Kelly Iko

Staff Writer

Kelly Iko is a staff writer covering the Houston Rockets and the NBA for The Athletic. The upcoming 2023-24 season will be his eighth following the NBA, having previously worked with USA Today and ESPN Houston.

What are the Grizzlies up to taking Zach Edey at the NBA Draft?

Edey's fit in Memphis with the Grizzlies has some cause for concern writes Kelly Iko.

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Exclusive with Rockets' first-round pick Reed Sheppard: 'It's going to be a lot of fun'

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Houston Rockets draft notebook 3.0: What I'm hearing from around the NBA

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Reed Sheppard or Donovan Clingan? Who should Rockets target with the No. 3 pick?

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Houston Rockets draft notebook 2.0: Big board debates, domino effect and more

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2024 NBA mock draft for lottery teams: Is Alexandre Sarr still favored to go No. 1?

How could things shake out with the NBA Draft in less than two weeks? Our writers make their predictions.

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Rockets and the No. 3 pick: Analyzing Reed Sheppard's isolation defense

How could Reed Sheppard's defensive acumen help the Rockets? Kelly Iko takes a look at a potential No. 3 pick.

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2024 NBA Draft mailbag: Spurs drafting for Wemby's timeline, Rockets' perfect prospect and more

Kelly Iko answers your draft questions for the Spurs, Rockets and Grizzlies.

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Building Wembanyama's core: How should Spurs use their 2024 NBA Draft lottery picks?

This year's class may be weak, but the Spurs have a golden opportunity to jumpstart the Victor Wembanyama era with their two draft picks.

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Rockets 2024 NBA Draft Big Board: Who could Houston draft at No. 3?

The are a lot of detractors over the talent in this year's draft, but the Rockets should be able to find a good fit with the No. 3 pick.

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Submit a question for Kelly Iko’s Southwest Division mailbag: NBA Draft edition

The Athletic has live coverage of the 2024 NBA Draft. The 2024 NBA Draft is still a month away, but the deep dive into this year’s incoming class has already started. There are still several questions attached to projected top prospects like Alex Sarr, Zacchaire Risacher and Donovan Clingan — from best fits to NBA roles. The Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies have clear goals of winning and likely have split opinions on the draft, whether to add another young talent or package in a deal for a veteran contributor. The San Antonio Spurs, a team still deep in a rebuild, are fleshing out...

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Tony Allen says Grizzlies retiring his jersey is 'a dream come true' for Grit-and-Grind legend

Former Grizzlies star Tony Allen talks about Ja Morant, and what it will mean to have his jersey hanging in the rafters.

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Rockets draft notebook 1.0: Options at No. 3, Donovan Mitchell question and more

Kelly Iko has the latest from the combine in Chicago on what the Rockets might be thinking for June's NBA Draft.

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Rockets GM Rafael Stone on the No. 3 pick, player development and more

GM Rafael Stone sits down with The Athletic to talk about the past season and what the future holds for the Houston Rockets.

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How could the top 5 picks of NBA Draft shake out? Our experts make their selections

The Athletic has live coverage of the 2024 NBA Draft. Happy Combine Week! Let the games begin. The conclusion of the draft lottery over the weekend saw several surprises, with the Atlanta Hawks defying odds to land the No. 1 pick, the Houston Rockets flying to third and the San Antonio Spurs nabbing two top 10 selections. Over the next few weeks leading up to the draft in late June, all 30 teams will conduct research on the incoming crop of young players. Given how wide open this draft is considered, lacking a tier-one prospect, it’s safe to assume the big boards seen today will likely...

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NBA Draft Lottery: Udoka on Rockets' jump to third, Spurs' Brian Wright talks rebuild

"I'm sure we'll get calls from everybody," says Rockets coach Ime Udoka after Houston lands the third pick.

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2024 NBA Draft Lottery: Hawks win No. 1 pick after having 3 percent chance to claim top spot

Atlanta had a three percent chance to win the draft lottery.

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Pacers overwhelm Bucks with turbocharged play, and T.J. McConnell was the catalyst

"I felt like tonight was one of my better, ‘Let the game come to me’ games," said McConnell after the Pacers dispatched the Bucks.

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Thursday’s NBA playoffs takeaways: Bucks, 76ers eliminated as Pacers and Knicks move on

The Pacers and Knicks advanced and will meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday.

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Pacers fail to close out veteran Bucks in Game 5: 'We weren’t good enough'

It's never easy to close out a series, and it's even harder to do so on the road. Indiana found that out Tuesday.

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Tuesday’s NBA playoffs takeaways: Tyrese Maxey plays superhero for 76ers vs. Knicks, Bucks stay alive

Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey scored seven points in 17 seconds, and the Knicks lost a six-point lead with 28.2 seconds left in the game.

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How the Pacers have stayed one move ahead of Bucks in playoffs

“They threw everything at us," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said following Indiana's win in Game 4.

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Sunday's NBA playoffs takeaways: Wolves finish sweep, Clippers hold off Mavs, Knicks open lead

Minnesota will play the winner of the Lakers-Nuggets series in the second round.

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Tyrese Haliburton's OT winner, Pacers' ball movement decides ugly Game 3 vs. Bucks

"Just knew I was shooting it, no matter what," Tyrese Haliburton said of hitting the game-winner in OT to give the Pacers a 2-1 series lead.