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New York Times
12 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
2025 NBA Draft Confidential: Coaches, execs, scouts on Khaman Maluach, top center prospects
The evidence keeps trickling in. The Oklahoma City Thunder, like the Cavaliers, Celtics, Knicks, Mavericks, Bucks and other teams in the last couple of years, have used two big men lineups on the floor — 7-foot center Isaiah Hartenstein and 7-1 forward Chet Holmgren — to great impact. Small-ball lineups still dominate the NBA game, but size matters, more and more, and especially in the postseason. Advertisement Part of it is evolution. More bigs come into the game such as Cleveland's Evan Mobley, who can handle and pass as well as score, and was given the keys to the Cavaliers' offensive car this season by first-year head coach Kenny Atkinson. A big who can initiate offense like Mobley is a godsend to teams that can see their star guards stymied by hard shows on pick-and-rolls, or otherwise taken out of rhythm. Cleveland ripped off a 64-win regular season, as Mobley unlocked all of the features of his game, while also anchoring Cleveland's top-five defense with center Jarrett Allen. Similarly talented bigs like Bam Adebayo in Miami can draw defenses their way. This year's NBA draft features a number of bigs who have a plethora of offensive skills. And some still bother to block a shot or two. Like Duke freshman Khaman Maluach, who's rising rapidly up draft boards in the last days before the draft. Whatever your preference. They haven't been played off the floor yet. Once again, I make no bones about the fact that this is the NBA version of my NFL colleague Bruce Feldman's annual NFL Draft Confidential. As that work pairs perfectly with Dane Brugler's monster NFL draft preview, The Beast, I hope my contributions serve as a complement to Sam Vecenie's exhaustive annual NBA Draft Guide. Sam is the first and last word on NBA prospects, having scouted and/or seen almost everyone over the last couple of years. But I have spent some time on this. I've spent the last two-plus months talking with nearly three dozen college head and assistant coaches, NBA executives, scouts and other personnel types who've all either seen or coached against most of this year's crop. (I try not to ask coaches about their own players, because it's often hard for them to give me a real and objective evaluation of their own guys.) In exchange for anonymity, they tell me the truth, both good and bad, about what they think about the players. As ever, this is not a mock draft. Really, it's not even a 'Big Board.' And, I didn't ask about every single player that's in every single mock. I have to cut this off somewhere. I know Florida guard Alijah Martin has a chance to be taken, for example. He's a hell of a defensive player. But I don't know that you'd read 10,000 words apiece on all of the guards, wings and bigs who could possibly be taken. So I made some decisions. But, there's still plenty to chew on here. Have at it! It's hard to teach 7-foot-1, 253 pounds, and 75 percent from the floor on 2-pointers. And being a vital part of a Final Four team. And being just 18 years old. Cooper Flagg got most of the attention at Duke this past season, but Maluach certainly didn't disappoint, either, after coming out of the NBA Academy Africa from South Sudan, playing in the Basketball Africa League and playing on South Sudan's men's team — at 17 years old — as it clinched its first-ever Olympic tournament berth last summer. South Sudan then nearly shocked the world in a one-point exhibition loss to the U.S. men in London, with Maluach scoring seven points off the bench, before South Sudan beat Puerto Rico in the opening round of the Games. At Duke, Maluach was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team, averaging 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks on 71.2 percent shooting from the field in 39 games. He ranked sixth in the country in offensive rebound percentage (16.5) and 2-point percentage (75.4). There's a reason the Spurs, per league sources, have already had him in twice for pre-draft visits. It's not likely San Antonio would take him with its No. 2 overall pick, but the Spurs certainly know that they'll probably need to secure a second top-10 pick to have a real chance at taking him. Maybe top five. Advertisement College head coach No. 1 (his team played Duke): I actually think he has the biggest upside of anybody in the draft. … He's huge. And he's long. He's a good athlete. And I think he has natural defensive instincts. He shoots the ball better than I think, maybe, he was able to show this year. He's a live body. He's enthusiastic about playing. It seems he loves the process, is not afraid of it. He's competitive. He's not afraid. He's ready to mix it up if he needs to. His length, size and athleticism, and then when you add those other things, I think the only thing that could stop him is injury. Western Conference executive No. 1: Guys like him are only in one place for 11 to 13 years, and they're starters. What's the worst scenario he could be? Clint Capela? If you watched him in FIBA, offensively, it's two completely different talents than he showed at Duke. In FIBA, he's shooting 3s. At Duke … no. But there were a couple of times where he did do it and you're like, ah, that's what I saw at FIBA. He plays hard. He seems like a great kid. Rebounds. And Duke bigs — (Dereck) Lively was undervalued, and he's turned out to be damned good. Mark Williams. The general manager who has enough (guts) to take him earlier than Tre, maybe even Edgecombe, I could see him being the under the radar (pick) that nobody's really pinpointing to maybe screw up the (draft) order a little bit. College assistant coach No. 1 (his team played Duke): I got up next to the kid. He's huge. And he's untapped. He's got a world of potential. He goes after everything. He rebounds. And offensively, he's untapped. Few big men have as much in their offensive quiver as Maryland's freshman Derik Queen, who was Big 10 Rookie of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection. The 6-9 power forward can pass and score – sometimes, with his team's season on the line. Where he goes next week is up in the air, though; he's all over the place from the mid- to late Lottery. South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles turns heads at the other end of the floor, as one of the best defenders in the country, with just enough offense to not get played off the floor. Georgetown center Thomas Sorber missed a large chunk of the Hoyas' season with an injury, but he showed substantial two-way potential in his one season on the Hilltop, and his Green Room invite this week only solidifies the growing belief he'll be a top-20 pick. Right alongside him may be Georgia freshman Asa Newell, whose game puts some in mind of Obi Toppin when he turned two great years at Dayton into a top-10 draft selection, and Michigan junior Danny Wolf, an all-Big 10 selection who almost averaged a double-double (13.2 ppg, 9.7 rpg) for the Wolverines. Eastern Conference executive No. 1: I've been telling our guys, you watch him before the games, and he (seems) lackadaisical. He doesn't show a serious side. And that's a turnoff to some people. I'm like, think of Naz Reid when he was at LSU. It was the same damn thing. The games never get too big for (Queen). Advertisement College assistant coach No. 2 (his team played Maryland): The skill is real. The knowledge of the game, and how to get to where he needs to go, crafty, is a real thing. He's not jumping over a phone book. I worry about, can he guard? Who he's going to guard is my question. I don't worry about him at all on offense. But I don't think he can guard fives. I don't think he's great in pick-and-roll defense, and I don't think he can move well enough laterally to guard Giannis and Michael Porter Jr., these scorers. He tries on defense, I think. I just don't think he moves well enough for it to be as good as it needs to be if he's not going to be a guy who's going to be super efficient on offense. I like him a lot (though). He can pass. He's a willing passer. He actually wants to pass. He can really see the floor. He can survey. He can get to his spot. He can make a shot off both feet. He can knock you off balance. He can get to the free-throw line. He's a good rebounder. There's a lot to like. The defensive part is where I have questions. Who's he guarding? Can he guard (Mikal) Bridges? Can he guard Josh Hart? Can he guard Stew (Isaiah Stewart), the next tier of guys who aren't the primary offensive option, but they know how to cut, how to go to the glass? College assistant coach No. 3 (his team played Maryland): I am not a Derik Queen guy. He can't shoot. Look at his 3-point percentage and number of attempts. I don't know who he's going to guard. Very skilled with the ball, because he's got great hands. Good from 15 feet on in. Doesn't run fast or hard. But he hardly took any 3s. And the way the NBA game is right now, what are you gonna do? But he's a great rebounder. Western Conference scout No. 1: Nice kid. Heavy emphasis on kid. We interviewed him, and he's 19 going on 14. He can do one thing: he can score. But you don't want to have to rely on a rookie scoring for you to contribute. College assistant coach No. 4 (his team played South Carolina): I would say I love his game. He was a little bit like Draymond (Green), similar size. Great passer in the short roll. You couldn't double him because he'd make you pay. Just really hard to guard. Analytically, I had that scout. He was shooting a crazy percentage within three feet of the basket. He shoots such a high percentage and no one can really stop him from getting that close. He's such a good dribbler and he's so strong. It just makes him unique. He shot 62 from two on the year. The midrange kind of drew it down a little bit, but when he got close, the ball's going in, or he's getting to the free throw line. That, combined with the passing … and the rebounding is elite. He's so quick, and has such a good feel for where the ball's going. There's some awesome plays, some great defensive plays, where most guys would get a deflection, he'd just catch the ball. They'd throw it right to his hands, and it just, like, sticks. The shooting is the biggest question, but I think he has everything else. … He seems like he's a great kid, even though they were struggling. He was playing really hard. College head coach No. 2 (his team played South Carolina): He was a handful. The thing I worry about with him is we didn't guard him on the perimeter. He's undersized. If you're undersized in the NBA, you've got to be able to shoot. I look at a guy like Draymond, who could shoot in college. I don't know if he'll ever be a respectable enough shooter where you have to guard him. Back in the day, guys used to work to get NBA money. Now they already get NBA money. So I don't know how hard he's going to work at shooting. If I'm making $2 million and I'm at South Carolina, I ain't worrying about shooting. But we couldn't keep him off the glass. He's physical. He knows how to score around the rim. Advertisement College assistant coach No. 5 (his team played South Carolina): He's really good positionally, and he's so strong. So you can never get to your spots. Rebounds. I think the thing is his strength. It's hard for you to get to where you want to get to. Just trying to get to your plays, he holds you, and he's so strong. They hedged. He hedges extremely hard, so it makes it hard for you to turn the corner. He does a great job of being able to hard hedge and get back to his guy. They did drop and level at times. But he was more of a hedge guy. He's got good feet. Very long arms, too, so it's very hard to throw over the top. He could potentially guard at three, but as far as playing the three, his handle and shot, he's not there. Obviously, he defends extremely well. He walls up at the rim when you try to score over him. His shooting is not good. But him going over that right shoulder, he's money down low. College assistant coach No. 6 (his team played Georgetown): He's not terribly tall. I thought, for a young big guy, his motor was incredible. A lot of times, young big guys don't play quite hard enough. He had a grown man's motor as a freshman. You look at his face, you can tell he was a baby; he has the braces. He's so young. But he plays hard. Great face-up game. But I was impressed with his motor. Against us, we were fronting, he had a catch and finish like, holy s—. He's talented. I think he has the touch to kind of extend his range out. He's a pretty good jump shooter. He just shot 15-footers, face-ups and that kind of stuff. I think he's got the touch to be able to extend his range. To be able to play that hard, and if he can shoot it some, I like his progression. That's something he'll have to work on. But I don't think he's far off from what his NBA game, or style should be – a hard-playing four who can stretch it. He's not a center at the next level. He's not a 7-foot monster like some of those guys are. He battles in the post. … He's not a true center. I don't think he can guard a (Nikola) Jokić. He can guard Myles Turner, probably. But not the bigger centers. Defensively, he contested shots. He was good in ball screens. They did some zone, they did some switching. The effort was there. His motor was real, his talent was real. College assistant coach No. 7: He played in, what, 20 games, 23 games, before he got hurt? He's got a chance to be really good. He's really skilled. Thinks the game. But he's got a lot of stuff to work on. … He's a good athlete, but he's not a great athlete. He reminds me of a David West type, eventually. David could pass, he was pretty skilled, smart. Eastern Conference executive No. 1: He's long. He'll shoot the 3, and sometimes shoots it when he shouldn't. But there's an upside that I like there. (Obi) Toppin's a little better athlete, but Newell's longer. There's a point of interest with him. College assistant coach No. 4 (his team played Georgia): I was surprised he was able to score the way he did in the SEC, just based on what he did at Montverde. When he was younger, there were times when he really struggled to score. He would catch the ball and just look a little awkward. They did an amazing job with him, to do what he did. He would get some easy ones that he probably won't get at the next level, like rim runs or transition; that kind of drove his percentages up. I do feel like he made a jump scoring the ball. He would let it fly. When he was open, he would shoot it. He didn't turn many down. Didn't shoot it great from 3, but I don't think he took many bad ones. …Really nice kid, worker. I think he has a chance to make a jump because of who he is, in terms of work ethic and attitude. College assistant coach No. 5 (his team played Georgia): I don't know if he was great against us, but with his length, he's so long, and he offensive rebounds so well, and he's a lob threat. He gets fouled. Lefty, moves well, can run down the floor extremely well. Incredible on the glass. Advertisement Eastern Conference executive No. 2: If you're a fan, you think this is the next Kelly Olynyk. He can think the game, he can pass, he can shoot some. My problem with him is he's (6-11) and he's physical, and he plays like he's 6-6. He does up-and-unders instead of just going over guys. He wants to pass and make plays. It would be one thing if he was a great shooter. He's not a great shooter. College assistant coach No. 3 (his team played Michigan): What they want you to do is drop coverage where he and (Vladislav) Golden can do screen and roll at the elbow. Look at his turnovers. He's a very high turnover machine, because he can't go left very well. He can shoot 3s, so that does translate. He can bring it up as a five. He told Michigan I won't come there if you make me play five. He didn't want to guard fives in college. He did, five-10 minutes a game, but they had Golden. In order for him to be a mismatch, he's got to play the five in the NBA. He is a late developer. He's much better than he was two or three years ago. Multiple bigs could get into the back end of the first round. French center Joan Beringer is one of the youngest guys in the draft — he just turned 18 last November — but held his own this season playing for Cedevita in the Adriatic League. The Celtics, among other teams with late first-round picks, have had Creighton senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner in for a workout. Stanford's Maxime Reynaud was an All-ACC selection (still weird to type 'Stanford' and 'ACC' in the same sentence) who played well in Chicago at the predraft combine. Penn State junior Yanic Konan Niederhauser made an impression late in the season for the Nittany Lions, and stands to be one of the most impactful Penn State big men hoopers since the days of John Amaechi and Frank Brickowski. Eastern Conference executive No. 3: Very, very new to the game. Big (kid). Light on his feet. Shot blocker. High motor. The offensive part is gonna be a wait. Right now, he's a vertical spacer, lob catcher. Just dunks everything around the rim. He's only been competitively playing the last five years. …It's been good for him to leave France and get away from that sort of thing, and now he's in Slovenia. Perfect work conditions. Lives two or three blocks from the gym. Someone might (take) him in the teens. Really, his talent level, he's supposed to be a late 20s guy, maybe mid-20s guy, just with his inexperience. But a big body, live body. You're going to hear from him. Offensively, he's a ways away. But he does have decent instincts. Eastern Conference executive No. 2: Saw him last year at the Under-18s in Finland. Still very raw. But he's come a long way from where he was last year. If you think about Jarrett Allen in college, and just how raw he was, that's what he reminds me of. If you're a fan of his, that's how you have to project him. Just started playing two or three years ago. Good pick and roll defense. There's not a lot there (offensively). You throw it at the rim and he catches it. Western Conference executive No. 2: Raw, young, rim protector and rebounding will keep him around. Solid motor. That kid is a dog, man. He's a horse. He just works all the time. He's just starting to play. Whoever gets him is going to have rim protection, rebounder. And he asks questions. Very smart kid. His hands aren't really the greatest, but he can catch the ball in the dunker's spot. College assistant coach No. 7 (his team played Creighton): I like him. It's tough, because defensively, and I know he kept winning Defensive Player of the Year, but he never left the paint. He changed shots around the basket. I think his offensive game got better. I don't think he's the athlete, mobility guy, that Zach Edey is. But it's legit size. You just can't bypass that. Their system — now maybe, he can do more than he was able to show, based on how they utilized him in their system. He was basically a screen roll guy. But you never really were able to see what he had in his bag. Edey has a little edge to him. I'm not sure Ryan has that. Advertisement Western Conference scout No. 1: He's big as s—, long as f—. Standing reach over nine feet. His interview was spectacular in Chicago. Really bright dude; really smart man. It's hard not to like him. And he's a five-year guy. He's a drop coverage guy, which is fine. But he's a Jakob Poeltl type. He's got some bulk. Three blocks a game this year and three blocks a game last year. Sometimes, you just need competence. You don't need another star. Western Conference scout No. 2: Somebody's gonna get a star in him. Got better each year. A good team is gonna get him, and people are gonna be 'How did they get him?' He's got to get stronger, but he can post up, he can pass, he's got the jump hooks, both hands. Turnaround J. He can step out and shoot 3s. And he can put it on the floor. (Donovan) Clingan went seven (in last year's draft). Zach Edey went nine. Other than (Edey) being bigger, (Raynaud's) more skilled than both of them put together. Western Conference scout No. 1: Hates to be touched. In the playoffs, the way they let you play, you've got to get used to a bit of manhandling. Has some talent. He's like Luke Kornet. Could shoot the ball, great hands, but hated to be touched. He had to learn. Took him a while, but now he's a serviceable player. (Raynaud's) better than Kornet, but he's going to have to find somebody who values his finesse. College head coach No. 3 (his team played Penn State): Love his upside. Should get better and better. Could turn into Kel'el Ware or even be better. Needs to get strong. Needs to continue to improve his ball skills. Other than this past season has lacked playing against high-level competition but has high upside. Eastern Conference executive No. 3: Raw. But size and athleticism, he's got all that. It's an elite combination. He's just learning how to play. The downside is he didn't rebound. He should have been getting an easy 12 rebounds a game. You're just betting that he's going to learn and get better at that stuff. Western Conference scout No. 1: He's a workout warrior. Came to the combine and blew out the numbers. But when I went to see him play … he wasn't interested in playing at all. He played against the big kid at Oregon (Nate Bittle). He didn't show up to play. His numbers show that consistent inconsistency. Now, other people have seen him. But all of a sudden, he's a hot name because of what he did at the combine. But, still, at his worst, he's Mitchell Robinson. And at his best, he could be a lot better than that. Auburn's Johni Broome absolutely maxed out as a super senior for the Tigers, winning SEC Player of the Year honors and leading Auburn to the Final Four and a top-five spot all season. But, it's more likely than not that he'll have to stick as a second-round pick. Serbian forward Bogoljub Marković was named Top Prospect in the Adriatic League this past season, shooting nearly 39 percent on 3s for Mega Basket. The 2024 winner of the award, guard Nikola Topić, was Oklahoma City's first-round pick (12th overall) last year; Heat forward and 2022 first-rounder Nikola Jović took the honors three years ago. Advertisement Kentucky's Amari Williams came to Lexington after four years at Drexel and finished second in the SEC in rebounds (8.5 per game). China's Hansen Yang is ready to make the leap to the NBA after playing for the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association this past season. So is 18-year-old Australian Rocco Zikarsky, whose massive (7-3) size could get him a late second-round look after a couple of years playing for the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL. Zikarsky was also in the NBL's Next Stars program this season with fellow 2025 potential draftees Izan Almansa and Alex Toohey; NBA alumni who were in Next Stars on their way to the league include LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey and Alexandre Sarr. College assistant coach No. 4 (his team played Auburn): Almost looks like he's not playing that hard because he's so good. He was, you're trying to get him to catch the ball as far away as possible because he's such a great dribbler. He's a great passer, especially with his back to the basket. … With Broome, you couldn't double him. You have to play him one-on-one. You're trying to sit on his right shoulder so hard, but it's so good, he could still get to it, somehow. You're yelling at your guys, but it was impossible to stop him from getting to that right shoulder. Amazing rebounder. Defensively, he might struggle a little bit. …but the game is so easy for him. He was a five in the SEC defensively. They played (Dylan) Cardwell, too, both those guys together, but with Broome, he's a little more of a natural drop guy. They had to get him out there to try and impact the ball more. I don't know if, when he gets to the league, I don't know if he can really switch. He's going to have to rely on ball screen coverage to keep himself on the guy he's guarding. College assistant coach No. 8 (his team played Auburn): From the waist up, Johni is a great athlete. From the waist down, he's suspect. He's got incredible timing. He gets the ball at its peak. And he's got soft hands. Unbelievable hands. Anything in his area, he comes up with it. Not much vertical. … I think he competes, and I think this is true of a lot of guys. Very few guys compete in a lot of context areas of the game. They'll compete in different areas of the game. Broome competes on the backboard. He competes in the paint. And he made himself a much better 3-point shooter. He can really pass, he can really play. But he doesn't want to guard anybody. He's not rushing up to a ball screen. Bruce (Pearl) is great at getting guys to play to their strengths. My worry is, unless you play drop, he doesn't have great feet, and he's not really competitive in that context of the game. How much would it piss him off to sit? Western Conference executive No. 3: He's talented. Very skilled. His body's got to fill out. Somebody with multiple picks is going to take him. He's very skilled. You have to bring him (over). If you stash him, you're going to lose him. He's a good player. Long, athletic, can pass. He's got a chance. Western Conference executive No. 4: He didn't shoot the ball well this year. They moved up in competition. He's kind of young and frail. But you're betting on the shot coming up and the body coming up. And when he played in the Hoop Summit in '24, he was easily a top-10 player in that. College assistant coach No. 4 (his team played Kentucky): (Kentucky) obviously had, Lamont Butler got hurt, so they lost their point guard. They actually were running offense through (Williams) to relieve pressure. They ran some zoom action through him. He helped get them through in a pinch. Great size. Moves well. Obviously not a 3-point threat. But around the rim, he's got good touch. Switching, he's not a great defender in ball screens. But he can protect the rim. They were in drop coverage a lot, and they iced. He was fine. He can move his feet. But you don't want him guarding guards. Western Conference executive No. 3: He's got good hands. When he came to Chicago, he wasn't in shape. He shut down. He's not a guy that's going to run up and down. He's like (Joel) Embiid. He's going to be trailing. But he's got skills. If Berenger had his skills, he'd be a top-five pick. But he's slow. Berenger is fast as hell, but he's limited. Advertisement Western Conference executive No. 4: There's not a lot to go on. The numbers (in Brisbane) weren't staggering. But his size, and he's young and he blocks shots – you're betting on that. These big foreigners, you have to expend a pick on them. You're not getting them in the G League. And you don't lose the value of those guys (if they stay overseas for a year or two after getting drafted) because you keep their rights. Eastern Conference executive No. 3: He was supposed to be the prize of the class. Even if he keeps his name in, he probably goes late second round. He just hasn't done enough to warrant a first-round pick. And with bigs and injuries, they want to see proof of life. I don't want to see some big guy that's been hurt half the season, and is now pushing himself into the draft. (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; Photos: Jared C. Tilton, Michael Allio, Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Surprising Trade Proposal Projects Cavaliers Flip All-Star to Timberwolves
Surprising Trade Proposal Projects Cavaliers Flip All-Star to Timberwolves originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Cleveland Cavaliers' 2024-25 NBA season ended not with a bang, as many expected, but a whimper. Advertisement Following a 64-win run that saw them finish atop the Eastern Conference for the first time since the LeBron James days, the Cavaliers appeared well-positioned to make a deep postseason run and perhaps threaten to win their first title in nine years. Instead, Cleveland was felled in five brisk bouts by the No. 4-seeded Indiana Pacers during a semifinal clash. The Pacers are themselves now 1-1 in the NBA Finals against the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder. There are a few caveats to that second round playoff defeat. For one, two-time All-Star Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland was struggling with a left great toe injury that caused him to miss the first two games of the Pacers series, and limited his effectiveness when he did return to the floor for Game 3. ESPN's Shams Charania reports that Garland is now undergoing a surgery on that toe, which could see him miss the start of 2025-26. All-NBA power forward Evan Mobley and sixth man forward De'Andre Hunter both sat out Game 2 with respective maladies of their own, while six-time All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell missed the second half of a critical Game 4 loss with an ailment. Advertisement Even with those injury issues, Cleveland looked shockingly disjointed against the faster, more athletic Pacers, and the fit of Garland and Mitchell came under scrutiny. Now, Chris Fedor of has proposed an intriguing blockbuster trade that could see the club ditch Garland, still just 25, and add more wing depth around Mitchell, while definitively making him the Cavaliers' lead guard. In the hypothetical deal, the Cavaliers would acquire All-Defensive small forward Jaden McDaniels, intriguing rookie Terrance Shannon Jr., and two-way combo guard Donte DiVincenzo in exchange for Garland. Advertisement "Minnesota has been a long-time Garland admirer — even going back to 2019 draft night — and it needs shot creation alongside Anthony Edwards," writes Fedor. "Perhaps being surrounded by dogged, lengthy perimeter defenders and the league's preeminent rim protector (Rudy Gobert) will help Garland?" Cleveland Cavaliers stars Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell© David Richard-Imagn Images The Timberwolves haven't been shy about reconfiguring their roster around Edwards, a three-time All-NBA honoree and budding superstar. Garland would give the club another elite ball handler and scorer, while Edwards' excellent two-way play could make the pairing of the two more effective than the Garland-Mitchell tandem has been in the playoffs. "In this case, the Cavs get three rotational pieces, including a proven playoff performer (McDaniels) and the sharpshooting DiVincenzo who has not only been on their trade target list in the past but has familiarity with [Cavaliers head coach Kenny] Atkinson from their one year in Golden State together," Fedor notes. Advertisement Related: Kings Reportedly Interested in Trading for Cavaliers Star This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley make All-NBA Teams
Cleveland Cavaliers stars Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley were named to an All-NBA team on Friday evening. Mitchell made All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career. Mobley made All-NBA Second Team. It was the first time in Mobley's career that he made an All-NBA Team. This is the third time that two Cavaliers received All-NBA honors in the same season. The other two were Mark Price and Brad Daugherty in 1991-92 and LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in 2014-15. Advertisement Mitchell joined Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Jayson Tatum on All-NBA First Team. All-NBA Second Team was comprised of Mobley, Jalen Brunson, Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards, and James. Darius Garland received one vote for All-NBA Second Team and three votes for All-NBA Third Team, but missed out on making an All-NBA team by a wide margin. Mitchell and Mobley deserved these honors. This was Mitchell's most impressive regular season. He scaled his game back throughout the year to fit into Kenny Atkinson's egalitarian offense. This meant less playing time and a slightly lower usage than the year before. Advertisement That didn't affect Mitchell's counting stats too much. He finished the regular season averaging 24 points, five assists, and 4.5 rebounds on .443/.368/.823 shooting splits. Mitchell also became just the third Cavalier to make All-NBA First Team, joining LeBron James (eight times) and Mark Price (once). Mobley had by far the most successful year of his career. He'll leave the season having made his first All-Star Game, won his first Defensive Player of the Year, and made his first All-NBA team. This is on top of being named to the All-Defensive Team. As impressive as this year was from Mobley, he still has room to grow. He's shown that he has the skills to continue to expand his offensive game to another level. Mobley has the talent and work ethic to turn a weakness like his outside shooting into a strength. It'll be interesting to see what he adds to his game for next season. Advertisement Mobley finished the season averaging 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on .557/370/.725 shooting splits. With the selection, Mobley became just the fifth Cavalier to receive an All-NBA honor. He joined James (10 times), Price (four times), Mitchell (three times), Daugherty (once), and Irving (once). More from
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cavaliers Game 5 recap, highlights as Cleveland's season ends
CLEVELAND — The 2024-25 Cavaliers had their season end at the exact same point of the NBA playoffs in which it concluded a year ago — Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Suffering a 4-1 defeat in a best-of-seven, second-round playoff series is a major disappointment for the top-seeded Cavs. Advertisement In a must-win Game 5, the Cavs lost 114-105 to the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, May 13, at Rocket Arena. Last year, the Cavs fell 4-1 to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in Round 2. Here is how Cavs versus Pacers unfolded through our updates: Cavs lose to Pacers 114-105 in Game 5 of Eastern Conference semifinals, ending Cleveland's season in the second round of the NBA playoffs Although the Cavs rallied to start the fourth quarter and cut their deficit to a point multiple times, the energy needed to charge back caught up with them, and they failed to finish the comeback. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell missed three consecutive free throws with 1:49 left. He subsequently made a 3-pointer to cut the Cavs' deficit to 106-103 with 1:27 left. Advertisement Yet, the Pacers responded with an 8-2 run. Playing through a sprained ankle, Mitchell scored a game-high 35 points, followed by forward Evan Mobley with 24 points. Guard Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 31 points, followed by forward Pascal Siakam with 21. Cavs season ends: Cavaliers disappoint, underachieve in NBA playoffs and must adapt, evolve in offseason | Ulrich Cavs behind 104-97 with 2:38 left in the fourth quarter In need of a quick turnaround to save their season, the Cavs trailed 104- 97 with 2:38 left in the fourth quarter. After guard Donovan Mitchell made a 3-pointer to cut Cleveland's deficit to 98-97 with 5:03 left, guards Andrew Nembhard and Tyrese Haliburton produced a 3-pointer and a three-point play, respectively. The six points put Indiana ahead by seven points with 4:23 left. The Cavs trailed by the same deficit during a timeout with 2:38 remaining. Cavs rally to begin the fourth quarter and cut their deficit to 87-86 with 9:24 left vs. Pacers The Cavs came out swinging to begin the fourth quarter and went on a 10-2 run. Advertisement A 3-pointer and missed free throw by wing De'Andre Hunter led to an offensive rebound by forward Evan Mobley and a layup by point guard Darius Garland on an assist by Hunter. The sequence accounted for five Cleveland points and cut Indiana's lead to 87-86 with 9:24 remaining. The Pacers had led by nine points heading into the final quarter. Cavs, Pacers Game 5 score: Indiana leads by 9 entering fourth quarter After a dominant third quarter, the Pacers are taking an 85-76 lead into the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers have 12 minutes to overcome a nine-point deficit and save their playoff lives for another few days. Advertisement The Cavs offense had nothing going in that third quarter. Cleveland shot just 7-for-26 from the floor, while the Pacers shot better than 50 percent (14-for-22) and hit half their 3s. Again, it's beginning to look like the Pacers' speed and movement on offense is wearing down the Cavaliers. Ty Jerome hits two 3s; Pacers lead Cavs late in third quarter Ty Jerome has finally showed up in this series, and maybe just in the nick of time to give the Cavs some life. Jerome has been statistically almost unplayable through the first four games of this series. He didn't even play in the first half tonight. After checking in two minutes ago, Jerome has hit two 3s, making it an 80-71 Pacers lead with 1:06 left in the third quarter. Donovan Mitchell walks into tunnel, then returns; Pacers on 23-5 run Star guard Donovan Mitchell walked off the floor and down the tunnel toward the Cavaliers locker room with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Just before then, he grimaced on the court. Advertisement Mitchell returned to the bench a minute or two later. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers offense has simply been stopped in its tracks. The Cavs are an ice-cold 3-for-20 from the floor in this third quarter, and the Pacers have used that to get their offense on the move a bit faster, which has led to a 23-5 run and a 75-65 Indiana lead. Pacers take lead over Cavs in third quarter of Game 5 The process of the Pacers slowly chipping away at the Cavaliers' double-digit lead is now complete, and Indiana leads Game 5, 65-64, with 7:04 left in the third quarter. Tyrese Haliburton is directing traffic beautifully and drained a key 3 to close the gap to two points. Pascal Siakam then corralled a loose ball the next time down the floor, turned around and buried a go-ahead 3-pointer. He already has six points in the quarter. Advertisement The Pacers are again driving the game with "force." And after Siakam's 3, Haliburton looked to the crowd and yelled. Donovan Mitchell had a moment that could be described as strange earlier in the quarter. He came away with a steal and had several steps on Myles Turner. As he neared the basket, Mitchell slowed his pace, and just went for a casual layup that allowed Turner to catch up and block him from behind. Mitchell has missed all three of his shot attempts in the third quarter thus far. LeBron James weighs in on Tyrese Haliburton, Cavs vs Pacers Game 5 Tyrese Haliburton was so scorching hot in that second quarter that he has the attention of the NBA world. That includes LeBron James, who posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, about Haliburton's run that has the Pacers within four points of the Cavs at halftime. Cavs lead Pacers 56-52 at halftime after Indiana spent most of the second quarter rallying The Cavs led the Pacers 56-52 at halftime, but Indiana had to be pleased with the way it ended the first half. Advertisement The Cavs led by 19 points when forward Evan Mobley made two free throws to give Cleveland a 44-25 lead with 8:10 left in the second quarter. For the remainder of the first half, the Pacers outscored the Cavs 27-12. Guard Tyrese Haliburton made three consecutive 3-pointers during the Pacers rally. He went 5-of-5 shooting on 3s in the second quarter, scoring 15 of his 17 first-half points. Guard Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 16 points in the first half, followed by Evan Mobley with 14. Pacers use 16-4 run to slice Cavs' lead to 48-41 with 4:36 left in the second quarter A 3-pointer by guard Tyrese Haliburton allowed the Pacers to cut their deficit to 48-41 with 4:37 left in the second quarter. The shot came amid a 16-4 run by the Pacers. Advertisement The Cavs had led by as many as 19 points in the second quarter. In Game 5 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers cut their deficit to 44-31 with back-to-back 3-pointers The Pacers were behind 44-31 after guard Tyrese Haliburton and forward Aaron Nesmith made 3-pointers with 7:55 and 7:02 left in the second quarter. The Cavs responded with a timeout. Haliburton hadn't made a field goal until 7:55 left in the second quarter. With 8:10 left in the second quarter, Pacers forward Obi Toppin picked up his third foul, matching Cavs small forward Max Strus, who was called for his third foul with 9:24 remaining in the first half. Cavs lead Pacers 42-25 with 8:22 left in the second quarter The Cavs led the Pacers 42-25 with 8:22 left in the second quarter, matching Cleveland's largest advantage of Game 5 thus far. Advertisement Cavs wing De'Andre Hunter scored the first five points of the second quarter with a fast-break layup and a 3-pointer. He added another layup with 8:43 left, giving the Cavs a 42-25 lead. After the Pacers turned the ball over with a low pass by guard Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana used a timeout with 8:22 remaining in the first half while trailing by 17 points. Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley both in double figures after first quarter of Game 5 vs Pacers Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley have dominated the ball for the Cavs on offense thus far, and Cleveland will take a 31-19 lead into the second quarter. Advertisement Mitchell has a game-high 13 points on 3-for-7 shooting from the floor. Again, he's getting into the paint almost whenever he wants, like in Game 2. Though there's a question of just how often he can take hard contact like that. Mobley has 10 points and four rebounds after the first quarter and has been put into ISO a few times against Myles Turner. At the end of the quarter, Isaac Okoro committed a pretty egregious mistake, somehow fouling Tyrese Haliburton as he attempted a half-court heave just before the buzzer. It resulted in a free two points for the Pacers, as Haliburton sank two of the three freebies. May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the first quarter of game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Cavaliers extend lead in Game 5 over Pacers; Donovan Mitchell OK after hard fall Jarrett Allen just came away with a quick steal and a few seconds later received a pass from Donovan Mitchell and threw down a reverse, two-handed dunk, and the Cavs have a 21-12 led with 2:59 left in the first quarter. Allen has six points and three rebounds. Advertisement A few possessions earlier, Mitchell went up for a dunk but couldn't complete it while being fouled. He hit the floor pretty hard but appears to be OK, aside from the frustration of not finishing the dunk. He has seven points. And after the Pacers hit everything in Game 4, they haven't looked nearly as comfortable and are just 5-for-17 to start Game 5, including 0-for-5 from 3-point range. Cavs fans booing Bennedict Mathurin in Game 5 vs Pacers The Cavliers fans at Rocket Arena are mercilessly booing Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin every time he touches the ball. Around the midpoint of the first quarter, Mathurin caught a pass, was booed, and pushed off of Darius Garland, resulting in an offensive foul call against him. The crowd went ballistic cheering the call. Cavs, Pacers Game 5 score: Cleveland takes early lead; Donovan Mitchell 1-for-4 to start The Cavs have taken an 11-8 lead nearly midway through the first quarter. Advertisement Evan Mobley has been active, already with six points and two rebounds inside the paint. Mobley scored the Cavs' first points in Game 4 but was then quiet the rest of the night, along with most of the Cavs lineup. Donovan Mitchell appears to be moving around as normal so far. He's 1-for-4 from the floor with three points. Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin, who was ejected from Game 4 due to his altercation with De'Andre Hunter, checked into the game to a chorus of boos from the Cleveland crowd. Hunter checked into the game at roughly the same time. May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) warms up before game five between the Cavaliers and the Indiana Pacers of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Cavaliers, Pacers score update in Game 5 It has been immediately evident that Game 5 is going to be a hard-fought, defensive, physical game, as both offenses are a bit slow, and every possession has been slowed down a bit. There's quite a bit of holding, grabbing and shouldering going on. Advertisement With just under eight minutes to go in the first quarter, the Pacers are up 6-4. There hasn't been much scoring yet. And Rocket Arena is extremely loud. Cleveland is already gaining a reputation as one of the loudest NBA playoff venues, but just about every play early in the first quarter has had the feel of a late-fourth-quarter game winner. The energy in the arena already has a sense of urgency to it. Below is some pregame information. Cavs injury report today. Will Donovan Mitchell play in Game 5? The Cavs made it official about 25 minutes before tip-off that All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell was available and would start Game 5. Mitchell missed the second half of Game 4 with a left ankle sprain. Advertisement On Monday, May 12, ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania reported Mitchell was "expected to be a game-time decision" for Game 5. Though, while the team received good news surrounding Mitchell, the Cavs will be without guard Sam Merrill, who is sidelined with a neck strain. That could test the Cavs' depth at guard considering Ty Jerome has had a pretty brutal series. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) defends during Game 4 of a second-round playoff series May 11, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Donovan Mitchell takes part in Cavs Game 5 shootaround Donovan Mitchell participated in shootaround at Cleveland Clinic Courts roughly 8 hours before Game 5. 'We don't know anything about Donovan," Cavs All-Star point guard Darius Garland said at shootaround. "It's a game-time decision at this point, so I'll see the same time y'all see.' Pacers injury report today The Pacers ruled out forward Isaiah Jackson (right Achilles tendon tear). How to watch Cavs game tonight: TV channel, streaming, radio info for Game 5 vs. Pacers Game 5 can be watched nationally on TNT. It can be heard on the radio via WMMS (100.7-FM) and WTAM (1100). Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley, left, is defended by Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin during Game 4 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series May 11, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Pacers vs. Cavs last game The Cavs were crushed in a wire-to-wire Game 4 loss. They trailed 80-39 at halftime. The 41-point margin tied the largest halftime differential in NBA playoff history. Advertisement The Cavs were a mess on offense, losing the turnover battle 22-10, and torched on defense, with the Pacers shooting 52.7% (49 of 93) from the field, including 42.9% (15 of 35) on 3-pointers. The 3-2 zone Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson deployed so well in Game 3 proved to be vulnerable with the Pacers attacking the middle of the defense. The Cavs never led. They scored a season-low 39 points in the first half, and the 20-point loss matched their largest margin of defeat this season. Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) challenges a shot by Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith during Game 4 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series May 11, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana. What is the playoff history between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers? In the playoffs, the Cavs are 10-9 against the Pacers. The record includes Cleveland's losses in Game 1 and Game 2, its win in Game 3 and its defeat in Game 4 this year. Advertisement Here is a breakdown of the previous three series the two teams have shared: 2018 : LeBron James and the Cavs got past the Pacers in the first round, but it took seven games. The Cavs ultimately were swept 4-0 by the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. 2017 : Coming off Cleveland's 2016 NBA title and led by James, the Cavs swept the Pacers 4-0 in the first round. The Cavs eventually lost 4-1 to the Warriors in the NBA Finals. 1998: The Cavs fell 3-1 to the Pacers in Round 1. The Pacers were eventually eliminated by the Chicago Bulls in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Michael Jordan and the Bulls then beat the Utah Jazz 4-2 in the NBA Finals. Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) shoves Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter during an altercation involving the Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin during Game 4 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series May 11, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Cavs playoff schedule: Eastern Conference semifinals vs. Pacers Game 1: Pacers 121, Cavs 112 | Recap | Column | Story Game 2: Pacers 120, Cavs 119 | Recap | Column | Story Game 3: Cavs 126, Pacers 104 | Recap | Column | Story Game 4: Pacers 129, Cavs 109 | Recap | Column | Story Game 5: Pacers at Cavs — 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, TNT Game 6: Cavs at Pacers — time TBD, Thursday, May 15 (if necessary), ESPN Game 7: Pacers at Cavs — time TBD, Sunday, May 18 (if necessary), TV TBD Cavs playoffs: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers Game 4 instant reaction in Eastern Conference semifinals NBA playoff bracket: Eastern Conference first round NBA playoff bracket: Eastern Conference second round No. 1 seed Cavaliers vs. No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers (Cleveland trails series 3-1) No. 2 seed Boston Celtics vs. No. 3 seed New York Knicks (New York leads series 3-1) This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs score tonight, Game 5 recap; Pacers end Cavaliers' season
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cleveland Cavaliers' Evan Mobley wins 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
The Cavaliers have been advocating for it for several weeks, and it has now come to fruition: Evan Mobley has been named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year. Mobley was one of three finalists, along with Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks. Advertisement Mobley, in his fourth NBA season, averaged 1.6 blocks and 0.9 steals. The Cavs often pointed to his defensive value in ways the box scores wouldn't reflect, though, stating how often teams don't even try to challenge the 6-foot, 11-inch forward in the paint. "I think when people are scared to go against you, that gives you a lot of credit," said Cavs center Jarrett Allen, referencing how teams won't often challenge Mobley if they have any other choice. "It doesn't show up in the stats, but people are literally driving to the rim and turning around because they see Evan." Mobley is the first player in franchise history to win Defensive Player of the Year, and at 23 years and 299 days old at the end of the regular season, he's the fifth youngest to win the award in league history. Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley challenges a shot by Chicago Bulls forward Julian Phillips (15) on April 8, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. Donovan Mitchell makes case for Evan Mobley as NBA Defensive Player of the Year After the Cavs' Game 2 over the Miami Heat, All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell again advocated on behalf of Mobley to be named the NBA's top defensive player. Advertisement "He's done it all year in many different fashions. He's done it on guards, bigs, wings. He's our anchor down there, him and [Jarrett Allen]," Mitchell said. "And for him to be as young as he is, to understand angles, understand different things, help side being in different places, that's a talent in itself. I don't know what the numbers are. I really could care less because y'all saw when he didn't play this year, we lost games. So it's like you look at his impact to our group, and I've been telling y'all all year this is the worst he's going to be. "And if the worst is All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year, we got something special, you know what I'm saying? This will be his first award. Next year, and first of many in my opinion, him and Victor [Wembanyama] will be battling it out for years. But, yeah, this is who he is." This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Evan Mobley wins NBA Defensive Player of the year for Cleveland Cavs
