Reggie Bullock To Enter Draft
North Carolina junior Reggie Bullock will enter the 2013 draft, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Wojnarowski reportered earlier today that the forward was leaning strongly towards going pro.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has Bullock ranked No. 35 on his top 100 list of prospects and has him just making the first round cut at No. 30 in his mock draft. The 22-year-old averaged 13.9 PPG with 6.6 RPG for UNC this past season.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Suns, Brown, Lakers, Kobe
Here's a look at the latest out of the Pacific..
- The Sacramento group hoping to purchase the Kings got reinforcements today when venture capitalist Naren Gupta and tech entrepreneur Andy Miller came aboard, writes Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis, and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee. Primary investor Vivek Ranadive laid out an ambitious vision for the club to transform it into a "global brand", but offered little in the way of details on their actual purchase offer for the team. Earlier today, we looked at the latest in the Kings ownership battle.
- Shannon Brown is less-than-thrilled with his bench role in Phoenix, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Brown said that the upside of it all is that he's saving his body for next season, a year in which the Suns have him under contract but only $1.75MM of his $3.5MM deal is guaranteed.
- Larry Coon of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) explains how the Lakers can use the CBA to their advantage in the wake of Kobe Bryant's injury. While GM Mitch Kupchak says that using the amnesty clause on Bryant isn't something that's being discussed, Coon says it's something that will be considered if he will be sidelined for most or all of the 2013/14 season.
Raptors Still Hope To Trade Andrea Bargnani
Andrea Bargnani got a great deal of ink on Hoops Rumors this season and at one point it seemed like a lock that the big man would be moved. General Manager Bryan Colangelo was candid about his efforts to trade the former No. 1 overall pick and Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld writes that the club still hopes to move him this summer.
“We obviously had some frank discussions with Andrea and his agent that a change of scenery might benefit everyone, but his two random and unrelated elbow injuries dismissed whatever trade scenarios were being contemplated,” the GM said. “With the timing of his injuries, we simply just ran out of runway prior to the trade deadline. As far as value, I would disagree [that his is low], good size-to-skill ratio is a commodity in this league, especially the way the game is trending. If Andrea stays, however, I’m hoping [head coach Dwane] Case[y] can find a way to duplicate his tremendous start to the 11-12 campaign, where he was performing at an All-Star level on both ends of the floor.”
Colangelo added that he is happy with the talent level of his young core and that he will look to add a veteran presence to the club this summer. The club also has a decision to make on a veteran of their own in Alan Anderson. Our own Luke Adams spoke with the 30-year-old as he gets set for free agency after the season.
Latest On Kings, City Of Seattle
After months of back-and-forth jostling, it's finally time for the NBA owners to vote on the sale of the Kings to the group backed by Seattle investor Chris Hansen. Hansen needs 23 of 30 votes to secure the sale and we know that he has at least one in the Maloofs. The Sacramento side, meanwhile, needs eight no votes to block the transaction. If the sale goes through, all Hansen needs is a simple majority of 16 votes to move the club to Seattle. If Hansen gets denied the overall sale, however, it could create an opening for Sacramento, as detailed by NBA.com's David Aldridge.
If the Seattle deal is rejected, Sacramento stands ready with a counteroffer to the Maloofs that may match the parameters of the Seattle offer. Some sources involved in the discussions say it does but others say it doesn't. Regardless, a source indicated that the Maloofs would be willing to sign a backup offer with the Sacramento-led Vivek Ranadive group if the Hansen deal was rejected by the NBA.
Factors like television market size can come into play in the approval process, but there are three major factors that will influence the decision, according to Aldridge.
- The key issue is the arena, as in, which side can get the building finished first and closest to the estimated price tag. There are significant hurdles on both sides. The new Seattle arena – which would be heavily financed by Hansen – might not be ready until 2017, which means that the team would have to play in Key Arena for longer than the previously estimated two year span. The $448MM proposed arena in Sacramento would see $250MM from taxpayers, but there's still the matter of securing the land necessary and purchasing it, and that could cost more than estimated in total.
- There's also a matter of a $30MM non-refundable deposit that the Maloofs have secured from Hansen but have yet to receive from Ranadive's team. It's still unknown whether the Sacramento group will take that plunge.
- Finally, the league's new revenue sharing system will affect the franchise differently, depending on where it lands. If the Kings stay in Sacramento, league sources believe the team will continue to take in money from the pool. If the Kings move to Seattle, those sources believe the team will become a revenue payer, which obviously benefits the league more.
On the surface, it would appear that the cards are stacked against Sacramento. However, there is always the wild card of commissioner David Stern, who is said to be helping the Sacramento group behind the scenes. The Maloofs, who still want to make the deal happen with Hansen, believe that Stern has gone above and beyond in his efforts to keep the Kings where they are. Stern has backed off and let franchises move in the past, like when the Sonics were moved to Oklahoma City, but has also prevented sales that would have lead to relocation, like the Hornets' proposed sale to Larry Ellison, who probably would have brought them to San Jose.
As it stands, Hansen probably has the upper hand, but Stern could shift things to Sacramento's side in a hurry if he can help secure more financing for them.
Odds & Ends: Bullock, Blazers, Noah, Nowitzki
A few Monday odds and ends from around the Association:
- North Carolina junior Reggie Bullock is "leaning strongly" toward going pro, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Bullock, who is ranked 35th on Jonathan Givony's big board at DraftExpress.com, is expected to finalize his decision today, according to Wojnarowski.
- The Nuggets team that beat the Trail Blazers in Denver last night may serve as a blueprint for the Blazers' rebuilding process, writes Joe Freeman of the Oregonian.
- Bulls big man Joakim Noah will be represented by Bill Duffy and BDA Management going forward, the agency announced today on its website. As our agency database shows, Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo, and Goran Dragic are among BDA's other NBA clients.
- In other agency news, Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal reports that Jay-Z Roc Nation Sports won't work with any other agencies besides CAA. Roc Nation will hire established agents for multiple sports and will have its own employees, including Jay-Z, certified, Mullen adds (Twitter links).
- Dirk Nowitzki scored the 25,000th point of his NBA career last night, and intends to "be around" long enough to make a run at 30,000, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
- Although it seems as if Doug Collins will coach his last games for the Sixers this week, many of his players would like to see him back next season, as Lang Greene of HoopsWorld details.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Alan Anderson
For some four-year veterans poised to hit the free agent market this summer, such as Brandon Jennings or Tyreke Evans, it will be their first opporunity to go through the process. That's not the case for four-year players across the board though. For Alan Anderson, who debuted back in 2005 with the Bobcats and is currently finishing up the fourth season of his NBA career, free agency is all too familiar.
"I've been playing on one-year [contracts] since Charlotte," Anderson told Hoops Rumors on Saturday. "One year, one year, one year. I've been a free agent every year."
Anderson's playing career has included stops in Italy, Russia, Israel, and Spain, but he received his first chance at consistent, full-season NBA minutes this season in Toronto, after the Raptors signed him to a one-year, minimum-salary deal last summer. The 30-year-old has taken advantage of the opportunity by having his best year yet, averaging 10.7 PPG and a 12.5 PER, both career-highs, in 63 contests with the Raps.
Coming off his most successful season to date, Anderson will be revisiting that familiar free agent process this July, but he should find he has a little more leverage than usual this time around. His production may not necessarily earn him a multiyear contract, or a salary worth a whole lot more than the minimum, but there should be no shortage of teams looking for scorers off the bench. Anderson has exhibited the ability to score baskets in bunches, as he did last month when he scored 35 against the Knicks, and can shoot the three (.352 career 3PT%), which should ensure he draws interest.
With the Raptors focusing on finishing the regular season on a winning streak, Anderson told Hoops Rumors than he hasn't started thinking too much about his pending free agency. However, when he does begin weighing his options, Anderson will be looking for a situation where playing time will be available.
"Whoever has a need for me," Anderson said. "I want to go somewhere and play. I don't want to sit on the bench."
The Raptors could be facing something of a salary-cap crunch this offseason, with about $73MM in commitments on their books for 2013/14. They have the amnesty clause available, and it's widely expected that they'll try to move Andrea Bargnani to cut costs, but the team could still end up in the tax. Of course, that shouldn't necessarily preclude the Raptors from bringing back Anderson — the club will have to fill out its roster somehow. It may limit the team's ability to offer Anderson much of a raise, however.
Assuming the Raptors have the interest and the flexibility to bring Anderson back, returning to Toronto would be the veteran forward's preference, after spending the last season and a half with the franchise.
"They're the ones that gave me my second chance back in the NBA," Anderson said of the Raptors, who signed him to a 10-day contract in 2011/12 after he'd been out of the league since '06/07. "So yeah, I would definitely want to come back."
Whether or not Anderson will be wearing a Raptors uniform next season remains to be seen, but Anderson and agent Mark Bartelstein should be looking forward to this summer. After spending years looking for NBA teams to give him a chance, Anderson may very well receive interest from multiple suitors this July.
D-League Moves: Jones, Lamb, Liggins, Melo
Today's D-League assignments and recalls are listed here, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day. Our complete list of 2012/13 D-League assignments and recalls can be found right here….
- The Thunder have recalled Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb, and DeAndre Liggins from the Tulsa 66ers, the team announced today in a press release. Unlike Melo's Maine Red Claws, the 66ers won their first-round series in the D-League playoffs, topping the Canton Charge in three games. The OKC trio will rejoin the NBA squad for tonight's game, but perhaps they'll be headed back to Tulsa for the next round of the D-League postseason.
Earlier updates:
- The Celtics have recalled rookie center Fab Melo from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Melo almost certainly won't be a part of Boston's postseason rotation, but he'll available if needed. The 22-year-old had been playing with the Maine Red Claws for the last several weeks. However, the club was eliminated from the D-League playoffs over the weekend, losing in the first round to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets' affiliate. Melo averaged 8.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG in Maine's two postseason losses.
Knicks Waive Solomon Jones
Just three days after officially signing him, the Knicks have waived Solomon Jones, the team announced today (Twitter link). The move opens up a roster spot for the Knicks, as they are now carrying 14 players.
Jones, 28, appeared in two games for the Knicks, playing 26 total minutes. He was fairly ineffective in his limited time, racking up as many fouls and turnovers as rebounds (three each). He also didn't score a single point in either contest.
Despite the fact that a few Knicks big men could be on their way back to the lineup soon, I would guess that the team will add another player to the roster before the regular season ends on Wednesday. James Singleton could be one option — he initially reached an agreement with the club last week before it fell through due to complications relating to his letter of clearance from China. If those issues get cleared up, he would be eligible to sign with the Knicks and play in the postseason.
Eastern Notes: Nene, Sixers, Andersen, Walsh
A pair of Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchups have been locked in, and one is particularly intriguing, as the No. 2 Knicks will take on the No. 7 Celtics. The winner of that series will avoid playing the Heat in round two, but could eventually be the biggest threat to Miami in the East. Here are a few of today's notes out of the Eastern Conference:
- Ongoing injury woes had Wizards big man Nene considering retirement earlier this season, as he tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post. "Tough enough to think about the end of my career? Yeah, that’s how tough it was," Nene said. "It was so hard to play the way I did it. I thought to end my career because it’s so painful, my body can’t support. I’m glad I finished the season, but the way I suffer, I hope, never again."
- With coach Doug Collins seemingly on his way out of Philadelphia, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com suggests some potential replacements for the Sixers to consider.
- Chris Andersen hasn't given much thought yet to whether or not he'll remain with the Heat beyond this season, writes Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post.
- Donnie Walsh isn't sure if he'll be back as the Pacers president next season, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. "I took this job because Larry [Bird] wanted a year off," Walsh said. "If Larry wants to come back, I’m out. I’m leaving. If he doesn’t I don’t know what I’ll do."
- Rumors are swirling about the futures of Joe Dumars and Lawrence Frank in Detroit, but Greg Monroe tells David Mayo of MLive.com that he trusts the Pistons decision-makers.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope To Enter Draft
The latest NCAA underclassman heading to the NBA is Georgia's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. The sophomore shooting guard will forgo his remaining two years of collegiate eligibility and go pro, Goodman reports. The school confirmed the news in a press release.
Caldwell-Pope improved his numbers across the board in his second season with Georgia, averaging 18.5 PPG and 7.1 RPG. He is currently ranked 21st among 2013 prospects by ESPN.com's Chad Ford and 31st by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
Caldwell-Pope scored particularly well in a recent look at projected WARP for this year's draft class by ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton (Insider-only link). According to Ford, many general managers who use advanced metrics are high on the 20-year-old, who is viewed as a second-rounder by most scouts.
To keep tabs on all the early entrants for this year's draft, be sure to check out our complete list.