Rafael and James are back with the NBA Draft Junkies Friday Rundown, covering Jalen Duren's $200 million deal, the uncertainty surrounding Dalton Knecht's future with the Lakers and Memphis waiving former lottery pick Jordan Hawkins. They also head to the grassroots and international side of the game with the Border League in Las Vegas and Australian guard Luke Paul's commitment to Duke.
It's time for another NBA Draft Junkies Friday Rundown, as Rafael and James recap some of the biggest stories from across the basketball world.
Jalen Duren's long contract standoff with Detroit is finally over after the Pistons agreed to a five-year, $200 million deal just before the deadline.
Meanwhile, Dalton Knecht's future with the Lakers has become uncertain amid reports that he could be the odd man out as Los Angeles gets down to its final opening night roster, raising questions about how quickly things changed for a player who appeared to land in an ideal situation on draft night.
Then there's Jordan Hawkins, the No. 14 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, who was waived by Memphis after recently being acquired from New Orleans.
Rafael and James discuss what the situations with Knecht and Hawkins tell us about opportunity, development and how little patience NBA teams can have with young players ,and whether Knecht's situation should change how we think about the perceived safety of drafting older prospects.
The show then shifts to the next generation, with the Border League in Las Vegas providing an early look at some of the country's top high school prospects before finishing with Australian point guard Luke Paul, who has committed to Duke after his current season with Cairns in the NBL Next Stars program.
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