The first day of scrimmages was Thursday, following two days of testing and drills, which followed the lottery and the G League Elite camp, in what’s become an annual weeklong summit for league business.
Some years, there’s enough separation between the top prospects that the question of who’s going isn’t a question at all .
Based on some of the chatter I heard over the course of this season, there was enough love for Cade Cunningham atop the draft that he felt easy to pencil in, regardless of who won the lottery.
He arrived from Oklahoma City after the 2020 season, overseeing a successful draft that landed Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey in the teens and Killian Hayes, a Weaver favorite , at No.
Weaver and his front office hold the cards atop the draft here, and it’s a situation the rest of the NBA will monitor closely in the days and weeks to come.
There’s belief around the league that Cleveland prefers to move on from Sexton, rather than sign him to a deal that would greatly inhibit their flexibility moving forward.
As for the on-court portion of the combine, scrimmages began on Thursday and will conclude on Friday, with a series of agency-run pro days scheduled by the NBA in the days that follow.
Primo looked impressive in drills Wednesday and carried that momentum into Thursday’s games, showcasing a level of confidence playing on the ball and strong defensive ability that wasn’t always evident over the course of his freshman season.
He finished with just seven points and six rebounds on Thursday, but Primo’s feel and skills relative to his age, coupled with his obvious comfort level playing in this setting against older players, has begun to separate him from the pack.
Preston was the standout in the day’s second game, putting together an exceptional stretch of play in the second half and standing out as the best passer on any of the four combine teams. He finished with 10 points and just one assist, but played a huge role in facilitating for his team, and his unselfishness was contagious.
It’s been a positive few days at the combine for Preston overall, as he’s flashed underrated athletic ability, played active defense, and shot the ball better than some teams expected in drills.
Grimes has good size for a two-guard and has come a long way since his days at Kansas, emerging as a reliable shooter and capable ball-mover, and he made a number of quality reads Thursday.
Hyland has a reputation as a bit of a gunner, and his defense isn’t particularly stellar, but his performance Thursday certainly helped his standing in the minds of NBA teams, who were curious to see him against better competition.
Players took part in testing on Tuesday and Wednesday in addition to a series of drills that placed them in game-like situations, a much better showcase for prospects than in years past, when the NBA held drills and scrimmages over just two days and the schedule often felt cramped.
According to a source with knowledge of the proceedings, the NBA had to draw six times for four slots, with the order being Detroit, then Houston, then Detroit again, then Cleveland, Cleveland again, and finally, Toronto.