NBA Rumors Roundup: Hornets to keep Miles Bridges, Orlando Magic choosing between Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith and more | May 20th, 2022
Teams that did not qualify for the 2022 NBA playoffs were given the chance to improve their future. 14 teams entered the NBA Draft Lottery, but it was the Orlando Magic that received the first overall pick in the upcoming draft on June 23rd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Meanwhile, a couple of restricted free agents in Charlotte and Phoenix are rumored to be staying. Miles Bridges and DeAndre Ayton are both eligible to sign contracts from any team, but their respective teams, the Hornets and Suns, can match any offers.
Here is the latest NBA rumors roundup for May 20th, 2022 brought to you by Sportskeeda.
Charlotte Hornets planning to re-sign Miles Bridges
Miles Bridges had his breakout season for the Charlotte Hornets, averaging 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. The decision to turn down the Hornets' four-year, $60 million offer last summer could be the right one. He's now eligible for a massive five-year, $173 million extension.
Bridges could still sign offers from other teams, but the maximum he can get is just four years. Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak told the the Charlotte Observer that they plan on matching any offer for their young swingman who they view as a part of their future.
"Miles is a restricted free agent, which means that we can match any deal that anybody else brings to us. Our intention is to keep Miles long term. Yes, he's a big part of our future," Kupchak said.
Orlando Magic choosing between Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith for the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft
The Orlando Magic own the first overall pick in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft. Orlando has several options in Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga, Jabari Smith of Auburn, Paolo Bancher of Duke and Jaden Ivey of Purdue. The four prospects are the consensus best players in the draft class.
However, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (h/t RealGM) believes that the Magic front office has narrowed down their options to Holmgren and Smith. Holmgren has been described as a unicorn with a unique skill set, while Smith is a polished scorer with a smooth shooting stroke.
"This is the draft lottery of the power forwards and three very different players. We'll see how this shakes out, but certainly I think Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga and Jabari Smith of Auburn... I think the consensus right now is those are really the two players competing for No. 1 with the Magic," Wojnarowski said.
Phoenix Suns GM believes DeAndre Ayton will re-sign with the team
DeAndre Ayton will be a restricted free agent this offseason. Ayton can receive and sign offers from other teams, but the Phoenix Suns have the right to match. The relationship between Ayton and the Suns seems to be on the rocks since the big man did not receive an extension last summer.
Suns head coach Monty Williams also appeared to have a problem with Ayton's dedication after their embarrassing loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. But according to Suns general manager James Jones, Ayton will be back in Phoenix next season.
"Deandre had an amazing season and he's progressed every year and improved every year. He's been here and so he's a big part of what we do. His future with us is something we will address at the proper time which is in the future. He's a free agent and I've said all along, he's about the same things were about which is winning. We'll address it at the proper time," Jones told the "Burns & Gambo" podcast.