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NBA Player News

Date	Player
6/23/2017	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Det, SG
Caldwell-Pope was suspended for two games without pay by the NBA on Friday for pleading guilty to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Analysis: A restricted free agent, Caldwell-Pope was sentenced to a year of probation last week in a March traffic stop in suburban Detroit. Caldwell-Pope was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after police say he was spotted going about 45 mph in a 25 mph zone about 2:50 a.m. March 29 in Auburn Hills.
6/23/2017	Arron Afflalo, Sac, G-F
The Sacramento Kings have waived guard Arron Afflalo one year after signing him as a free agent. The Kings cut ties with Afflalo on Friday before his entire $12.5 million contract for 2017-18 would become guaranteed. Afflalo will get $1.5 million instead. Analysis: Afflalo averaged 8.4 points and 2 rebounds in 61 games this past season for Sacramento. He has averaged 11.3 points per game in his 10-year career.
6/23/2017	Blake Griffin, LAC, F-C
Griffin opted out of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday and point guard Chris Paul will do the same sometime next week, according to multiple published reports. Analysis: Griffin could be highly pursued by his hometown Oklahoma City Thunder to give Russell Westbrook a high-impact running mate that was missing last season after Kevin Durant's departure. The five-time All-Star averaged 21.6 points and 8.1 rebounds last season but has been plagued by injuries over the past three seasons.
6/23/2017	Chris Paul, LAC, PG
Power forward Blake Griffin opted out of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday and Paul will do the same sometime next week, according to multiple published reports. Analysis: The decisions would make both players unrestricted free agents on July 1. Speculation has Paul being a target of the San Antonio Spurs. The nine-time All-Star averaged 18.1 points and 9.2 assists last season.
6/22/2017	Greg Monroe, Mil, F-C
Monroe has exercised his $17.8 million player option to stay with the team for 2017-18. The 6-foot-11 Monroe had until Thursday night to make his decision. A Bucks official said before the NBA draft that Monroe had exercised the option. Analysis: Monroe averaged 11.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 81 games in 2016-17 for the Bucks. He provided scoring punch off the bench.
6/22/2017	Markelle Fultz, Phi, PG
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Fultz with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Analysis: Fultz averaged 23.2 points last season at Washington, tops among freshmen, and added 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game, the only Division I player to reach those stats.
6/22/2017	Lonzo Ball, LAL, PG
The Lakers selected Ball with the second overall pick in the NBA draft Thursday night, staking a big portion of their future on the talented UCLA playmaker. Analysis: Ball receives comparisons to Jason Kidd for his offensive abilities. He led the nation with 7.7 assists per game while quarterbacking the highest-scoring offense in Division I, and he scored consistently despite an unorthodox shot.
6/22/2017	Jayson Tatum, Bos, SF
The Boston Celtics selected Tatum with the No. 3 pick in the NBA draft on Thursday night. The selection comes after the Celtics traded the top pick to Philadelphia earlier in the week for the No. 3 pick, plus a first-rounder in either 2018 or 2019. Analysis: In Tatum, a 6-foot-8 small forward, Boston gets a player who was a polished scoring threat during his lone season at Duke, averaging 16.8 points while shooting 45.2 percent from the field. The 19-year-old was a third-team All-ACC selection.
6/22/2017	Jimmy Butler, Min, G-F
The Chicago Bulls traded Butler and the 16th overall pick Thursday night to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 overall pick. Analysis: Butler is being reunited with his former coach in Tom Thibodeau, who coached Butler from 2011 to 2015 before being fired. Butler was the 30th overall pick by the Bulls in 2011 out of Marquette. He averaged a career-high 23.9 points last season as the Bulls were 41-41 and qualified for the postseason as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
6/22/2017	Josh Jackson, Pho, SG
The Phoenix Suns selected Jackson with the fourth overall pick of the NBA draft Thursday. Analysis: The 6-foot-8, 207-pound forward averaged 16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in his lone season with Kansas. The 20-year-old Jackson was the Big 12 freshman of the year and an all-Big 12 first-team selection.
6/22/2017	De'Aaron Fox, Sac, PG
The Sacramento Kings selected Fox with the fifth pick in the NBA draft. Analysis: Fox is extremely quick and a skilled ball handler who showed the ability to get to the basket in his one season at Kentucky. He boosted his stock when he outplayed UCLA's Lonzo Ball, the No. 2 overall pick, in the Sweet Sixteen, scoring 39 points in a Wildcats win. Fox averaged 16.7 points, 4.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game.
6/22/2017	Zach LaVine, Chi, G
LaVine has been traded to the Bulls in a draft-day deal that saw Jimmy Butler go to Minnesota. Analysis: In his third season, LaVine averaged a career-high 18.9 points and shot 45.9 percent. LaVine was having a breakout campaign when he tore the ACL in his left knee February. His rehabilitation has gone well, but the injury certainly complicated the Wolves' re-engaging Chicago on Butler.
6/22/2017	Kris Dunn, Chi, G
Dunn was traded to Chicago along with Zach LaVine in a draft-day deal that sent Jimmy Butler to Minnesota. Analysis: The Bulls were high on Dunn last season, and get him after a disappointing rookie season when he averaged 3.8 points.
6/22/2017	Jonathan Isaac, Orl, PF
The Orlando Magic selected Isaac with the sixth overall pick Thursday. Analysis: The 6-foot-11, 210-pound Isaac averaged 12 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting nearly 51 percent from the field in his only season at Florida State. The versatile Isaac will need to get stronger in his transition to the NBA. However, his build and his game compares favorably to Kevin Durant as Isaac can create his own offense like the lean Golden State Warriors forward. Isaac has also drawn comparisons to New Orleans power forward Anthony Davis.
6/22/2017	Lauri Markkanen, Chi, PF
The Timberwolves drafted Markkanen with the No. 7 overall pick for the Chicago Bulls after the two teams agreed to a blockbuster deal that sends three-time All-Star Jimmy Butler to Minnesota. Two people with knowledge of the situation say the Bulls are sending Butler and the No. 16 pick for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the seventh pick. Analysis: The 7-foot Markkanen gives the Bulls a shooter they lacked last season. He averaged 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 42.3 percent from 3-point range in his lone season at Arizona.
6/22/2017	Dennis Smith, Jr., Dal, PG
The Dallas Mavericks took Smith Jr. with the ninth overall pick in the NBA draft. Analysis: Smith will get a strong chance to start with the Mavericks believing that Yogi Ferrell is better-suited to a backup role even though he made a splash that earned him a two-year deal after the undrafted rookie joined the Mavericks on a 10-day contract. Smith is the only Atlantic Coast Conference player to record two triple-doubles in the same season, and he averaged 18.1 points per game.
6/22/2017	Frank Ntilikina, NY, PG
The Knicks selected Ntilikina with the eighth overall pick Thursday night. Analysis: Ntilikina should be able to contribute at a relatively high level as soon as he arrives in the NBA. He led France to the gold medal at the U18 European Championships in Turkey late last year, averaging 15.2 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 50 percent. Ntilikina had 23 points in the semifinals and 31 in the championship game, thriving after he was given free rein to run France's offense.
6/22/2017	Malik Monk, Cha, SG
The Charlotte Hornets selected Kentucky's Monk with the 11th pick in the NBA draft. He finished as the second-highest scoring freshman in the country behind No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz of Washington (23.2 ppg). Analysis: Monk raised his stock with a 47-point performance on eight 3-pointers against eventual national champion North Carolina last December. Monk went on to be named SEC freshman of the year, averaging 19.8 points and shooting 39.7 percent from 3-point range. He was the winner of the Jerry West Award given to the nation's top shooting guard.
6/22/2017	Zach Collins, Por, F-C
A person with knowledge of the deal says the Portland Trail Blazers traded the No. 15 and No. 20 picks in the NBA draft to Sacramento in exchange for Collins, the No. 10 pick. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the deal had not been formally announced. While unofficial, the Blazers' Twitter account tweeted at Sacramento: ''good pick'' shortly after Collins' name was announced. Analysis: Collins, a 7-footer, played off the bench in his lone season with Gonzaga behind senior starter Przemek Karnowski and averaged 10 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
6/22/2017	Luke Kennard, Det, SG
The Detroit Pistons drafted Kennard with the 12th overall pick in the NBA draft. Analysis: Kennard turned pro after averaging 19.5 points a game during his sophomore season at Duke. Kennard could give Detroit some help offensively - he shot 49 percent from the field and 44 percent from 3-point range in 2016-17. The Pistons shot only 33 percent from beyond the arc as a team last season.
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