To the surprise of absolutely no one, Zion Williamson and Ja Morant received two of the 20 invites to the NBA Draft the league handed down on Friday. You’ll see Zion on stage wearing (presumably) a Pelicans jersey after New Orleans selects him No. 1 overall. There is plenty of intrigue surrounding free agency between now and then. One report says D’Angelo Russell is unlikely to return to the Nets if Brooklyn signs Kyrie Irving, and another says Jimmy Butler wants to be a free agent rather than return to the 76ers. Meanwhile, in NBA Finals aftermath, Raptors president of basketball operations, Masai Ujiri, could be charged after an alleged altercation with a police officer.
Of course, Zion and Ja Morant won’t have to wait long to hear their names called Thursday night. What about these other players?
Here is the final list of 20 players that received invitations to attend the NBA draft and sit in the green room, a staging area where players, families and agents wait for commissioner Adam Silver to call a player’s name and shake his hand upon selection. pic.twitter.com/ZqK8rYejXG
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 14, 2019
There are some conflicting reports concerning exactly what happened with Masai Ujiri in the aftermath of the Raptors’ win.
Greg Wiener, a season ticket holder who was standing next to the officer, told The Associated Press the police are not telling the truth and are trying to cover up for what the officer did. He said Masai Ujiri never struck the officer in the face or asked for a credential.
— Rob Gillies (@rgilliescanada) June 14, 2019
Sounds like Bob Myers wants to get the band back together at Golden State, even if Klay and KD can’t play for a while.
Bob Myers on the free agency future of Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson pic.twitter.com/zU1FT3HFB3
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 14, 2019
Indiana is a possible landing place for D’Angelo Russell if Kyrie Irving comes to Brooklyn.
From earlier: The Pacers are among the teams who have interest in D’Angelo Russell, whose restricted free agency would be impacted by Kyrie Irving signing with Brooklyn. More here: https://t.co/FeuCP4BkBP
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 15, 2019
No surprise here: Jimmy Butler has said all along he’d likely become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Yahoo Sources: Sixers forward Jimmy Butler intends to decline his $19.8 million player option to test free agency. https://t.co/on89pYddQx
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 14, 2019
TOP STORIES
• Zion Williamson, Ja Morant headline 20 players invited to NBA draft | Yahoo Sports
• Battery charge sought against Raptors’ Masai Ujiri for NBA Finals altercation | San Francisco Chronicle
• GM says Warriors’ outlook on Klay, KD unaffected | ESPN.com
