the West Region final.
It wasn&rsquo;t the ending the pair envisioned to their final game together with the Zags.
&ldquo;We love each other,&rdquo; said Strawther, who finished with 11 points and six rebounds. &ldquo;We had a lot of great moments on the court together and we were able to share this jersey. Being that it&rsquo;s his last game in a Gonzaga jersey and that it&rsquo;s the last time we share the court together, it was obviously a sour feeling.&rdquo;
Strawther didn&rsquo;t discuss his own future, but there&rsquo;s a chance the Las Vegas native&rsquo;s college career also came to an end in his hometown.
Strawther considered leaving for the NBA last season, but after attending the draft combine and doing private workouts for several teams, he announced he was returning to Gonzaga.
Now, after a stellar junior campaign that saw him average 15.2 points and 6.2 rebounds, Strawther is sure to be on the NBA radar again.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll definitely be thinking about that at a future time. It&rsquo;s in the back of my mind right now,&rdquo; said Strawther, who has been represented by the Los Angeles-based Wasserman agency since last summer. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the last thing I&rsquo;m thinking about. I&rsquo;m just thinking about sharing this moment with me and my team.
&ldquo;Just knowing that that specific group of guys will never share the court again, it&rsquo;s just the worst feeling coming into this locker room and it&rsquo;s dead silence. We&rsquo;ve just been through so much together. We&rsquo;ve been going at it since the summertime and just building up for these moments and when it all comes to an end so abruptly, it&rsquo;s so quick. It just hurts.&rdquo;
The athletic 6-foot-7 swingman has been projected as a late first-round or second-round pick in the draft.
&ldquo;Unbelievably proud of him and his journey,&rdquo; said Strawther&rsquo;s father, Lee. &ldquo;Three Sweet 16s, two Elite 8s, one Final Four and one championship game &mdash; not too many players get to say that. Proved he is a real player and an even better young man. He has a great future ahead of him and I&rsquo;m proud to be his father.&rdquo;

After a stellar junior campaign that saw him average 15.2 points and 6.2 rebounds, Strawther is sure to be on the NBA radar again.

Zags’ Strawther may jump to NBA after sad ending in Vegas

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Brook Lopez scored 27 points and the Milwaukee Bucks stretched their winning streak to eight games with a 127-108 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points and 13 rebounds as the Bucks led the whole way, pushing their advantage to 26 in the second half.
Lopez, who pulled down nine rebounds, topped all scorers with 17 points at halftime and Milwaukee led 58-48. He hit a 3-pointer with 10:41 left in the third quarter that gave him 15,000 career points.
&ldquo;I have a long way to still go, a long time to still play. I&rsquo;m just enjoying it and I want to keep getting better, keep being an effective player out there, being the best player I could be,&rdquo; said Lopez, who is in his 14th season. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m lucky that there are people that are out there trying to help me, trying to make me better and put me in that position.&rdquo;
Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 28 points. Antetokounmpo and Lillard were selected the NBA&rsquo;s players of the week earlier in the day.
Lillard averaged 38.3 points and 6.8 assists last week for his second straight POTW honor, while Antetokounmpo averaged 41 points and 17.3 rebounds.
Antetokounmpo started despite right knee soreness. The two-time league MVP had a triple-double with 35 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists on Saturday to lead the Bucks to a 123-115 victory over Miami.
Portland was coming off a 129-121 loss at Chicago on Saturday that snapped a three-game winning streak
With center Jusuf Nurkic unavailable because of a left calf strain, the Blazers struggled against the bigger Bucks.
Milwaukee led by as many as 15 in the first half, but Lillard drained a 3 from about two feet inside the half-court line that brought gasps and then cheers from the home crowd.
The Bucks finished the third period on a 22-8 run to lead 95-71.
Portland made just nine of 36 attempts from 3-point range.
&ldquo;They made some adjustments to their defense this year, to be honest with you,&rdquo; Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;They used to give up like the most 3s in the league because of that drop coverage. Not this year. I&rsquo;ve got to give them a ton of credit. (Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer) has done a really good job. They&rsquo;re still a really dominant defense but they&rsquo;re not giving up as many 3s, so you&rsquo;ve got to work even harder to get those looks.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Bucks: Also won the first of their two meetings with the Blazers this season, 119-111 in Milwaukee. ... It was the opener of a three-game road trip. ... The Bucks&rsquo; longest winning streak this season is nine games.
Trail Blazers: Had only one offensive rebound. ... GM Joe Cronin was among the team representatives at a roundtable with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to pitch Portland as a possible WNBA expansion city. Oregon women&rsquo;s coach Kelly Graves and Oregon State coach Scott Rueck were also on hand.
SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS
Because of weather-related flight delays that forced the postponement of the Washington Wizards&rsquo; game at Detroit on Feb. 1, a few adjustments were made to the NBA schedule that impact the Bucks and Blazers.
Milwaukee&rsquo;s game at Washington originally set for March 6 was moved to March 5, and Portland&rsquo;s game at Detroit will be played March 6 instead of March 7.
The Wizards&rsquo; makeup game at Detroit is set for March 7.

The Milwaukee Bucks stretched their winning streak to eight games with a 127-108 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Bucks beat Trail Blazers 127-108 for 8th straight win

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; Ja Morant had a career-high 17 assists and scored 19 points and the Memphis Grizzlies won for the first time in three games, beating the struggling Toronto Raptors 119-106 on Thursday night.
Dillon Brooks scored 25 points, Desmond Bane had 16 before fouling out and Steven Adams had 14 points and 17 rebounds. Memphis recorded a season-high 37 assists and won its third straight north of the border after losing its previous seven trips to Canada.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s super impressive,&rdquo; Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said about Morant&rsquo;s 17 assists. &ldquo;Tons of credit to Ja. It just sets a tone for us. His unselfishness, we talk about that all the time.&rdquo;
Pascal Siakam had 25 points and 10 rebounds for Toronto before fouling out, extending his career-best streak with 25 or more to six. Gary Trent Jr. scored 20 points and O.G. Anunoby had 16 as Toronto&rsquo;s home losing streak reached five. The Raptors have lost eight of 10 overall.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s pretty unacceptable with the effort we gave,&rdquo; Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to get focused and connected and get serious about playing harder.&rdquo;
The Grizzlies came in having lost four of five, but beat Toronto by outscoring the Raptors 70-50 on points in the paint.
&ldquo;If we&rsquo;re clicking like this, a lot of teams can&rsquo;t beat us,&rdquo; Brooks said.
Morant shot 9 for 19 and had a pair of eye-popping dunks in his first career game in Toronto. He missed last season&rsquo;s road game against the Raptors because of a sprained left knee, while the two previous meetings were played outside Canada because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cheered in the pre-game introductions, Morant drew gasps and cheers from the crowd with his only basket of the second quarter, using a pump fake to evade Anunoby at the 3-point line before exploding to the rim for a two-handed slam.
&ldquo;I think they&rsquo;ve been watching what&rsquo;s all over the internet of him flying around, dunking on guys, putting on a show,&rdquo; Brooks said of the welcome Morant received from Toronto fans. &ldquo;They were ready to watch and he didn&rsquo;t disappoint.&rdquo;
Morant reached his assist mark by racking up seven in the third quarter.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s able to get three, four guys on him and find us for 3s, find us for dump offs,&rdquo; Brooks said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a one-in-a-generation talent.&rdquo;
Siakam and Nurse got technical fouls after Siakam shoved Brooks following a defensive foul by Brooks late in the fourth.
Raptors guard Fred VanVleet was not available because of continued soreness in his lower back, the same injury that knocked him out a home loss to the Clippers on Tuesday night.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Adams had eight rebounds in the first quarter. &hellip; Brooks was born and raised in nearby Mississauga. &hellip; Morant reached his previous high of 14 assists four times, most recently Nov. 27 at New York.
Raptors: Anunoby, Siakam, Barnes, Juancho Hernangomez and rookie Christian Koloko started, Toronto&rsquo;s 18th different lineup in 35 games. &hellip; Shot 6 for 20 in the second quarter. ... Following the game, Toronto waived F Justin Champagnie.
SHARE MORE, WIN MORE
Memphis is 13-1 this season when recording more assists than its opponent.
BAD START, BETTER FINISH
Toronto&rsquo;s Scottie Barnes missed his first seven shot attempts and didn&rsquo;t score in the first half but made seven of his final 11 attempts. He finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
&ldquo;Just got to be more aggressive from the start,&rdquo; Nurse said.
&nbsp;

Ja Morant had a career-high 17 assists and the Grizzlies won for the first time in three games, beating the Raptors 119-106.

Morant has career-high 17 assists, Grizzlies rout Raptors

After spending nearly 300 days detained in Russia, WNBA star Brittney Griner was brought back to the States last week.
Griner made her first public statement on Instagram on Friday, thanking everyone for their support, expressing her desire to help other U.S. detainees overseas, as well as announcing her intentions to play for the Phoenix Mercury next season.
From <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CmPAWB5O8F1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">her IG post</a>:
"It feels so good to be home! The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn. I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help. "I am grateful to each person who advocated for me, especially my wife, Cherelle Griner, my family, Lindsay Kagawa Colas and Casey Wasserman and my whole team at Wasserman, Vince Kozar and the Phoenix Mercury, the players of the WNBA, and my entire WNBA family, Terri Jackson and the WNBPA staff, my Russian legal team Maria Blagovolina and Alex Boykov, the leaders, activists, and grassroots organizations, Gov. Richardson and Mickey Bergman of the Richardson Center, the Bring Our Families Home Campaign, Roger Carstens and the SPEHA team, and of course, a special thank you to President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary Blinken and the entire Biden-Harris Administration. "President Biden, you brought me home and I know you are committed to bringing Paul Whelan and all Americans home too. I will use my platform to do whatever I can to help you. I also encourage everyone that played a part in bringing me home to continue their efforts to bring all Americans home. Every family deserves to be whole. "As I transition home to enjoy the holidays with my family, I want to acknowledge and thank the entire PISA staff and medical team at the San Antonio Fort Sam Houston Base. I appreciate the time and care to make sure I was okay and equipped with the tools for this new journey. "I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA&rsquo;s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say &lsquo;thank you&rsquo; to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon."
Per ESPN's <a href="https://twitter.com/alexaphilippou" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alexa Philippou</a>, Griner was paid her full salary in 2022 without it counting against the Mercury's cap. But with her receiving that salary, she was also credited with a year of service despite not being able to play, thus technically making her an unrestricted free agent this offseason.&nbsp;
The Mercury have nearly $900,000 in potential cap space this summer, per the good folks at <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/salary-cap-sheet/wnba/team/2022/phoenix-mercury-11eaecc7-357f-c1ca-b611-2362f5011b0b/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Her Hoops Stats ($)</a>, which is more than enough to bring Griner back.
What matters most is Griner's mental health; it's hard to imagine what she's felt over the past 10 months, and what the process of reintegrating into public life will be like.&nbsp;
If she's feeling well enough to pursue playing, the Mercury surely won't turn down her services. The last time we saw Griner, she was dominating the interior to the tune of 20.5 points (58.5% on 2s), a career-high 9.5 rebounds (2.4 offensive) and 1.9 blocks per game.&nbsp;
The Mercury outscored opponents by 5.1 points per 100 possessions <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/wnba?TeamId=1611661317&amp;Season=2021&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=203398&amp;OnlyCommonGames=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in her minutes</a>, with opposing teams converting a paltry 44.9% of their twos with her on the court. The Mercury were outscored&nbsp;by 6.1 points per 100 possessions with Griner off the floor, suffering drop-offs on both ends of the floor. Griner's plus-11.2 differential was one of the best marks in the W.&nbsp;

WNBA star Brittney Griner released her first public statement since returning home after being detained in Russia for nearly 300 days.

Brittney Griner makes first public statement, intends to play next season

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; O.G. Anunoby matched his season high with 32 points, Pascal Siakam had 26 points and 10 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors beat short-handed Orlando 121-108 Saturday, handing the slumping Magic their eighth consecutive loss.
Scottie Barnes scored 17 points and had a season-high 14 rebounds, and Fred VanVleet had 13 points as the Raptors won their third straight home game, improving to 9-2 north of the border.
Toronto shot a season-best .560, making 47 of 84 attempts.
Bol Bol scored 18 points for Orlando, which has the worst record in the NBA at 5-19. The Magic are 1-11 on the road.
Bol was the only Magic starter to reach double figures. Paolo Banchero, who came in as the NBA&rsquo;s leading rookie scorer, shot 2 for 8 and finished with nine points.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a long season, a lot of games,&rdquo; Banchero said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re going to have nights like this. You&rsquo;ve just got to move on to the next one.&rdquo;
Former Raptor Terrence Ross scored 18 points, Admiral Schofield had 13 and Cole Anthony 12.
The banged-up Magic were again without top rebounder Wendell Carter Jr., who missed his ninth straight game because of an injured right foot, and point guard Jalen Suggs, who missed his fifth straight with a sore right ankle.
After being blown out at New Orleans on Wednesday and again at Brooklyn on Friday, the Raptors started better in this one.
&ldquo;We just wanted to regroup, be better,&rdquo; Barnes said. &ldquo;It was a bad feeling in the locker room (Friday).&rdquo;
Toronto had five dunks in the first quarter and scored 26 points in the paint to lead 36-22 after one.
&ldquo;They came out like a team that was determined,&rdquo; Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said. &ldquo;Anunoby set the tone early.&rdquo;
Anunoby shot 12 for 17. Four of his 10 baskets from 2-point range were dunks.
&ldquo;I like it when he goes down there and he&rsquo;s making a move and all of a sudden, he&rsquo;s dunking it,&rdquo; Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s some power to get to that spot and then there&rsquo;s a lot of burst left at the end."
After scoring 13 points and making six of seven shots in the opening quarter, Anunoby connected on all three of his field goal attempts and went 3 for 3 at the line in the second. With 23 points by the intermission, he matched his career high for points in a half.
Toronto led 64-48 at the break and took a 94-73 advantage to the fourth.
POWER MOVE
Bol grabbed the rebound on Siakam&rsquo;s blocked shot late in the second and drove the length of the court for a huge one-handed slam that drew gasps from the crowd.
SAME STARTERS
After using 10 different starting lineups in the past 10 games, Toronto went with the same five starters from Friday&rsquo;s loss to the Nets; Anunoby, Siakam, VanVleet, Barnes, and rookie center Christian Koloko.
TIP-INS
Magic: G Gary Harris (strained right hamstring) sat for the second straight game. Orlando was also without C Mo Bamba (back spasms), C Jonathan Isaac (left knee) and F Chuma Okeke (left knee). &hellip; Missed their first six 3-point attempts.
Raptors: F Juancho Hernangomez left in the first half because of a sprained right ankle and did not return. X-rays did not reveal a fracture. &hellip; F Precious Achiuwa (right ankle) missed his 11th straight game and F Otto Porter Jr. (dislocated toe, left foot) missed his eighth straight. &hellip; With his fourth point of the game, Siakam passed Andrea Bargnani (6,581) for fifth on Toronto&rsquo;s all-time points list&hellip;. Siakam had eight rebounds.
UP NEXT
Magic: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.
Raptors: Host the Boston Celtics on Monday night.

O.G. Anunoby matched his season high with 32 points, and the Raptors beat the Magic 121-108 on Saturday.

O.G. Anunoby matches season-high 32, Raptors rout Magic 121-108

Bojan Bogdanovic has agreed on a two-year, $39.1 million extension with the Detroit Pistons, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1586820469793120257?s=46&amp;t=a8dEyr4CvRJIIIpFuT1UdQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN</a>.
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Bojan Bogdanovic has agreed on a two-year, $39.1 million extension with the Detroit Pistons, <a href="https://twitter.com/wassbasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wassbasketball</a> tells ESPN.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1586820469793120257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS:&nbsp;This probably means Bogdanovic isn't going anywhere, and why would he? The guy's been straight-up awesome for the Pistons thus far, averaging 23 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 51% from three. The Pistons clearly want to build a winning culture on top of their youth movement, and Bogdanovic is doing in his part.

Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Bojan Bogdanovic has signed a two extension with the Detroit Pistons.

Woj: Bojan Bogdanovic, Pistons agree to two-year extension

Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter has agreed on a four-year, $95 million contract extension, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1582159762782756864" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
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At the 6 PM ET buzzer: Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter has agreed on a four-year, $95 million contract extension, his agents Thad Foucher and Joe Smith of <a href="https://twitter.com/wassbasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Wassbasketball</a> tell ESPN. <a href="https://t.co/mDm6hZTosm">pic.twitter.com/mDm6hZTosm</a>
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1582159762782756864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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&nbsp;

The Atlanta Hawks lock up big man De'Andre Hunter on a four-year, $95 million extension.

Hawks, De'Andre Hunter agree on four-year, $95M extension

It's hard to predict when a slump ends without the benefit of hindsight.&nbsp;
Even the best NBA shooters are vulnerable to outlier struggles that can last an entire season, and those years jump out at you on the stat sheet. But how do we distinguish between an outlier and a harbinger before letting the full story play out? With so much context to account for &mdash; new teams, new roles and changing health status &mdash; that becomes a challenging question to address.
In this week's NBA Stats Notebook, we'll highlight five players with enough indicators to make me believe that they'll bounce back from last year's struggles. By no means are these predictions a guarantee, however, as I also outlined what hurdles could stand in the way of them getting back on track.&nbsp;
Let's dive in and think "positive regression!"
SADDIQ BEY, DETROIT PISTONS
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Cory Joseph talks about the improvement he&rsquo;s seen in Saddiq Bey&rsquo;s game and what Bojan Bogdanovic brings <a href="https://t.co/vzL7ZIisLD">pic.twitter.com/vzL7ZIisLD</a>
&mdash; Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) <a href="https://twitter.com/omarisankofa/status/1575894014280097794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Bey is a quiet, but still vital piece to a Pistons rebuild that has quickly ramped up. The 2020 first-round pick logged some massive games last season, including a 51-point explosion on March 17. But he took a step back as a perimeter scorer on a team with few reliable long-range threats; Bey sported a 34.6% three-point clip that isn't horrendous, but still feels disappointing given his stature as a spacer.
With that said, Detroit fans should bank on a big swing. For starters, the Pistons added Jaden Ivey, who will command quite enough attention as an individual scorer. Cade Cunningham should improve his own perimeter presence, and Bojan Bogdanovic joins the squad as an immediate marksman. To his part, Bey should get more catch-and-shoot chances and create less as a pull-up scorer, which should in turn help his final percentage.
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Bey is a much better shot-maker off the catch. According to InStat Scouting, he knocked down a whopping 51.4% such threes in his sophomore year at Villanova. So, even though he doesn't have a long NBA track record yet, Bey has proven himself as a shooter and should continue to this season.
Additionally, Bey seems to be merging the 3-and-D role that began his career with some of the off-dribble skills he added last season, <a href="https://theathletic.com/3645146/2022/09/30/pistons-training-camp-saddiq-bey/?source=emp_shared_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic</a>. I'm happy to bet on natural growth from a young player and more manageable responsibilities, giving Bey a path to success.
MAXI KLEBER, DALLAS MAVERICKS
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remember when Maxi Kleber hit 8 3s in a huge game 3 against the Jazz the second most 3s in a playoff game in Mavs history <a href="https://t.co/4y6diQm2ZP">pic.twitter.com/4y6diQm2ZP</a>
&mdash; Slightly Biased (@BiasedSlightly) <a href="https://twitter.com/BiasedSlightly/status/1570831726536192001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Kleber's shooting slump already ended in the 2022 postseason. The stretch big man was unreal for the Mavericks last spring, knocking 'em down to the tune of 43.5% from distance in Dallas' three series. That dwarfs the 32.5% rate he posted in the regular season, which was the worst since his rookie year.
The 30-year-old has made strides with his NBA shot since entering the league in 2017. His catch-and-shoot clip improved for four straight seasons (up to 41.0% in 2020-21) before it took an absolute nosedive to 32.9% last year. Kleber's 2021-22 struggles are not a fair indicator of his career growth.
His health, however, is a fair question mark. Kleber battled injuries at five different points of last season, <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/nba/maxi-kleber-player-injuries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Fox Sports</a>. To build a rhythm, he needs a string of good fortune. Hopefully the Mavs' beefed-up big rotation, including new additions Christian Wood and JaVale McGee, can lessen the load.
DAMIAN LILLARD, PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
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"I just felt relaxed. I just wanted to come out and have fun, just hoopin' again." Damian Lillard on his first game in 10 months "I was just happy that I felt good out there. I didn't have anything on my mind other than just playing"<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RipCity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RipCity</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a> <a href="https://t.co/WvohbUbJOm">pic.twitter.com/WvohbUbJOm</a>
&mdash; Orlando Sanchez (@orlandokgw) <a href="https://twitter.com/orlandokgw/status/1577201323807604737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Dame Time is one of the best pull-up scorers basketball has ever seen. But between coming back from the Tokyo Olympics, injuries, team discord and his own lackluster play, Lillard's 2021-22 was a derailment from his past superstardom. He played just 29 games before shutting things down as the Blazers hit mini-rebuild mode. In those contests, Lillard made a career-low 32.4% of his triples.
According to PBP Stats, Lillard converted just 29.8% of his "self-created" three-point attempts (shots coming after having possession for at least two seconds). That's by far the lowest rate of his nine-year career to date. Lillard typically hovers around 35% on self-created threes. Can he get back there?
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The positive argument claims that Portland is in a far better offensive situation. Jusuf Nurkic is healthy, Jerami Grant is a nice acquisition and, though CJ McCollum is gone, Anfernee Simons appears capable of filling his shoes. The counterargument: Lillard is 32 years old and coming off of a long recovery from an abdominal injury. He'll still be a star, but it remains to be seem how much Lillard looks like his usual self.
DUNCAN ROBINSON, MIAMI HEAT
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Highest Career 3P% On 6+ 3PA per game: 42.8 &mdash; Stephen Curry 41.7 &mdash; Klay Thompson 40.6 &mdash; Duncan Robinson 39.8 &mdash; Buddy Hield <a href="https://t.co/lRoB0a6XTd">pic.twitter.com/lRoB0a6XTd</a>
&mdash; NBA Muse (@NBAMuse24) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAMuse24/status/1574765864435466241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The case for a Robinson rebound year is easy. He's one of the best shooters in the world, and it's going to take more than one down season (in which he still made 37.2% of his threes, by the way) to jostle that reputation. Robinson knocked down just 34.7% of his catch-and-shoot triples in 2021-22; in his prior two years, he reached marks of 41.7% and 46.0%. He also actually made a career-high 45.1% of his pull-up attempts last season. Nekias Duncan even <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-curious-case-of-duncan-robinson-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke down why this slump was so odd</a> early in the fall.
Robinson is, quite plainly, a much better shooter than he showed last year, and he even returned to his regular self as the winter went on. Robinson canned over 41% of his threes in three of the final four months of the regular season. The problem: His playing time also decreased in each of those months, and in the playoffs, the sharpshooter averaged just 12.2 minutes per game.
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What is Robinson's place in this year's Heat rotation? He played 18 minutes in Miami's first preseason game, suggesting he's still a fixture in Erik Spoelstra's vision. If that's true, he should be an obvious bounce-back candidate. But Robinson has to keep that spot by shooting well and at least reaching the bar defensively for a tough Heat squad.
KRISTAPS PORZINGIS, WASHINGTON WIZARDS
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These players were true long-range shooters last season 🏀 <a href="https://t.co/kvdsCk3M0a">pic.twitter.com/kvdsCk3M0a</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1555174776804614145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Porzingis was a shooting mess with the Mavericks last season before somewhat regaining his perimeter success following a trade to Washington. But across his 75 games, he made just 31.3% of his threes after holding the ball for less than two seconds &mdash; easily a career-low percentage.
Fans should be confident that rate rises; it's unclear to what extent. Porzingis has always been a somewhat streaky scorer, which unfortunately fits right in with a lot of Washington's current offensive threats. As with Kleber, health also plays into developing some consistent momentum as a shooter. Porzingis has the history of prolific perimeter prowess, though, with some of the more difficult shot diets for an NBA big man.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Yep, Victor Wembanyama is pretty good! (Can you guess who did this in the NBA?)</li>
</ul>
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Wembanyama finishes with 7 three-pointers and 5 blocks, something that's only happened once in NBA history
&mdash; Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBADraftWass/status/1577514952725856259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>Yep, Victor Wembanyama might be really good!</li>
</ul>
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The NBA record that everyone assumed would never be broken, suddenly feels very...breakable 😂 <a href="https://t.co/RrpQ8Yw2v5">pic.twitter.com/RrpQ8Yw2v5</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1577711805316489217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>A noteworthy graphic from SIS Hoops that shows how Malcolm Brogdon can really add some juice to the Boston Celtics' offense:</li>
</ul>
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Last season, Malcolm Brogdon's pick-and-roll proficiency ranked near the top of the league. Check out how his pick-and-roll advantage creation ability stacks up with the rest of Boston's returning players: <a href="https://t.co/bErVKOIHBY">pic.twitter.com/bErVKOIHBY</a>
&mdash; SIS Hoops (@SIS_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIS_Hoops/status/1576978735256911877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ethan Fuller highlights Damian Lillard, Duncan Robinson, Saddiq Bey and others as candidates for positive shooting regression.

NBA Stats Notebook: 5 players who could have bounce-back shooting years

Memphis Grizzlies center Steven Adams has agreed on a two-year, $25.2 million contract extension, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1576314729936867328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.&nbsp;
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Memphis Grizzlies center Steven Adams has agreed on a two-year, $25.2 million contract extension, his agent Darren Matsubara of <a href="https://twitter.com/wassbasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wassbasketball</a> tells ESPN. Adams -- an immense culture piece for a young roster -- is now tied to the Grizzlies for three years, $43.1 million.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1576314729936867328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Adams is now under the Grizzlies control for three seasons at $43.1M.&nbsp;

The Memphis Grizzlies and center Steven Adams agree to a two-year, $25.2M extension.

Grizzlies extend Steven Adams on two-year, $25.2M deal

Free agent center Mitchell Robinson has agreed on a new four-year, $60 million contract to stay with the New York Knicks, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1542876211667472386" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.&nbsp;
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Free agent center Mitchell Robinson has agreed on a new four-year, $60 million contract to stay with the New York Knicks, his agents Thad Foucher and Joe Smith of <a href="https://twitter.com/wassbasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Wassbasketball</a> tell ESPN. <a href="https://t.co/dnKtVQmln9">pic.twitter.com/dnKtVQmln9</a>
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1542876211667472386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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&nbsp;

Free agent center Mitchell Robinson has agreed on a new four-year, $60 million contract to stay with the New York Knicks

Mitchell Robinson returning to New York Knicks on 4-year, $60M deal

<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1542674727591989248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>, the Washington Wizards have agreed to a two-year, $16M deal with guard Delon Wright.
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Free agent guard Delon Wright has agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal to sign with the Washington Wizards, his agent Greg Lawrence of <a href="https://twitter.com/wassbasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wassbasketball</a> tells ESPN.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1542674727591989248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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&nbsp;

The Washington Wizards have agreed to a two-year, $16M deal with guard Delon Wright.

Delon Wright headed to Washington Wizards on two-year deal

Kyle Anderson has agreed to a two-year, $18M deal to join the Timberwolves, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1542669735116021761" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN</a>.
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Kyle Anderson has agreed to a two-year, $18M deal to join the Timberwolves, his agents Thad Foucher and Joe Smith of <a href="https://twitter.com/wassbasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wassbasketball</a> tell ESPN. <a href="https://t.co/fWzhFhVfkx">https://t.co/fWzhFhVfkx</a>
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1542669735116021761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Kyle Anderson has agreed to a two-year deal with the Timberwolves.

Kyle Anderson, Minnesota agree to two-year deal

Free agent guard Lu Dort has agreed to a five-year, $87.5M deal to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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Free agent G Lu Dort has agreed to a five-year, $87.5M deal to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder, his agent Thad Foucher of Wasserman tells ESPN.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1542634040129470464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Dort was previously one of the best valued contracts in the entire NBA and now gets rewarded for his play.

Free agent guard Lu Dort has agreed to a five-year, $87.5M deal to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Thunder, Lu Dort agree to five-year, $87.5M extension

The 2022 NBA Draft is in the books! Last Thursday, BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock was in attendance at the Barclays Center. Now, he shared his post-draft thoughts and answered some questions from readers in the video below.
Matt discussed the Orlando Magic's smokescreen, Jabari Smith to the Houston Rockets, the draft's biggest winners, the night's surprises, his potential steals and much more.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-j122Izudtk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
For more 2022 NBA Draft analysis, BasketballNews.com's NBA Draft Analyst Derek Murray shared his biggest winners and losers on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-alex-kennedy-podcast/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-41-2022-nba-draft-recap-analyzing-the-biggest-winners,-losers,-surprises-ep-41" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the most recent episode of The Alex Kennedy Podcast.</a>

Matt Babcock discusses the Magic's smokescreen, Jabari Smith to Houston, the draft's biggest winners, his potential steals and more.

2022 NBA Draft Recap: Biggest winners, surprises, steals, more

The Denver Nuggets have selected Peyton Watson with the No. 30 overall pick via a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2022 NBA Draft, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
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With the No. 30 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MileHighBasketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MileHighBasketball</a> selects Peyton Watson 🏀 <a href="https://t.co/G2mVMKaFhp">pic.twitter.com/G2mVMKaFhp</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540167666484248577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: At 6-foot-8, and possessing a 7-foot wingspan with guard skills, Peyton Watson entered his freshman season at UCLA as a highly-anticipated prospect. Even though he still has room to develop, Watson brings great versatility on both sides of the floor. He's also comfortable with the ball in his hands and initiating the offense. On defense, he's shown real promise as a shot-blocker with his length and athleticism. All in all, he is full of tremendous, untapped potential.

The Nuggets have selected Peyton Watson with the No. 30 overall pick via a trade with the Thunder in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Denver Nuggets pick Peyton Watson No. 30 (via Thunder)

The Houston Rockets have selected TyTy Washington with the No. 29 overall pick via a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2022 NBA Draft, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
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With the No. 29 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rockets</a> select TyTy Washington 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/IRuTZkib4O">pic.twitter.com/IRuTZkib4O</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540166562174435330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: Although he played primarily off the ball this past season at Kentucky, TyTy Washington still set the tone for his team and provided value as both a facilitator and scorer. Even when pushing the pace, Washington plays under control and seldom makes poor decisions leading to turnovers. He is only 6-foot-3 and lacks elite athleticism, but he routinely gets his shot off from deep with smooth mechanics and a quick release. Washington has the potential to become the best floor general to be selected in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The Rockets have selected TyTy Washington with the No. 29 overall pick via a trade with the Grizzlies in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Rockets pick TyTy Washington No. 29 (via Grizzlies)

The Golden State Warriors have selected Patrick Baldwin Jr. with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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With the No. 28 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DubNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DubNation</a> selects Patrick Baldwin Jr. 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/nJ227lso0w">pic.twitter.com/nJ227lso0w</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540165306739564555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: Standing at 6-foot-9, Patrick Baldwin Jr. possesses the tools to be an effective scorer, as he is a tremendous outside shooter that can also create his own shot. His overall athleticism and toughness are questionable areas of his game; however, considering his tools and skill set, Baldwin certainly possesses upside.

The Golden State Warriors have selected Patrick Baldwin Jr. with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Golden State Warriors pick Patrick Baldwin Jr. No. 28

The Minnesota Timberwolves have selected Wendell Moore Jr. with the No. 26 overall pick via a trade with the Houston Rockets (via Dallas) in the 2022 NBA Draft, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
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With the No. 26 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RaisedByWolves?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RaisedByWolves</a> has traded in and selected Wendell Moore 🏀 <a href="https://t.co/J5UVUvaxGf">pic.twitter.com/J5UVUvaxGf</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540162611261673472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: Moore had a breakout season, finally coming into his own during his junior year. At 6-foot-5, he has good positional size, strength, and athleticism at guard. While Moore remains streaky as a three-point shooter, he proved to be a reliable three-level scorer this year for the Blue Devils. He is still 20 years old with more room to develop, making him a very promising prospect.

The Timberwolves have selected Wendell Moore Jr. with the No. 26 overall pick via a trade with the Rockets in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Timberwolves pick Wendell Moore Jr. No. 26 (via Rockets)

The San Antonio Spurs have selected Blake Wesley with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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With the No. 25 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PorVida?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PorVida</a> selects Blake Wesley 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/Fcv4PaP3WB">pic.twitter.com/Fcv4PaP3WB</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540160822445543424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: Blake Wesley came to Notre Dame out of high school as a relatively unknown prospect among NBA circles. However, he quickly cemented himself as one of the more productive freshmen in the country. Wesley has positional size and excellent length, with a knack for scoring at all three levels. He'll need to improve his overall efficiency before unlocking his full potential, but he has the tools and skill set to develop into an excellent NBA player.

The San Antonio Spurs have selected Blake Wesley with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: San Antonio Spurs pick Blake Wesley No. 25

The Milwaukee Bucks have selected MarJon Beauchamp with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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With the No. 24 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FearTheDeer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FearTheDeer</a> selects MarJon Beauchamp 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/Dvjj4tLJJJ">pic.twitter.com/Dvjj4tLJJJ</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540159359614869507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: After producing early for the G League Ignite this past season, it was evident that MarJon Beauchamp worked on his body and skill set. His physical frame and athleticism popped immediately on both ends of the floor when watching him. Beauchamp can provide a lot of versatility and has positional size. His ball-handling and three-point shooting will undoubtedly be his swing skills moving forward. However, he has intriguing tools and seems prepared to contribute right away.

The Milwaukee Bucks have selected MarJon Beauchamp with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Milwaukee Bucks pick MarJon Beauchamp No. 24

The Memphis Grizzlies have selected David Roddy with the No. 23 overall pick via a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2022 NBA Draft, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
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With the No. 23 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GrindCity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GrindCity</a> trades in and selects David Roddy 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/Qsp5q03sQN">pic.twitter.com/Qsp5q03sQN</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540158548101025800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: Despite not being heavily recruited out of high school, David Roddy far exceeded expectations while at Colorado State. Roddy possesses brute strength, a high basketball IQ, and three-level scoring abilities. He also has tremendous vision, creativity, and a terrific feel for the game.

The Memphis Grizzlies have selected David Roddy with the No. 23 overall pick via a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers.

2022 NBA Draft: Memphis Grizzlies pick David Roddy No. 23 (via 76ers)

The Minnesota Timberwolves have selected Walker Kessler with the No. 22 overall pick via a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2022 NBA Draft, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
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With the No. 22 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RaisedByWolves?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RaisedByWolves</a> selects Walker Kessler 🏀 <a href="https://t.co/gEjuqJGWgI">pic.twitter.com/gEjuqJGWgI</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540157731738451976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: After transferring from North Carolina, Kessler was arguably the best shot-blocker in the country, continues to develop as a short roll passer, and showed shooting flashes during this season. He's still not a reliable floor-stretcher but is incredibly efficient around the rim on offense with a soft touch on the block. Kessler's length, mobility, and rim protection give him a unique skill set, allowing him to provide great impact on an NBA floor.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have selected Walker Kessler with the No. 22 overall pick via a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies

2022 NBA Draft: Timberwolves pick Walker Kessler No. 22 (via Grizzlies)

The Denver Nuggets have selected Christian Braun with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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ANALYSIS: At 6-foot-6, Braun has positional size and has shown the ability to score from anywhere on the floor. He has a smooth release from three, can pick his spots off the dribble and is highly effective in transition. He is reliable on and off the ball on offense while providing intelligent defense on the other end. Braun is a well-rounded player and should get an opportunity to provide impact early in his career.

The Denver Nuggets have selected Christian Braun with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Denver Nuggets pick Christian Braun No. 21

The San Antonio Spurs have selected Malaki Branham with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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With the No. 20 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PorVida?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PorVida</a> selects Malaki Branham 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/jjgoKzzDmv">pic.twitter.com/jjgoKzzDmv</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540154290320424960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: After a slow start to the season, Malaki Branham burst onto the scene in Big Ten conference play this past season at Ohio State. At 6-foot-5, Branham plays with patience and is a smooth three-level scorer. He is comfortable operating in the pick-and-roll and mid-range, and has shown promise as a spot-up shooter. Branham is full of potential, as I don't think he's even hit full stride as a scoring threat yet.

The San Antonio Spurs have selected Malaki Branham with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: San Antonio Spurs pick Malaki Branham No. 20

The Memphis Grizzlies have selected Jake LaRavia with the No. 19 overall pick via a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2022 NBA Draft, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
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With the No. 19 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GrindCity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GrindCity</a> trades up and selects Jake LaRavia🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/AW8bIrWcAe">pic.twitter.com/AW8bIrWcAe</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540152637638819842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: After transferring from Indiana State, Jake LaRavia immediately impacted the Wake Forest team this past season, establishing himself as a worthy NBA prospect and one of the best shooters in the ACC Conference. At 6-foot-8, LaRavia is a versatile scorer and rebounder and has a tremendous feel for the game.

The Memphis Grizzlies have selected Jake LaRavia with the No. 19 overall pick via a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

2022 NBA Draft: Memphis Grizzlies pick Jake LaRavia No. 19 (via Wolves)

The Chicago Bulls have selected Dalen Terry with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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With the No. 18 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BullsNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BullsNation</a> selects Dalen Terry 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/cEntExmakY">pic.twitter.com/cEntExmakY</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540151637276348418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: At 6-foot-7, Dalen Terry provides flexibility on both ends of the floor as he can play multiple positions, including point guard. If he can improve his outside shooting, Terry will have a chance to stay in the NBA for a long time.

The Chicago Bulls have selected Dalen Terry with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Chicago Bulls pick Dalen Terry No. 18

The Houston Rockets have selected Tari Eason with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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With the No. 17 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rockets</a> select Tari Eason 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/Obws3ACAYz">pic.twitter.com/Obws3ACAYz</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540148498687004672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: After transferring from Cincinnati, Tari Eason had a breakout season in Baton Rouge for LSU this past season. He has positional size and length and plays with a great motor on both ends of the floor. While Eason is improving as a shooter, he excels at putting the ball on the deck and attacking the rim. In addition, Eason is a switchable defender and an all-around playmaker.
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The Houston Rockets have selected Tari Eason with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Houston Rockets pick Tari Eason No. 17

The Atlanta Hawks have selected AJ Griffin with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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With the No. 16 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueToAtlanta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TrueToAtlanta</a> selects AJ Griffin 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/SnOC2DpUMy">pic.twitter.com/SnOC2DpUMy</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540147855058501633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: AJ Griffin is 6-foot-6 and possesses a 7-foot wingspan. He is a powerful and versatile wing with a tremendous physical profile and a solid skill set. Griffin has also shown the ability to create for both himself and others. After missing some time early last season, due to injury, Griffin solidified himself as one of the best shooters in the country at 44.7% from deep. Also worth noting, Griffin is the son of former NBA player and current Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin.

The Atlanta Hawks have selected AJ Griffin with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Atlanta Hawks pick AJ Griffin No. 16

The Charlotte Hornets have selected Mark Williams with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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With the No. 15 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AllFly?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AllFly</a> selects Mark Williams 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/SmTRN75HsV">pic.twitter.com/SmTRN75HsV</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540146437631213568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: Mark Williams is one of the best shot blockers and interior finishers in the 2022 NBA Draft. Utilizing his size, length and inside presence, Williams showed flashes of dominance on both ends this past season. He gradually moved up boards the entire season and has become one of the most sought-after big men in the draft.

The Charlotte Hornets have selected Mark Williams with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Charlotte Hornets pick Mark Williams No. 15

The Cleveland Cavaliers have selected Ochai Agbaij with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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With the No. 14 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeTheFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeTheFight</a> selects Ochai Agbaji 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/6xNRHBrMFm">pic.twitter.com/6xNRHBrMFm</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540145354368221186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: Ochai Agbaji is a versatile wing with promise as a defender, slasher and shooter. Early in his career at Kansas, Agbaji was known for his athleticism and defense. However, this season, he emerged as one of the best shooters in all college basketball, shooting 40.7% from three-point range. He also made significant leaps as a scorer in both volume and efficiency. As a result, Agbaji solidified himself as a viable 3-and-D prospect at the NBA level and one of the best wings in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have selected Ochai Agbaij with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Cleveland Cavaliers pick Ochai Agbaji No. 14

The Detroit Pistons have selected Jalen Duren with the No. 13 overall pick via a trade with the Charlotte Hornets in the 2022 NBA Draft, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
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The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pistons?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pistons</a> have traded for the No. 13 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> and select Jalen Duren 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/t01vgxYzzJ">pic.twitter.com/t01vgxYzzJ</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540144293037457409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: After reclassifying to the high school class of 2021, Jalen Duren is one of the youngest players in the 2022 NBA Draft at just 18 years old on draft day. Although young, Duren showed he could dominate the interior at a high level by utilizing his strength and physicality. Standing at 6-foot-11, weighing in at a chiseled 250 pounds, and possessing a 7-foot-5 wingspan, Duren impacts the game as both a play-finisher and rim protector.

The Detroit Pistons have selected Jalen Duren with the No. 13 overall pick via a trade with the Hornets in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Detroit Pistons pick Jalen Duren No. 13 (via Hornets)

The Oklahoma City Thunder have selected Jalen Williams with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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With the No. 12 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThunderUp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThunderUp</a> selects Jalen Williams 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/m1z3sZA1pT">pic.twitter.com/m1z3sZA1pT</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540142769330585607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: After his third season with the Santa Clara Broncos, Jalen Williams solidified himself as a worthy draft prospect. He stands 6-foot-5, but possesses an incredibly long wingspan measuring over 7-foot-2. Williams shot over 40% from deep on the season and was especially lethal off the catch. In addition, Williams possesses excellent vision and has shown the ability to facilitate as the lead ball-handler. Williams is a talented and intriguing prospect.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have selected Jalen Williams with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Oklahoma City Thunder pick Jalen Williams No. 12

The Oklahoma City Thunder have selected Ousmane Dieng with the No. 11 overall pick via a trade with the New York Knicks in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThunderUp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThunderUp</a> has traded for Ousmane Dieng, selected at the No. 11 overall pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/t68PbIJ7Wz">pic.twitter.com/t68PbIJ7Wz</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540141146478972928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: Ousmane Dieng has excellent positional size, length and mobility. He is a versatile playmaker on the offensive end and a tremendous live-dribble passer that is also effective as a three-level scorer. Dieng&rsquo;s shot-making from inside and out, excellent vision and impactful yet inconsistent defense, had him high on our draft board all year. Perhaps a bit of a project; however, Dieng has a chance to become an outstanding NBA player.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have selected Ousmane Dieng with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: OKC Thunder pick Ousmane Dieng No. 11 (via Knicks)

The Washington Wizards have selected Johnny Davis with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DCAboveAll?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DCAboveAll</a> is selecting Johnny Davis with the tenth overall pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/GO1sfz74Pb">pic.twitter.com/GO1sfz74Pb</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540138766626701314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: At 6-foot-5, Johnny Davis has positional size and was one of the most reliable scorers in all college basketball this past season. Davis can take his defender to the rim, is comfortable operating in the mid-range and has shown consistency from deep. He isn&rsquo;t flashy, but is incredibly effective and decisive, which resulted in a significant jump in his free throw rate. His combination of physicality and quick decision-making brings good versatility to his game.

The Washington Wizards have selected Johnny Davis with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Washington Wizards pick Johnny Davis No. 10

The San Antonio Spurs have selected Jeremy Sochan with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PorVida?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PorVida</a> is selecting Jeremy Sochan with the ninth overall pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/IHETuswDCy">pic.twitter.com/IHETuswDCy</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540137438143709184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: Jeremy Sochan is an energetic, athletic forward with positional size, standing 6-foot-9. He has a tremendous motor and excels as a versatile defender and rebounder due to his footwork and length. Sochan has shown flashes of self-creation, but primarily scored off of cuts at the rim and catch-and-shoot threes this past season. He's only 19 years old, but he is already showing why he has big-time potential at the NBA level. Sochan's combination of size, athleticism, instincts and skill is unique.

The San Antonio Spurs have selected Jeremy Sochan with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: San Antonio Spurs pick Jeremy Sochan No. 9

The New Orleans Pelicans have selected Dyson Daniels with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WBD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WBD</a> is selecting Dyson Daniels with the eighth overall pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/JDCdN1v1r6">pic.twitter.com/JDCdN1v1r6</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540135453050945536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: After being at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, Dyson Daniels had a terrific season for the G League Ignite. The 6-foot-7 positionless Swiss army knife, Daniels excels at getting downhill and attacking the basket, relying on his athleticism and body control for finishing while occasionally employing a floater. Daniels' outside shooting is still a work in progress, but he is a disruptive defender with quick feet and instincts. Daniel's progression as a playmaker was also notable during the G-League season. He seems to have a bright future ahead of him.

The New Orleans Pelicans have selected Dyson Daniels with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: New Orleans Pelicans pick Dyson Daniels No. 8

The Portland Trail Blazers have selected Shaedon Sharpe with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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Shaedon Sharpe is the seventh overall pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RipCity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RipCity</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/qTp06N1tZF">pic.twitter.com/qTp06N1tZF</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540133829645574144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: Shaedon Sharpe is one of the most talented players in the class. He is a tremendous athlete with positional size and a skill set that should allow him to excel at the NBA level. In addition, Sharpe has NBA range and can create his shot on all levels. Although he did not play at Kentucky this past season, making the sample size to evaluate him limited, his talent and upside are undeniable.

The Portland Trail Blazers have selected Shaedon Sharpe with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Portland Trail Blazers pick Shaedon Sharpe No. 7

The Indiana Pacers have selected Bennedict Mathurin with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pacers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pacers</a> are selecting Bennedict Mathurin with the sixth overall pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/m7y2f6zRm9">pic.twitter.com/m7y2f6zRm9</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540131853868437504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: After a strong freshman campaign for the Arizona Wildcats, Bennedict Mathurin made a jump in his second year in Tucson. Mathurin's size, athleticism, defense, and shot-making ability make him an intriguing NBA prospect. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 204 pounds, he is an explosive athlete and capable slasher and finisher. This past season, Mathurin solidified himself as one of the best wings in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The Indiana Pacers have selected Bennedict Mathurin with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Indiana Pacers pick Bennedict Mathurin No. 6

The Detroit Pistons have selected Jaden Ivey with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pistons?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pistons</a> are selecting Jaden Ivey with the fifth overall pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/yp6VTK5Y9q">pic.twitter.com/yp6VTK5Y9q</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540130990999457797?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: Jaden Ivey shot career-highs across the board this season and propelled himself into being one of the most sought-after prospects in the entire draft. He is a phenomenal athlete, alpha dog and promising on-ball defender who has flashed elite potential in numerous facets of the game. In addition, his offense took a giant leap this past season, as he's shown the ability to create space for himself, score on multiple levels and attack the rim at an elite level. Ivey has a chance to become a star player.

The Detroit Pistons have selected Jaden Ivey with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Detroit Pistons pick Jaden Ivey No. 5

The Sacramento Kings have selected Keegan Murray with the No. 4&nbsp; overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kings</a> are selecting Keegan Murray with the fourth overall pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/dqUHRf1YBG">pic.twitter.com/dqUHRf1YBG</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540129779558629381?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: At 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Keegan Murray has a high motor and does a lot of the "little things" that contribute to winning, and he is a terrific defender. Despite shooting an inefficient 29.6% from deep during his freshman season, he shot 39.8% this past season and scored an impressive 23.5 points per game. In addition, his ability to attack closeouts and score from multiple levels has allowed him to carry a more significant offensive load. As a result, Murray was a candidate for National Player of the Year and has become one of the highest-rated prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The Sacramento Kings have selected Keegan Murray with the No. 4  overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Sacramento Kings pick Keegan Murray No. 4

The Houston Rockets have selected Jabari Smith with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rockets</a> are selecting Jabari Smith with the third overall pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/mkRm0R4sNY">pic.twitter.com/mkRm0R4sNY</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540128642432647168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: At 6-foot-10, Jabari Smith has the size and shooting stroke to be an impactful stretch-4 at the NBA level. Additional physical strength will propel his development, but his athleticism, shooting and defensive abilities make him a high-level prospect. In addition, considering the value of floor spacing in today's game, Smith has become perhaps the hottest commodity in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The Houston Rockets have selected Jabari Smith with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Houston Rockets pick Jabari Smith No. 3

The Oklahoma City Thunder have selected Chet Holmgren with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have selected Chet Holmgren with the second overall pick in the NBA Draft 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/LyL78PWacc">pic.twitter.com/LyL78PWacc</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540127114619506689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: At 7 feet tall with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, Chet Holmgren is a playmaker on both ends of the floor. He is comfortable with the ball in his hands, and he is a reliable shooter who can score on all levels. On the defensive end, Holmgren greatly affects the game as a rim protector. He will need to add weight to maximize his potential as he is rail-thin, but he is one of the most unique prospects we've ever seen nonetheless.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have selected Chet Holmgren with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Oklahoma City Thunder pick Chet Holmgren No. 2

The Orlando Magic have selected Duke forward Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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The Orlando Magic have selected Paolo Banchero with the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/bLNPVHDZ66">pic.twitter.com/bLNPVHDZ66</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540126544680681472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS: At 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, Paolo Banchero is incredibly versatile. He excels in the post, can create off the dribble and continues to improve as a face-up shooter from deep. He lacks elite athleticism on the defensive end, but has flashed a great feel and discipline to counter that. Players with his build and skill set don't come around very often.

The Orlando Magic have selected Duke forward Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Orlando Magic pick Paolo Banchero No. 1

With the 2022 NBA Draft less than a week away, our Senior NBA Draft Analyst shares his updated his 2022 NBA Mock Draft.

2022 NBA Mock Draft: 6/17/22

BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock presents a series that peels back the curtain from his time as a sports agent, giving a glimpse at some of his personal experiences working in the sports agency business for over a decade.
In the seventh entry of his series, Babcock shares his story of working at power agency Excel Sports Management early in his career. He outlines the mistakes he made, the lessons he learned and more.
It was 2007, and I had not even turned 23 years old, but I had already gained some unique and valuable experience. First, I completed a summer internship at powerhouse sports agency Wasserman Media Group, followed by a brief stint as an assistant coach for a professional basketball team in Bologna, Italy. Then, without any guarantees, I left my coaching position in Italy to take a job interview with sports agents Jeff Schwartz and Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports Management.
Fortunately, they decided to hire me and intended to groom me to be an agent. I had spent my entire life up to that point having expectations to follow in my family's footsteps by pursuing a career in coaching or scouting. But instead, I formed a unexpected plan to embark on a new journey down an unfamiliar path: a career as a sports agent.
I packed all my belongings and moved back to Los Angeles, California, as I had lived there the previous summer. When I arrived, Sam and his lovely wife, Laura, were kind enough to welcome me to stay at their home until I sorted out where I would live long-term. Little did we know that I would stay with them for the entirety of my employment with Excel.
My commute to the office from Sam's house was incredible! I would start on Mulholland Drive, a famous road at the top of the hills that separates L.A. from "The Valley." I would then go down Beverly Glen Boulevard and head through the hearts of Bel-Air and Beverly Hills, two of the most prestigious neighborhoods you can find anywhere. I cruised down the hill each morning in my Jeep Cherokee, surrounded by luxury cars and some of the most exclusive real estate in the world. As I made my way toward Century City, I would meet the garage of my high-rise office building at 10100 Santa Monica Boulevard. To say that commute inspired me would be an understatement. I was a young, hungry and ambitious kid starting my career. I was living among the rich and famous, and it fueled my fire even more.
While I worked at Excel, something new and exciting happened every day. For example, star players like Paul Pierce or Tyson Chandler would stop by the office from time to time and have lunch with our staff, and meet with the company's executives. On one occasion, we went to a party for Lamar Odom's record label. There were always things like that happening. I also attended Lakers games regularly with Sam, sitting in the company's seats in the first row &mdash; to see prime Kobe Bryant in action.
Despite the fun and excitement that came with working at Excel, I had some issues. First, it was apparent that there was a disconnect among the executives on my role within the company, which led to me becoming frustrated.
On the one hand, I think Sam understood that, although I was young, my background in basketball could be advantageous. So he had me prepare analysis reports on players, teams and the draft. He also had me call NBA scouts and executives to gather information on current and prospective clients. During that time, I spent a lot of time in Sam's office, picking his brain. He explained contract structuring and negotiating tactics among other things. He essentially showed me the ropes &mdash; training me to be an agent. I value those conversations to this day.&nbsp;
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As I carried on executing the tasks that Sam assigned me, he was complimentary of my understanding of the NBA. He conveyed that he was in awe of how many people I knew within the industry, even though it was my first full-time job. Despite having extensive contacts already, mainly due to my family's involvement in basketball, I was not content; I wanted to build off my established relationships. I grew up as a college coach's son and an "NBA Kid." Because of that, I knew that relationships were the key for me to finding success in any role or level of basketball. I needed to position myself to assist the company in signing new, talented players. I felt the best way to expedite that process was to get a lay of the land on upcoming prospects and develop my network.
I was proactive by creating a database of young prospects we could target in the coming years. I also attended many high school games and tournaments in Southern California and Las Vegas, after office hours and on the weekends. There, I could watch prospects and network with college coaches and people involved in grassroots basketball. During those trips, I remember watching many top high school players that became NBA stars, including Jrue Holiday, DeMar DeRozan, Klay Thompson and Paul George, to name a few.
On the other hand, Jeff had a different vision for my initial responsibilities and development. Although Sam was influential, Jeff was the owner and founder of Excel &mdash; it was his company. The desk I was assigned was at a cubical outside of chief of marketing Jaymee Messler's office. In addition to the tasks Sam gave me, I was responsible for answering Jaymee's phone, running errands for her and doing a lot of work within the marketing department. Jaymee was very good at her job and has had a lot of success in her career, including co-founding and serving as the president of The Players' Tribune and co-founding the sports and entertainment company (co)laboratory. I was lucky to have been able to work for her &mdash; and Jeff too, for that matter. However, I didn't see it that way at the time.
I viewed myself as a "basketball guy," and I did not have much interest or see the value in being heavily involved in the marketing department. Jaymee and I knew I was far more committed to working for Sam. I think there was some tension and resentment between us because of it. I do not hesitate to say that I would have handled myself much differently if I could go back and do it again.
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I voiced my frustrations to Sam, and I think he understood and agreed with my sentiments for the most part. It was not public knowledge at the time, but Sam told me that Jeff planned to move the company's headquarters to New York, which he did the following year. He continued to explain that when the company moved, he and I would stay in L.A. and have an office of our own, and all of my issues would subside. Although I was only months away from being able to work with Sam exclusively, I became increasingly frustrated and impatient.
The next thing I knew, I was on the phone with Andy Miller, a prominent agent from New York who was the owner and founder of ASM Sports, and represented star players like Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups and many others. After one phone call with Andy, he offered me a job with the career path and initial responsibilities I wanted. He also offered a little more money than I was making. So, in a knee-jerk reaction, I agreed to leave Excel after only a handful of months to work directly for Andy Miller at ASM Sports.&nbsp;
Over time, I realized that leaving Excel was an enormous mistake for many reasons. I am not one to have many regrets, as I try to use my mistakes as learning experiences to grow and improve. However, I genuinely regret leaving Sam prematurely. It was probably the biggest mistake I have made in my career. I still keep in touch with Sam, and we have a good relationship, but I must admit that I am embarrassed that I bailed on him after everything he and his family had done for me.
My immaturity and impatience at that time hurt me, and it probably set my career back, perhaps significantly. It took me time to absorb the lesson, but I learned that sometimes I need to get out of my own way.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/my-past-life-as-a-sports-agent-the-real-beginning" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the last entry of this series</a>: "My past life as a sports agent: The real beginning" 
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.babcockhoops.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BabcockHoops.com.</a>
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Babcock shares his story of working at power agency Excel Sports Management early in his career, and what he learned and regretted.

My past life as a sports agent: Get out of my own way

BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock presents a series that will peel back the curtain from his time as a sports agent, giving a glimpse at some of his personal experiences working in the sports agency business for over a decade.
In the sixth entry of his series, Babcock shares how his background of growing up in an NBA family influenced him to pursue a career as a sports agent and how he got started with Jeff Schwartz, Sam Goldfeder and Excel Sports Management to embark on what turned out to be a wild and crazy roller coaster of a career.
I grew up in and around the NBA, having multiple family members who've had successful careers as NBA executives. My family's success has provided me with many benefits and unique opportunities, and I'm certainly thankful. Still, it has also led me to have an inherent burning desire to create a name and identity for myself within the basketball world &mdash; separate from my family.
Despite a childhood that gave me full access to the behind-the-scenes of the NBA &mdash; including team planes, locker rooms and draft war rooms &mdash; I wanted more. Being "Dave Babcock's son" or "Pete and Rob's nephew" has never been enough for me. I spent the first part of my life putting an unhealthy amount of pressure on myself to succeed as a basketball player. Subsequently, my playing career was my No. 1 priority. I developed into a respectable high school player, but didn't even come close to accomplishing my overall goals. After I finished playing, I shifted my focus to working in basketball. My burning desire to succeed didn't go away; it grew significantly.&nbsp;
In early 2007, I was 22 years old and not even a year removed from the University of Arizona and my unavailing playing career. I had already completed a summer internship at powerhouse sports agency Wasserman Media Group, where I assisted in training their NBA draft prospects. I also had a brief assistant coaching gig with the professional basketball team Virtus Bologna in Bologna, Italy. Although I always thought my career path would be in coaching or scouting, I left my job in Italy to meet with Jeff Schwartz and Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports Management to pursue a career as a sports agent. I thought, "This is how I can pave my own way."
I stepped off the plane in Los Angeles, California and jumped into a cab. I told the driver, "101 Santa Monica Boulevard, please. I have a job interview." Pulling up to the fancy, high-rise office building in the heart of West L.A., I called Sam Goldfeder, and he told me to come up. Sam had become a mentor to me, as I had lived at his mother-in-law's guest house in Beverly Hills the previous summer during my internship, and he had also arranged a job in Italy for me. He was pushing Jeff to hire me so they could groom me to be an agent. However, there were no promises I'd get the job. So I took a risk by leaving my job in Italy.
I walked into the office building and made my way to the elevator. The building was filled with prestigious law firms, financial groups and other professional businesses. There were seemingly high-powered "suits" running all around. Excel, now based in New York City, represented star NBA players, including Jason Kidd, Paul Pierce, Lamar Odom, Al Jefferson and Tyson Chandler, to name a few. It was a powerful sports agency.
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Although I probably should have been nervous, with it being a massive opportunity for me, I wasn't. I was young, confident and fearless &mdash; a situation where "ignorance is bliss" applied, perhaps. I got off the elevator and entered Excel's office, where Sam waited for me. The office space was impressive, yet refreshingly casual and comfortable despite the stuffiness of the building's lobby. Sam introduced me to Duane Cooper, a former NBA player who had a role with the company assisting with recruiting new clients. I then met Jayme Messler, the head of marketing, followed by Heidi, Jeff's assistant. Sam and I sat in his office for a short time and chatted while Jeff finished a phone call.&nbsp;
After a few minutes, Jeff walked into Sam's office. He was a nice-looking, polished professional with an intense presence. Jeff briefly asked about my background, but then cut to the chase and shifted his focus by drilling me about my intention to be a sports agent and my commitment to pursuing that career path. He also explained, and pretty much warned me, that being a sports agent was challenging and not for everyone. I told him I was sure that I wanted to be an agent and that I thought I would be successful, having a good understanding of the inner workings of the NBA due to the exposure my family had given me and that my network should serve me well in that industry. I assured him that I lived and breathed basketball and the NBA.
He then questioned my ability to handle the pressure that would come with that career path. I explained my experience as a former athlete had prepared me. Ultimately, he asked if I had considered going to law school. I explained that I felt prepared to begin a full-time career in basketball. My answers to his questions seemed well-received, as both Jeff and Sam subtly nodded their heads with apparent approval. Jeff told me it wasn't the best timing to add someone to their staff, but he would talk to Sam to discuss options. Before I knew it, Jeff shook my hand, thanked me for coming and walked out of the room. Sam followed him and asked me to wait there for a few minutes. When Sam came back into his office, he said he thought our meeting went well, and he was optimistic. He said, "I think this is going to work." I hopped into another cab and headed back to LAX Airport to catch a flight to Milwaukee, where my parents lived.
Once I got to my parent's house, I was waiting to hear from Sam. I probably should have looked for other jobs instead of putting all of my eggs in one basket. However, I knew that I wanted to work for Excel. So I waited, and then I waited some more. The more time passed, the more antsy and impatient I became. Eventually, I called Sam to check-in.
He told me that he thought something would happen, but he was still trying to push the idea through with Jeff. So I continued to wait for what felt like many more weeks. I was going crazy, as I was so bored and anxious to start my career. I spent a lot of time at the gym lifting weights, binge-watched the entire series of the TV show "Lost" with my mom and pretty much just twiddled my thumbs waiting for the call.
Finally, Sam called. He said, "Alright, we're good to go. I'll book you a flight. You start Monday."
And that's how "My Past Life as a Sports Agent" really began.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/my-past-life-as-a-sports-agent-ciao-means-hello-and-goodbye" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the last entry of this series</a>: "My past life as a sports agent: Ciao means hello and goodbye" 
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.babcockhoops.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BabcockHoops.com</a>.
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Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. Order online now!

Matt Babcock shares how his background of growing up in an NBA family influenced him to pursue a career as a sports agent.

My past life as a sports agent: The real beginning

BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock presents a series that will peel back the curtain from his time as a sports agent, giving a glimpse at some of his personal experiences working in the sports agency business for over a decade.
In the fifth entry of his series, Babcock shares his experience of living in Bologna, Italy as an assistant coach of a professional basketball team before becoming a sports agent. &nbsp; A little over 15 years ago, I received a call from sports agent Sam Goldfeder. On that call, he notified me that he had successfully brokered an assistant coaching position for me with the professional basketball team, Virtus Bologna, in Bologna, Italy. He explained that the team's season had already begun, and if I wanted to accept the job, I would need to pack my bags and fly to Italy right away. Although it was an unorthodox approach to chasing my dream of following in my family's footsteps and working in basketball, I decided to take a chance. I accepted the job. Before I knew it, I left my family's home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to travel nearly 5,000 miles to Bologna, Italy without knowing many details. I was 22 years old and set to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
I vividly remember walking into the gym for my first team practice. I was excited but nervous. The first person I saw had a familiar face: former NBA player Travis Best. I had never met him before, but I had seen him play many times when he was the backup point guard of the great Indiana Pacers teams during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and he also played a role in the basketball movie "He Got Game." Travis approached me, introduced himself and kindly welcomed me to the team. He mentioned that he had gotten to know my uncle, Pete Babcock, the general manager of the Atlanta Hawks, while Travis had been in college at Georgia Tech.
We continued to chat, and it became apparent that he mistakenly thought I was his new teammate. I'm sure he was surprised when I told him I wasn't his teammate but his new assistant coach. Travis was 34 years old at the time and twelve years older than me. Ironically, I was there to start my coaching career as a 22-year-old kid, and he was winding down his playing career, which included ten years in the NBA. Although more of a complementary player while he was in the NBA, Travis was a star in Italy and widely known throughout Bologna as "The Best." He was our team's top player. He treated me well, and despite our age difference, we developed a friendship during my time there.
Following my conversation with Travis, I met the rest of the team. Many of them I had seen play numerous times when they were college stars in the United States. We had big man Kris Lang who had played at North Carolina, Danish forward Christian Drejer who played at Florida, sharpshooter Brett Blizzard from UNC-Wilmington, Ilian Evtimov from North Carolina State and even a fellow Arizona Wildcat, Bennett Davison, who was at U of A before me. He was also a college roommate of my former assistant coach, Josh Pastner. Their team won the National Championship in 1997. Bear Down!
It would be great to say that I finally felt at home in this foreign country once my first practice with the team had started. However, that wouldn't be true. It was quite the opposite, as I quickly found myself out of my element.
Let me explain.
Our team was conducting what is commonly called a "shell drill," which is a traditional exercise for a team to work on their defensive positioning and rotations. I had seen and done the shell drill what felt like a million times at that point. I would have been entirely confident to explain the principles of the drill and provide extensive direction to anyone at any time and without any preparation. Everything started with that drill as I would have expected. The players on offense each took a stationary position around the perimeter and moved the ball from one player to another. Each defensive team member would shift their position depending on the place of the ball. Up to that point, everything was normal. However, one of the players threw a skip pass and drove baseline to force the team to make a more dramatic defensive rotation. That is when things got kooky.
Rather than the nearby post player sliding over to the baseline to cut off the driving ball-handler, which is the standard way of doing it in the United States, the weak side guard sprinted from the opposite end of the court to cut off the man instead. When that happened, my mouth opened, and my jaw hit the ground in disbelief. I had never seen or heard of anything like that before. Travis Best looked at me and started cracking up. He said, "I was waiting for that to happen. I knew that you would be shocked." The other American players caught on, and everyone had a nice laugh before resuming practice. I thought, "This isn't going to be as easy as I thought."
I learned that Europeans do many things differently regarding practicing, playing, coaching and preparing for the game. And although I can't say I agree with all of the philosophies, I am happy I was able to experience something new. As an ambitious 22 year old, I needed to learn and develop. Learning from a coach with significantly different coaching methods challenged me and allowed me to open my mind to new ideas. It also forced me to make decisions internally about how I saw the game and how I thought it should be played.
I had been provided a car by the team, but I was lucky to have my apartment in the "city centre" (downtown), so I could easily walk around the city. It was a short walk from the Piazza Maggiore, the main square in town, and I spent much of my time just wandering and exploring. Rich in history, Bologna was one of the most prominent cities in Europe during the Middle Ages and is the home of the University of Bologna, the oldest university in the world. It's still considered a college town.
Another part worth noting is that Bologna is in the Emilia-Romagna region, which is known for its food and wine in a country famous for its culinary excellence. Yes, the food there really was good! During my time in Bologna, I established a newfound love for gelato, espresso, vino tinto (red wine) and numerous traditional Italian dishes, including ragu alla bolognese (bolognese sauce), which originated in Bologna. I ate so much pasta! My culinary experience while in Italy was indescribably good. However, my off-the-court experiences in Italy can not be summed up that easily.
My eyes were opened more and more as I met new people and experienced different things. I learned that Italians generally choose to intently live every part of their lives with passion. That was something that made an impact on me. I have tried to adopt and apply that approach to my own life and "stop and smell the roses," even today.
Throughout Italy, soccer is the top sport. However, in Bologna, basketball is king. During the 2006-2007 season, that was especially true as my team, Virtus, and our cross-town rival Climamio were the top two teams in all of Italy. To add to the excitement of being a part of that great rivalry, Climamio had the top international NBA prospect on their team, Marco Belinelli, who attracted many NBA personnel to town to evaluate him. The Golden State Warriors selected Belinelli with the 18th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
I was regularly invited to dinner by NBA scouts who were in town to see Belinelli,which was a terrific experience for a young guy like myself trying to learn and grow within the basketball world. Ristorante da Nello was the usual choice for NBA folks. I remember on one occasion going to dinner with Jacinto Castillo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Dennis Lindsey of the Houston Rockets. Jacinto, a Spaniard from Malaga, Spain, worked with my dad for years and is one of my favorite people. I did and still do consider him to be "the most interesting man in the world." Dennis Lindsey, the assistant general manager for the Rockets, has been a friend of my family for years and someone I have always respected. He has been an executive in the NBA for years.
I have been fortunate to have had many opportunities like that dinner with people like Jacinto and Dennis. Some of my most valuable learning experiences throughout my life and career have been at dinners where I've been a sponge listening to veteran basketball people share thoughts, opinions, and stories. Those experiences have probably contributed to my development as a basketball person more than anything else, and I'm certainly thankful for them.
Days and weeks passed, and I continued to fall in love with the city, the country and the culture. I also became close with the players and my co-workers on the team. Socially everything was great for me, and I loved living in Bologna. However, I had gone there blindly without really knowing any details about the job. After I arrived, I was informed that I could not travel with the team until I received a coaching license. They talked to me about getting the license and having me commit to a two-year contract. However, I was unsure if I wanted to commit to being away from home for so long. Also, I was given little direction in terms of what the expectations were for my role. In hindsight, I needed guidance and structure, as I was young and immature. Honestly, I wasn't ready for a job like that yet, and I struggled to find my footing workwise.
When winter break came, all of the players went home for a couple of weeks, but the team had me stay in town, although there wasn't any work for me to do. I remember driving around by myself on Christmas night, lost and hungry, desperately searching for somewhere to eat dinner because the restaurant I usually went to was closed. During that pitiful drive, the song by Stevie Wonder, "I Just Called to Say I Love You," came on the radio, and I began to miss my family, and subsequently, homesickness crept in.
It was something I had never dealt with before, and in the following days, I began to look at the glass as half empty and harped on the negatives. I called Sam Goldfeder, who had become my mentor. I talked with him about my frustrations, and over a few weeks, we discussed the idea of me working for him and his agency, Excel Sports Management. He said he would do his best to push the idea through, but for any job to come to fruition, I would need to meet with his partner and the company owner, Jeff Schwartz.
I ultimately decided to leave Bologna, Italy, and fly back to the United States to meet with Sam and Jeff in Los Angeles.
And that's when my career as a sports agent really began.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/my-past-life-as-a-sports-agent-bologna-italy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the last entry of this series</a>: "My past life as a sports agent: Bologna, Italy" 
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.babcockhoops.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BabcockHoops.com</a>.
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Matt Babcock shares his experience living of in Italy as a pro assistant basketball coach before becoming a sports agent.

My past life as a sports agent: Ciao means hello and goodbye

With the 2022 NBA Draft less than a month away, BasketballNews.com will have you covered from top to bottom. The NBA Draft Combine in Chicago began the pre-draft process for a number of hopeful prospects as they try to break into the league.
I had the opportunity to catch up with Ohio State swingman Malaki Branham, who averaged 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game in his lone season with the Buckeyes. We discussed his start in basketball, playing in his home state, his second-half surge and how he'll translate to the next level.
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Let's start with your background. What's your hometown?
Malaki Branham: "My hometown is Columbus, Ohio, where I was born and raised."
Could you tell me a little bit about your family background?
Branham: "I have a small circle. It's my mom, my little brother, my uncle, my auntie and my grandma. That's about it. My trainer is also like family. I've been working with him for seven-plus years, so he became family."
Did you play any other sports growing up?
Branham: "No, not really. When I was younger, I played soccer and baseball, but basketball has always been everything to me."
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When did you first start getting into organized basketball?
Branham: "Probably when I was 8 or 9. I started playing AAU early on, and things just took off from there."
At what point in your development did it start to click that you might have a bright future in basketball?
Branham: "It was my eighth-grade year. I dunked on somebody; that was my first in-game dunk but my first "poster" too. I thought, 'If I keep working, I can do something with this.'"
How tall were you when that happened?
Branham: I was around 6-2, 6-3. And I'm 6-5 now, so I've grown a few inches.
Being from Ohio, what was it like to be able to stay home and play at Ohio State?
Branham: "It meant everything to me, getting to play for my hometown school. I loved every second I was there on campus with the coaching staff and everyone. It was a good feeling to play for my hometown and have my family watch me too."
In our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> on BasketballNews.com, we have you projected to the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 14. How would you feel if that ended up being the case?
Branham: "It would be cool! Many people back home want me to stay and play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. It's just a blessing to be in this position."
I saw you early on in the season at the Fort Myers Classic. At that point, you were starting, but not getting a lot of shots. Then, midway through the season, you started to explode. From your perspective, what began to click for you to elevate your game so dramatically?
Branham: "I didn't have the biggest role on the team to start. In the beginning, I was trying to fit in. Then, when we played Wisconsin at home, I had 0 points and 4 turnovers. I texted Coach [Chris] Holtmann after the game and thanked him for letting me play through the mistakes that I was making. I was just frustrated with myself, I looked in the mirror and said, 'We need to get to work.'
"From that point, the Nebraska game came, and I kept that in the back of my head and wanted to make sure that the game wasn't just a fluke. I just wanted to be consistent the rest of the year, and I feel like I did that."
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The Big Ten was stacked this year. I stayed in Indianapolis to watch the entirety of the conference tournament. Who do you think was your toughest matchup this year?
Branham: "The toughest 1-on-1 matchups that I had to guard, I'd probably say Fatts Russell from Maryland; he's a smaller guard, but he's so quick and shifty. I'd also have to say Johnny Davis and Jaden Ivey as well.
"That quick first step that lets [Jaden] get to the rim with ease (makes him a tough matchup). Also, he gets up in the air and gets his shot off from anywhere he wants. With him, I feel like it's him being more explosive than everybody. Johnny is just smooth. He's a bigger guard as well. He gets to the mid-range just like me, so making it tough on him is hard to do. I feel like he plays through a lot of contact.
"Those guys were both a year ahead of me, so they had a feel for Big Ten basketball. I just had to get a feel for how they moved, but I felt like I matched up with them pretty well."
What was your driving force for going all-in on the draft?
Branham: "Really, it was just getting good feedback. I kept working and put my head down, and after, I kept getting good news. I felt like it was too good of an option for me to pass up. I feel like entering the draft with two feet is what I wanted, so I'm just excited to be in this process."
Can you describe yourself as a player?
Branham: "I would say that I'm aggressive. I'm always in attack mode. When I'm between those four lines, I'm in attack mode and aggressive. In the second half of the season, I was aggressive, looking for my shot. I'm also always trying to facilitate for my team too."
Are there any specific aspects of your game that you're looking to improve?
Branham: "Probably tightening my handle. I will be on the wing against bigger and older guys, so I need a tight handle. I'd also like to work on my defensive abilities as well. I'm not going to be a guy who is handling the ball all the time right away, so I need to get some stops on the defensive end to earn that trust on the offensive end."
Are there any current or former players that you model your game after?
Branham: "I watch a lot of Khris Middleton, Devin Booker and those types of guys that can get to the mid-range and are three-level scorers. Those are the guys I model my game after."
If you had to use one word to describe yourself, what would it be?
Branham: 'I'd go with resilient. There will always be tough times in life, but I'm always pushing through. This year was a good example of me being resilient. At the beginning of the year, I wasn't playing as well as I could have, and in the second half, I found a way to push through and get through it."
Let's pretend I'm an NBA general manager. What is your elevator pitch to me as to why I should select you?
Branham: "I live and breathe basketball. I'm a hard worker. So many people say that, but I am genuinely a hard worker. I wake up at 5 a.m. every day and put the work in to perfect my craft. You should select me because I do that and want to get better every day to become the best I possibly can become."
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Matt Babcock speaks with Ohio State wing Malaki Branham about his second-half surge, how he'll translate to the NBA and more.

Emory & Henry Wasps