Category: News

While a handful of trades were announced in the lead-up to the 2021 NBA Draft, things were pretty quiet while the first 15 picks came and went. And then, the Oklahoma City Thunder found themselves on the clock with the No. 16 selection, and in classic Sam Presti fashion, the team opted to do some wheeling and dealing.

Adrian Wojnarowski announced that the Thunder would send the pick to the Houston Rockets, and in exchange, Houston would send them a pair of future first-round selections.

Further reporting indicated the picks would not come from the Rockets, but instead, would be a pair of selections that the Rockets have in their war chest of assets from other teams.

From there, the Rockets were on the board and opted to take a swing by selecting Alperen Sengun, a 19-year-old center from Turkey.

The Rockets are going to be a busy team this evening — the team also picks 23rd and 24th as of this writing — and opted to pair Sengun with No. 2 pick Jalen Green. Sengun is a fascinating selection, as the teenage big man was the Turkish League MVP this past year as a teenager and is viewed as one of the most interesting offensive big men prospects in the 2021 Draft.

The 2020-21 Washington Wizards finished strong, at least in the regular season. Washington closed with a 17-6 run, overcoming a maddening start and reaching the playoffs. Things didn’t go particularly well against the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening round, but Washington at least left the campaign with less of a sour taste, and they did it despite injuries to key pieces like Deni Avdija and Thomas Bryant.

Because Washington made the postseason, they don’t have a lottery pick, but they land in the middle of the first round with the chance to add talent. The Wizards did select a pair of combo forwards in the last two drafts but, aside from that, Washington can go in most directions in the Draft, even after the blockbuster Russell Westbrook trade that landed them Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the No. 22 pick in Thursday’s Draft.

Roster Needs: Perimeter depth, a long-term starting center, organizational clarity

Corey Kispert (No. 15 Overall), Grade: B

This is totally reasonable, even if unsexy. Kispert is a knockdown shooter and he has enough size and athleticism to eventually hold up at a reasonable level defensively. There isn’t a ton of upside, but Washington was void of shooting for much of last season aside from Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans. Kispert should fix that as a prospect capable of playing rotation minutes quickly.

2021-22 Roster
Bradley Beal
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Kyle Kuzma
Montrezl Harrell
Davis Bertans
Thomas Bryant
Rui Hachimura
Deni Avdija
Corey Kispert
Chandler Hutchison
Daniel Gafford (non-guaranteed)
Anthony Gill (non-guaranteed)
Caleb Homesley (non-guaranteed)

2021 Free Agents
Isaac Bonga (RFA)
Robin Lopez (UFA)
Garrison Mathews (RFA)
Alex Len (UFA)
Raul Neto (UFA)
Ish Smith (UFA)
Cassius Winston (RFA)

The 2020-21 Indiana Pacers came within a Play-in victory of reaching the NBA Playoffs, but it was also something of a lost season for the franchise. After five straight postseason appearances and five straight first round exits, Indiana went in another direction on the bench in hiring Nate Bjorkgren, but that experiment was short-lived and major health issues (especially with TJ Warren) held the team back considerably during a maddening campaign. The future is relatively bright, however, as Rick Carlisle arrives to right the ship and the entire core remains under contract.

Beyond the obvious health ramifications, the Pacers have a strong nucleus, though they remain a team with several quality pieces but no transcendent stars. Indiana’s roster lends itself to “best player available player” with a lottery pick, particularly with a relative lack of depth beyond their fully entrenched starters.

Roster Needs: Another wing, health for TJ Warren

Chris Duarte (No. 13 Overall), Grade: B-

In a vacuum, I’m open to Duarte late in the lottery. He’s not for everyone, largely because he’s already 24 years old, but the Oregon standout came to basketball late and he could have some more development coming. The Pacers are perpetually trying to compete, and Duarte can help them do that. I did knock them down by a half-grade because Moses Moody is the superior prospect, and they could’ve taken him.

2021-22 Roster
Malcolm Brogdon
Domantas Sabonis
Myles Turner
Caris LeVert
TJ Warren
Jeremy Lamb
Chris Duarte
Justin Holiday
Aaron Holiday
Goga Bitadze
Oshae Brissett (non-guaranteed)
Kelan Martin (non-guaranteed)

2021 Free Agents
Amida Brimah (RFA)
TJ McConnell (UFA)
Doug McDermott (UFA)
JaKarr Sampson (UFA)
Cassius Stanley (RFA)
Edmond Sumner (Team Option)

After making the NBA Playoffs in 22 consecutive seasons and winning five championships along the way, the San Antonio Spurs missed the postseason in both 2019-20 and 2020-21. The Spurs weren’t a terrible team during either campaign, but gone are the days in which San Antonio could (figuratively) roll out of bed to 50 wins and a healthy stature in the Western Conference pecking order. Still, there are talented players on the roster, a legendary head coach in place and a lottery pick on the way to bolster the team’s roster talent.

San Antonio has a big decision to make with DeMar DeRozan hitting free agency, as the veteran wing has been the team’s lead shot creator since arriving in the deal for Kawhi Leonard. Beyond that and other free agent decisions like Patty Mills and Rudy Gay, the Spurs have something of a blank canvas for their draft pick, allowing the team to pursue the best available prospect with limited hindrance.

Roster Needs: Lead shot creator, a starting-caliber wing, general depth

Josh Primo (No. 12 Overall), Grade: C-

The Spurs stay the Spurs in that no one ever knows what they’re doing. Primo was seen as a second round guy in some circles just a few weeks ago. There’s been some helium for him recently, but it was still a stunner when he went in the lottery. The thinking would be that Primo is clearly quite talented and, if he returned in a larger role at Alabama, it’s possible he could’ve been a consensus lottery pick in 2022. Make no mistake, I firmly believe this is far too high (and Moses Moody is still on the board, making things uglier), but Primo does have upside.

2021-22 Roster
Dejounte Murray
Derrick White
Jakob Poeltl
Lonnie Walker IV
Devin Vassell
Josh Primo
Luka Samanic
Keldon Johnson
Drew Eubanks (non-guaranteed)
Tre Jones

2021 Free Agents
Keita Bates-Diop (RFA)
DeMar DeRozan (UFA)
Rudy Gay (UFA)
DaQuan Jeffries (Team Option)
Trey Lyles (UFA)
Patty Mills (UFA)
Quinndary Weatherspoon (RFA)

Even with injuries to Gordon Hayward and 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball, the Charlotte Hornets were in the playoff mix until the very end. While the Hornets ultimately fell short in the Play-In, it was a successful season overall, particularly through the lens of what Hayward, Ball, Terry Rozier and Miles Bridges were able to showcase. Still, there is significant competition in the Southeast Division, particularly from the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat, and the Hornets have work to do.

It is reasonable to project Ball as a star of the future, and Hayward looked the part of a max-level player when healthy. The Hornets have another lottery pick to work with in 2021, but they didn’t jump into the top four and there are potential roster holes. P.J. Washington has admirably played center, but he may not be a full-time option at the position and Charlotte’s depth is hitting free agency. In the backcourt, Devonte Graham is up for a new deal, and the Hornets may be a wing short right now, but the future remains bright.

Roster Needs: Center, third guard, wing depth

James Bouknight (No. 11 Overall), Grade: B+

Admittedly, I’m not as high on Bouknight as some, but it is (much) easier to endorse him at No. 11 overall. Charlotte does have a lot of firepower allotted to the backcourt, but Bouknight is a bucket getter of the highest order. Long-term, the thought seems to be that he would fit with LaMelo Ball’s distribution and creativity. The swing for Bouknight could be whether his three-pointer goes in the basket but, considering his stroke, that seems like a reasonable bet and he should return value here. With Devonte’ Graham and Malik Monk both restricted free agents, Charlotte gets a touch of scoring insurance in the backcourt.

2021-22 Roster
Gordon Hayward
Terry Rozier
LaMelo Ball
Mason Plumlee
James Bouknight
Miles Bridges
PJ Washington
Cody Martin (non-guaranteed)
Caleb Martin (non-guaranteed)
Jalen McDaniels (non-guaranteed)
Vernon Carey Jr.
Nick Richards

2021 Free Agents
Bismack Biyombo (UFA)
Nate Darling (RFA)
Devonte’ Graham (RFA)
Malik Monk (RFA)
Grant Riller (RFA)
Brad Wanamaker (RFA)
Cody Zeller (UFA)

When accounting for injuries that kept both Jaren Jackson Jr. and Justise Winslow sidelined for the majority of the season, the 2020-21 campaign was fairly kind to the Memphis Grizzlies. They were defeated in tidy fashion by the top-seeded Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, but Memphis turned in an encouraging 38-34 season behind Ja Morant, with plenty of hope for the future.

Memphis has drafted quite well in the recent past, unearthing gems in Desmond Bane, Xavier Tillman, Brandon Clarke and Dillon Brooks. The Grizzlies are clearly building the ship around that but, beyond the clear need for more perimeter shooting and creation around Morant, this is a roster that doesn’t have screaming issues and that opens things up for the team’s brain trust to focus on value. They made a big move in trading Jonas Valanciunas to New Orleans to move up to the 10th pick from 17, taking on Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams’ salaries in the process, seeming to indicate they had their eyes on someone in particular.

Roster Needs: Shooting (and health for Jaren Jackson Jr.), another big wing

Ziaire Williams (No. 10 Overall), Grade: C+

Williams is a fascinating prospect. He endured a brutal season in myriad ways and, if you simply scouted Williams from his time at Stanford, this pick would seem quite aggressive. At the same time, he has the length and shooting potential to return value here. If anything, I’m probably higher on Williams than some, but the knock on this pick would be that players like Moses Moody were still available.

2021-22 Roster
Steven Adams
Eric Bledsoe (expected to be bought out or traded)
Dillon Brooks
Kyle Anderson
Ja Morant
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Ziaire Williams
De’Anthony Melton
Tyus Jones
Grayson Allen
Brandon Clarke
John Konchar
Desmond Bane
Jontay Porter (non-guaranteed)
Xavier Tillman

Free Agents
Tim Frazier (UFA)
Killian Tillie (RFA)
Justise Winslow (Team Option)

For the past few weeks, Ariana Grande’s focus has been on her sixth album Positions, with her performing “Safety Net,” “Off The Table” and other highlights from the projects. Now, the singer is taking things back to her fourth album for a different kind of release. Grande’s new perfume, titled “God Is A Woman,” after the standout track from her 2018 album, Sweetener, is available on the beauty retailer Ulta’s online store before it hits store shelves August 1. The fragrance comes in a lavender-colored bottle that’s sized at 1.7 ounces for $55 and 3.4 ounces for $65.

The fragrance is cruelty-free and 100% vegan, and it’s Grande’s first perfume with clean, 91% naturally derived ingredients. According to Billboard, a press release for the fragrance describes it as “a soft opening of juicy pear and ambrette evolves into a wonderfully sensuous floral heart of Turkish rose petals, paired with divine orris.” It adds, “Finally, the drydown unfolds into a warming blend of Madagascar vanilla and a creamy, woody twist of cedarwood. The signature lies in the natural ambrette, that while on top, still leaves its mark throughout wear with its skin-sensual musk, leaving an alluring trail.”

The Ariana Grande Fragrance Brand plans to donate $5 for every purchase of the perfume towards clean-up initiatives. The charitable campaign, which begins on July 29 and ends on August 11, promises to donate at least $75,000 to the cause.

You can purchase the God Is A Woman fragrance through Ulta’s website here.

There was a lot to like about the 2020-21 Sacramento Kings, but there were also a lot of questions. On the positive side, the Kings finished the season with an above-average offense, riding the production of De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes to go along with a rookie breakout from Tyrese Haliburton. On the other end of the floor, though, the Kings struggled mightily, underachieving even when compared to relatively unimpressive defensive talent.

Fast-forward to the summer of 2021 and the Kings have some interesting decisions. The team’s core including Fox and Haliburton, if nothing else, but they also have high-priced veterans in Barnes and Buddy Hield. From there, Sacramento’s best center (Richaun Holmes) is entering unrestricted free agency and there is the never-ending question of Marvin Bagley’s future. The Kings do have a lottery pick to bolster their reserves, but a pivot point could be approaching for the organization.

Roster Needs: A starting center, wing help, a resolution for Marvin Bagley

Davion Mitchell (No. 9 Overall), Grade: D

I promise this isn’t an instance of bashing Davion Mitchell. He is a real prospect that was tremendous in leading Baylor to a national title, and Mitchell should have a long, fruitful career. With that said, I don’t understand this pick. Sacramento’s best player (De’Aaron Fox) and best prospect (Tyrese Haliburton) are both guards, and Mitchell would fall behind each of them. Haliburton does have some size, but it’s hard to see all three playing together with regularity, as Mitchell is point guard-sized and an unproven shooter outside of a breakout junior season. Mitchell can help them defensively, to be sure, but this is a lofty price to pay for the role Mitchell projects to have on this team.

2021-22 Roster
De’Aaron Fox
Buddy Hield
Harrison Barnes
Marvin Bagley III
Davion Mitchell
Delon Wright
Tyrese Haliburton
Damian Jones (non-guaranteed)
Justin James (non-guaranteed)
Chimezie Metu (non-guaranteed)
Jahmi’us Ramsey
Robert Woodard II

2021 Free Agents
Nemanja Bjelica (UFA)
Terence Davis (RFA)
Kyle Guy (RFA)
Maurice Harkless (UFA)
Richaun Holmes (UFA)
Hassan Whiteside (UFA)

Thursday was a big day for House of Gucci, the forthcoming fashionista drama and one of two Ridley Scott films due before year’s end. Earlier, social media lost it over the new posters, specifically the one where Jared Leto once again looks nothing like Jared Leto. Later in the day people got to see him in action, in the first official trailer, which milks one of the couture world’s wildest true tales.

The film finds Lady Gaga belatedly following up A Star is Born, which took someone who was already a Golden Globe-winning thespian next level as an actress. She plays Partrizia Reggiani, the woman infamous for (spoiler alert, sort of) ordering the murder of her husband, fashion magnate Maurizio Gucci, played by Adam Driver.

That grim conclusion is buried in a trailer, which is still chock-full of high fashion melodrama, flaring egos, thrown-about wealth, and amazing ‘80s fashions. Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” gets a slightly slower, moodier cover, as is the style of the time, over top images of comfy sweaters, Lamborghinis, and lots of broad Italian accents.

You also get to see the actors, already made instantly amusing in the poster wing of the ad campaign, in action. Leto, who plays Gucci family member Paolo, looks pretty comfortable in his bald patch and giant mustache, though the trailer is pretty skimpy on howling Al Pacino action. (He plays the family patriarch, also named Maurizio, who was also a screen actor.)

House of Gucci hits theaters on November 24. Meanwhile, Scott’s other 2021 release — The Last Duel, reuniting Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, as well as Driver, again — will be released a mere month and change earlier, on October 21.

You can watch the trailer in the video above.

The 2020-21 season didn’t go fully according to plan for the Golden State Warriors, dating back to the fateful news that Klay Thompson suffered a long-term injury in November. All things considered, Steph Curry, Draymond Green and company put together a relatively strong season, finishing with a 39-33 record, but the team’s ceiling was capped by the absence of Thompson and the future is uncertain.

For starters, the Warriors will be looking to compete at the highest level next season, all while living above the luxury tax line. Golden State will be banking on health, particularly for Thompson, Curry and Green, but they also project as an interesting team to monitor in terms of the transaction wire. The Andrew Wiggins trade is now complete, with Golden State acquiring a lottery pick from Minnesota, and the Warriors have their own pick to go along with young players like James Wiseman and Jordan Poole. In short, though, the stakes are much higher for the Warriors than a typical 39-33 team.

Roster Needs: Health, another ball-handler, wing depth

Jonathan Kuminga (No. 7 Overall), Grade: B

This is a tough evaluation. On raw talent, Kuminga is a very solid pick at No. 7 overall. In fact, it would be easy to argue that he has top-five upside (or higher) if things come together. On the flip side, Kuminga has a lot of work to do to reach that ceiling and Golden State is in win-now mode like no other team in the lottery. It’s hard to imagine him helping them during the 2021-22 season, but this is clearly a long-term bet.

2021-22 Roster
Stephen Curry
Klay Thompson
Andrew Wiggins
Draymond Green
James Wiseman
Jonathan Kuminga
Kevon Looney
Jordan Poole
Gary Payton II (non-guaranteed)
Damion Lee (non-guaranteed)
Mychal Mulder (non-guaranteed)
Eric Paschall
Alen Smailagic (non-guaranteed)
Juan Toscano-Anderson

2021 Free Agents
Kent Bazemore (UFA)
Jordan Bell (RFA)
Nico Mannion (RFA)
Kelly Oubre Jr. (UFA)