Lucas Nogueira To Enter Draft
Brazilian center Lucas Nogueira will enter the NBA draft, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The 20-year-old won't be able to withdraw because he submitted his name for entry in 2011 and withdrew it before the deadline that year. He's a "serious" candidate to become a first-round pick, Wojnarowski writes. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress agrees, listing Nogueira at No. 32 in his rankings, though Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him down at No. 69.
There's debate over exactly how tall Nogueira is, as both DraftExpress and ESPN.com list him at 6'11" while Wojnarowski pegs him as a 7-footer. There's variance on his wingspan as well, which is either 7'5" or 7'6", but in any case, that kind of reach makes him an intriguing prospect.
Nogueira saw limited playing time for Asefa Estudiantes of the Spanish ACB league this season, averaging 4.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 12.6 minutes per game. Still, his athleticism and improvement on offense have him on the radar for NBA clubs, as Wojnarowski notes.
Latest On Kings, Sacramento, Seattle
6:15pm: The earliest a decision will be made would be the first week in May, Stern told reporters, including Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. The joint committees reviewing the bids will likely convene again next week after the Board of Governors meeting this weekend. Next week's meeting is likely when the committee recommendation will be made (All Twitter links).
6:00pm: Despite commissioner David Stern's insistence that the league will not expand, that issue isn't off the table, says NBA Board of Governors chairman Peter Holt. The Spurs owner adds that there's been no down payment made by the Sacramento group, presumably referring to the $30MM non-refundable payment Seattle's group made to the Maloofs. Chris Daniels of KING-TV in Seattle tweets the news.
4:15pm: A source close to the situation tells Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee that Sacramento's bid for the Kings is a "non-binding term sheet." The source tells the Bee that the bid would require the Maloofs to terminate its agreement with the Seattle group before the NBA's Board of Governors vote on it, at which point the Sacramento group would negotiate a final, binding offer for the franchise.
Predictably, the Maloof family doesn't sound entirely on board with that idea. The Bee reports that the Maloofs, in a letter to the NBA, expressed a desire to move forward with the Seattle agreement.
3:07pm: This week's NBA's ownership meetings have begun, which means discussions that will determine the fate of the Kings are underway. In advance of the meetings, the Vivek Ranadive-led group seeking to buy the team and keep it in Sacramento submitted its official bid to purchase the team, according to Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee.
The Sacramento bid, along with the offer made by Chris Hansen's Seattle group, will be reviewed today by a handful of NBA owners that are members of the league's relocation and finance committees. The 12-owner committee will eventually forward a recommendation to the league's full Board of Governors, which includes all 30 team owners. As Ken Berger of CBSSports.com explains, the Board of Governors will meet tomorrow and Friday, although no formal vote is expected this week (Twitter links).
Here are a few more of today's notes and links related to Seattle, Sacramento, and the Kings:
- Lillis notes in his report that the amount of Sacramento's bid was not revealed. Based on yesterday's reports, it sounds as if it may not match Seattle's increased offer dollar for dollar.
- According to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link), one reason the vote is being delayed is because the committee will need more team to evaluate which group will have the ability to build a new arena more quickly. Other factors are being vetted as well, but the arena issue could be a big one, says Bucher.
- Hansen has completed deals to purchase all the land required for Seattle's proposed arena, according to Chris Daniels of KING-TV.
- Ken Benson of the New York Times explains how Ranadive's influence in India could be a boon for the NBA if Sacramento keeps the Kings.
Southwest Notes: Hornets, Mayo, Brand, Spurs
As we look forward to the last night of the NBA's 2012/13 regular season, let's round up a few items out of the Southwest Division….
- Although the Hornets will finish as one of the bottom three teams in the Western Conference, coach Monty Williams is encouraged by the strides some of his players made this season. "There are a lot of positives," Williams told John Reid of the Times-Picayune. "We firmly believe that guys who come here have a great chance to improve their game because of our program and the things we do. I think it’s just going to get better as we add experience and start to bring in more talent in the next few years."
- O.J. Mayo, who has a player option for 2013/14, says he'd like to return to the Mavericks next season, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. I'd still be surprised if Mayo exercises the option rather than exploring the market.
- Elton Brand also expressed a desire to return to the Mavs next season, though he said "we'll see what happens in the summer," as Price tweets.
- Writing for The Basketball Jones, Mark Deeks of ShamSports notes how unusual it is for established NBA players like Tracy McGrady to sign deals at the end of the regular season. For the Spurs, there may not be much potential reward, but there's no risk either, says Deeks.
- The Grizzlies inked a pair of free agents earlier today, adding Donte Greene and Willie Reed.
Warriors Sign Dwayne Jones
3:31pm: The Warriors have officially signed Jones, the team announced today in a press release.
2:19pm: The Warriors will sign big man Dwayne Jones for the remainder of the season, agent Joel Bell tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com (Twitter link). Jones had been playing with the D-League's Texas Legends.
Jones, who will turn 30 in June, played for four different teams in parts of five NBA seasons, but hasn't seen regular-season action in the Association since appearing in two games for the Suns in 2009/10. In 21 games for the Legends this season, Jones has averaged 8.8 PPG and 12.6 RPG.
For the Warriors, it will be their second signing of the day, after they inked Scott Machado to a rest-of-season deal. Machado is the team's 14th man, so there's still a roster spot open for Jones, meaning no corresponding move is required.
Machado also remains assigned to the team's D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, as the D-League squad prepares to begin its second-round playoff series against Austin tonight. It's not clear whether Machado and Jones will be part of the NBA Warriors' postseason roster when the playoffs begin this weekend, or whether both players will remain with Santa Cruz. In any case, it looks like Machado and Jones were added with an eye toward next season, or at least July's Summer League. I would guess both players have non-guaranteed options for 2013/14.
Tim Hardaway Jr. To Enter Draft
2:07pm: Hardaway has made it official, announcing this afternoon that he'll enter this year's draft.
11:48am: Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility and declare his intent to enter the draft, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Earlier today, we heard that Hardaway has a press conference scheduled for 2:00pm CST today, so the junior guard figures to formally announce his decision at that time.
Hardaway Jr., whose father was a five-time NBA All-Star, averaged 14.5 PPG in his junior year at Michigan, a slight step down from his sophomore scoring average. However, his shooting rates increased to 43.7% from the floor and 37.4% on three-pointers.
The 21-year-old will become the second Michigan underclassman to announce his intent to go pro, though he won't be drafted as high in June as his backcourt mate, Trey Burke. Hardaway ranks as Chad Ford's 55th prospect at ESPN.com, and is ranked 56th by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
Grizzlies Sign Donte Greene
WEDNESDAY, 2:02pm: The Grizzlies have officially signed Greene, according to a team release.
TUESDAY, 12:14pm: After agreeing to sign Willie Reed and waiving Dexter Pittman on the weekend, the Grizzlies are expected to make one more roster move before the regular season ends, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Tillery tweets that the team will likely sign free agent forward Donte Greene.
Greene, 25, had been set to sign with the Nets last August before a fractured ankle sidelined him for several months, voiding his agreement with Brooklyn. Upon getting healthy, he reportedly drew NBA interest, but failed to land a contract. Last we heard, Greene was preparing to join a team in Puerto Rico earlier this month.
Like Reed's deal with the Grizzlies, Greene's contract is expected to include a non-guaranteed option for 2013/14, according to Tillery (Twitter link). That makes sense, since I would guess the club is getting a headstart on its Summer League squad and training camp roster for next season, rather than expecting Reed and Greene to play a role in this spring's playoff run.
Having waived Pittman, the Grizzlies won't need to make any further roster moves to clear room. Adding both Reed and Greene would give the team the maximum 15 players.
Grizzlies Sign Willie Reed
WEDNESDAY, 2:01pm: The Grizzlies have officially signed Reed, the team announced in a press release.
SUNDAY, 5:27pm: Reed's deal will be a multi-year, non-guaranteed pact, according to Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal (on Twitter).
3:17pm: The Grizzlies have signed Willie Reed for the remainder of the season, agent Joel Bell tells Shams Charania of RealGM (via Twitter). Reed, 22, played two seasons at St. Louis before going undrafted in the 2011 NBA draft.
Reed averaged 14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for the Springfield Armor of the NBA Developmental League. Terms of Reed's deal beyond the 2012/13 season are currently being worked on between the Grizzlies and Bell.
Decision On Byron Scott Expected Soon
While it's not clear yet whether or not Byron Scott will stay on as the Cavaliers' head coach next season, don't expect the decision to drag out for too long. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal reports that one high-ranking Cavs official says a decision will be made quickly. When he speaks to reporters tomorrow, GM Chris Grant is expected to announce definitively whether or not Scott will be back next year.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne reported today that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is giving "strong consideration" to parting ways with Scott. Lloyd seems to be hearing similar rumblings, noting in his article that "all indications are privately pointing" to Scott being fired by the Cavs this week.
Cleveland exercised its 2013/14 option on Scott back in October, at which point the head coach expressed a desire to remain with the Cavs long-term, noting that he hoped to coach the team for the next five years. It doesn't appear Scott's stay in Cleveland will last that long, but if the club decides not to bring him back for '13/14, he'll still be owed his salary for next season, which is rumored to be $4MM+.
In his three seasons coaching the Cavaliers, Scott has led the team to a 64-165 record. The former Nets and Hornets coach took over the job at the time LeBron James left for the Heat, so a rebuilding process was anticipated, but as Lloyd points out, Scott's third season with the team has been particularly up-and-down, with "players privately questioning his practice habits and in-game strategies."
Warriors Re-Sign Scott Machado
WEDNESDAY, 12:55pm: The Warriors have officially re-signed Machado for the season (and playoffs), the team announced today in a press release. For now, Machado remains with the team's D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, so it's unclear whether he'll be playing in the postseason in the D-League or NBA.
MONDAY, 1:17pm: Once Scott Machado's 10-day contract expires, the Warriors will re-sign him for the season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Machado's deal is set to expire tomorrow night, so his new contract will technically only be for one day, though it will allow him to play in the postseason, and could include an option for next year.
Machado, 22, has yet to appear in a game for the Warriors since joining the team last weekend. Prior to signing with Golden State, he had been playing for the team's D-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. A rest-of-season contract for Machado seems to suggest that Warriors management liked what it saw from the 6'1" guard at Santa Cruz, and wanted the opportunity to secure his rights for Summer League and possibly training camp.
Even after locking up Machado, the Warriors will only be carrying 14 players, leaving one open roster spot. If the team wants to use that spot before season's end, it has three days to make a move.
Phil Jackson Interested In Return To NBA
It's been nearly two years since Phil Jackson's Lakers were eliminated from the postseason by the eventual-champion Mavericks, effectively ending Jackson's coaching career. But after two seasons off, Jackson has become "increasingly interested" in working in the NBA again next season, according to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.
Stein and Shelburne clarify that Jackson may not be interested in returning in a coaching capacity, since he's more intrigued by the possibility of joining a front office and running a franchise. According to the duo's sources, Jackson is interested in the "opportunity to oversee an organization" like Pat Riley in Miami, or Larry Bird's former role with the Pacers. There was some speculation earlier in the year that if the Seattle ownership group landed the Kings, they may also pursue Jackson for a prominent front office position.
Jackson's interest in a front office role doesn't necessarily mean he has ruled out coaching opportunities. Although he told SheridanHoops.com in January that he had no intention of coaching again, that won't stop teams, such as perhaps the Nets and Cavaliers, from approaching the 11-time champion about potential vacancies this summer. A return to the Lakers, however, is highly unlikely, according to the ESPN.com report.
If no opportunties arise that Jackson views as ideal fits, remaining retired is also a possibility for the Zen Master, according to Stein and Shelburne.