“Orlando never committed to taking Jabari first,” said Wallace Prather, Smith’s agent. “Obviously, the internet and social media creates narratives and creates stories, and we all know it’s a TV show. Orlando kept things close to the cuff.”
Wallace Prather Rumors
Lou Williams wants to keep playing
Hawks free-agent guard Lou Williams intends to continue his playing career, his agent Wallace Prather says. “(Williams) is not pursuing retirement, and I’ll be proactive in talking to teams during free agency,” Prather said. Williams, a 17-year veteran, averaged 6.3 points and 14.3 minutes a game over 56 contests this past season.
Wallace Prather III and Jabari Smith Sr. met 30 years ago when both were teenagers, playing basketball on the AAU basketball team Prather’s father founded, the Atlanta Celtics. “I was probably 12, and he was probably 15,” Prather said last week. Smith went on to have a five-year career in the NBA, and Prather went on to become an agent who represented his childhood friend in the later years of his basketball playing career in Europe. Now, three decades later, Prather is representing his friend’s son, Jabari Smith II, in this month’s NBA Draft, where he could be the No. 1 overall pick.
Leadership at the Orlando Magic, the team with the first pick, has been tight-lipped about their plans, so there may be some real suspense on NBA Draft night on June 23 at the Barclays Center. Prather said Smith could “certainly” go No. 1 overall. That would be great, he said, but it’s not the be-all and end-all. “He wants a good partnership. He wants to be with a team where he can grow and he can learn and become a responsible young man. … It’s about the camaraderie among teammates. … We don’t have conversations about whether he is the No. 1 pick.”
Shams Charania: Washington Wizards No. 31 pick Isaiah Todd has agreed to a four-year, $7 million rookie deal, with three guaranteed seasons, his agents Wallace Prather and Steve Haney of @parlay_se tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Louis Williams chose Hawks over Lakers, Warriors and Bucks
Three-time Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams has agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks, agent Wallace Prather of Par-Lay Sports and Entertainment told HoopsHype. Williams had significant interest from several contenders, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Milwaukee Bucks, league sources told HoopsHype.
Louis Williams to Hawks
Michael Scotto: Three-time Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams has agreed to a one-year deal with the Hawks, agent Wallace Prather of @parlay_se told @hoopshype.
