Trey Burke To Enter Draft
Michigan point guard Trey Burke will enter this year's draft, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Burke will make a formal announcement Sunday. The 6'1" 20-year-old led the Wolverines to the NCAA championship game this year, sweeping every major national player of the year award in the process.
Still, both Chad Ford of ESPN.com and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com rate him as only the seventh-best prospect in the draft. He bounced back from a seven-point, 1-for-8 shooting performance in the national semifinals against Syracuse and fellow highly regarded point guard Michael Carter-Williams with a 24-point effort in the title game. Burke, a sophomore, averaged 18.6 points and 6.7 assists per game this season, and shot 38.4% from the three-point line.
There's no word on whether he's hired an agent, so if he hasn't, he could conceivably withdraw from the draft by Tuesday's deadline and return to school next season. That would be a long shot, though, especially since next year's draft field is expected to be much more crowded at the top.
Odds & Ends: Heat, Allen, Bucks, Muhammad
Here's this afternoon's look around the Association..
- As it stands now, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel sees the Heat using the amnesty clause on Mike Miller. While the vet is a great locker room influence, it doesn't make sense for Miami to carry his contract. There's also the possibility that Miami finds a trade for Miller, but that could prove difficult.
- The Bucks never made Ray Allen an offer to return when he was a free agent over the summer, writes Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times. “I considered Memphis and Minnesota. That’s the plate I was looking at. Those were the teams that were offering me to go play for them," the guard said.
- More from Woelfel, who writes that two NBA executives who once considered UCLA swingman Shabazz Muhammad a legitimate top-three draft pick now have him outside their top ten. It's possible that the news that the Bruins star is actually 20 as opposed to 19 has hurt his stock.
- Dwight Howard and Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni are divided on the club's offensive philosophy, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Latest On Kobe Bryant
Last night, the Lakers received devastating news when they learned that Kobe Bryant has torn his Achilles tendon. The Lakers already had their work cut out for them in a potential first-round matchup with the Thunder, but they'll really be at a disadvantage without their star guard in action. The injury could also have long-term ramifications for the Lakers and speculation is already ramping up about the club possibly amnestying the future Hall of Famer this summer. Here's more on Kobe and the Lakers..
- Bryant took to Facebook to vent his frustrations about the injury early Saturday morning. Within the rant, Bryant wondered aloud if he could come back strong from this injury as he approaches 35 but also voiced that he is determined to overcome the setback.
- Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) could only see the Lakers amnestying Bryant with his blessing. If Bryant knew that he needed a full year to recover, the Lakers could hypothetically use the amnesty clause on him and re-sign him for the following season.
- For Bryant, overcoming the injury will be yet another thing that Michael Jordan never did or had to do and will be another way to separate himself in history, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Monta Ellis Likely To Opt Out
Bucks guard Monta Ellis holds a lucrative player option on his deal for 2013/14, but the prevailing sentiment amongst his acquaintances is that he'll turn it down and hit the open market instead, writes Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times. Ellis' option is worth $11MM, but friends say that he has indicated that he wants to go elsewhere.
For his part, Ellis has publicly declined to discuss his future plans. While the guard may feel that he has better offers waiting for him this summer, several GMs told Woelfel that they wouldn't pay him more than he is already receiving ($11MM). However, as one GM noted, it only takes one club enamored with the guard's speed to give him a deal in excess of $11MM.
It also helps Ellis' case that there are many teams with cap space to burn this offseason. Seven teams in the Western Conference and six teams in the Eastern Conference figure to have deep pockets, which should amp up the bidding for Ellis. The guard could also improve his stock with a strong first-round performance against Dwyane Wade and the Heat, even if the Bucks are defeated in a short series.
Prospect Profile: C.J. McCollum
The FGCU Eagles were the darlings of this year's NCAA tournament but last March was Lehigh's time in the sun. The No. 15 Mountain Hawks knocked off No. 2 Duke, thanks in large part to a 30 point blowout performance from junior guard C.J. McCollum. McCollum's stock was skyhigh, but he chose to return to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for another year. Most players in his position would have taken the money and ran, but the journalism major explained his position in an article for The Sporting News.
"My family and I believe another year in college will be more beneficial for me on and off court. If I were in a situation where I needed money, I would definitely consider taking my career to the next level. But both of my parents work hard to ensure my brother and I can live comfortably, which takes away any added pressure to pursue a professional career at this time. The fact that my brother plays professionally over in Israel doesn’t hurt, either," McCollum said.
Some wondered if McCollum was costing himself a guaranteed deal by passing up the chance to go in the first round of the 2012 draft. There were also doubters for the guard when he fractured his left foot this past January. Even though the injury cost him the second half of the season and a chance to flex his muscles in the Patriot League tournament, the senior is still going to go off the board inside of the first 30 picks.
The foot injury came at a rather inopportune time as McCollum was averaging 25.7 points per contest on the year. Just as he did in his junior year, McCollum showed that he can create his own opportunities to score when necessary. There's going to be some debate over whether the 6'3" prospect can play the point guard position in part because of the amount of shots that he took for Lehigh. The reality is, however, that he was charged with scoring in bunches for his team and he has decent court vision. He doesn't project to be Jason Kidd, but he can certainly be an effective shoot-first combo guard at the next level.
On the other side of the floor, McCollum has shown that he can be an effective defender with a knack for stripping the ball away. He's also not shy about cleaning the glass and his 6.5 RPG in his last full season shows it. He'll be at a height disadvantage in the NBA, but his tenacity should help balance things out somewhat.
The biggest strike against McCollum is his overall lack of speed. He was obviously quick enough to beat defenders in college, but his lack of a fifth gear could hurt him in the pros. Regardless, McCollum finds himself in a talent-starved draft class and he's going to get nabbed in the first round despite missing the bulk of his senior season. Most mock drafts have him going mid-first round, but there's a good chance we see him work his way up to the lottery.
Lakers Fear Kobe Bryant Has Torn Achilles
The Lakers survived tonight's game against the Warriors when Stephen Curry's would-be game-winning heave from 70 feet away just barely rimmed out, but they may have suffered an even bigger blow than if that shot had gone in. The Lakers believe Kobe Bryant has torn his Achilles tendon, the team told reporters, including Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). Bryant will undergo an MRI tomorrow morning to confirm the initial diagnosis.
Bryant appeared to suffer three different leg injuries during the game, though the major blow seemed to occur with 3:08 to go, when he crumpled to the ground following a foul by Harrison Barnes. Bryant remained in the game to shoot his two free throws, making both, and exited after Steve Blake committed a foul to stop the clock with 3:06 left.
If Bryant indeed suffered the Achilles tear, he'd no doubt be done for this season and probably most of next year, as well. His contract runs through next season, and he's frequently hinted that he'll retire when the deal is up. He said two weeks ago that he'd decide this summer whether next season will be his last.
In the short term, such a major injury would damage L.A.'s chances of beating the Jazz for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Lakers have a one-game lead with two games left for each team, but the Jazz hold the tiebreaker. The Cavs and Suns also have stakes in the outcome, since Cleveland gets the Lakers' first-round pick if L.A. makes the playoffs, while the selection goes to Phoenix if the Jazz nab the postseason berth.
Bryant seemed resigned to the worst of news as he spoke to the media following the game. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com tweets one of his comments:
"I made a move I've made a million times and it just popped. … (It felt) like I had no Achilles. That was the sensation," Bryant said.
Odds & Ends: Mavs, Collins, Jackson, Jordan
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban takes the blame for his team's subpar season, saying he failed to construct an adequate roster and promising he'll be more attentive this summer, observes Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. "I'm not making any predictions," the owner said. "All I'm saying is we're not going to do a traditional rebuild. That's (why) we got all this cap room, so we wouldn't. We're going to be opportunistic."
Cuban also made headlines this evening for his desire to keep Vince Carter for years to come, but there are plenty of other newsmakers tonight:
- Contradicting a report from earlier this week, John Finger of CSNPhilly.com writes that Sixers management wants to keep Doug Collins for as long as he has a desire to coach.
- Collins will still receive his $4.5MM salary for next season if the Sixers fire him, but he won't get the money if he quits, notes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- Stephen Jackson's discontent, which was apparently at the root of his release from the Spurs, didn't stem from the lack of a contract extension, but simply a desire for more playing time, according to Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News.
- Lakers assistant coach Eddie Jordan is nearing a deal to become the next head coach at Rutgers, tweets Chick Hernandez of CSNWashington.com. Jordan is willing to take the job even if it means he'd have to leave the Lakers right away, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times.
- Mike Woodson has interest in Kurt Thomas rejoining the Knicks as an assistant coach next season, as Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal notes via Twitter.
- North Carolina announced sophomore swingman P.J. Hairston is returning to school, tweets Andy Katz of ESPN.com. Hairston is No. 40 on Chad Ford's list of prospects for ESPN.com, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has Hairston at No. 14 on his 2014 mock draft.
- Before he gets into the latest edition of his mock draft, Chris Mannix of SI.com discusses Louisville's Russ Smith, whom coach Rick Pitino now says is "50-50" to go pro after it seemed earlier that he would enter the draft. At least one scout who spoke to Mannix thinks Smith would go undrafted in June.
Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors contributed to this post.
Stein’s Latest: Josh Smith, Boylan, Collins, Holiday
Marc Stein's final ESPN.com Weekend Dime of the season doubles as his awards ballot, and he has LeBron James winning MVP, of course. More intriguing are his selections in some of the tighter races: George Karl for Coach of the Year, Kevin Martin for Sixth Man of the Year, Tim Duncan for Defensive Player of the Year and Jrue Holiday for Most Improved Player. Stein also has plenty of news from around the league, as we round up:
- Before the season, the Hawks offered Josh Smith a three-year extension for the maximum amount, which would have been about $45MM, but Smith made it clear he wanted to hit free agency. That's no surprise, since an extension would have meant a smaller annual salary than he can sign for as a free agent, per collective bargaining agreement rules. The Hawks, wary of letting Smith walk, aggressively pursued trades, according to Stein, but wound up keeping him when an offer from the Bucks wasn't to their liking.
- Bucks GM John Hammond is publicly heaping praise on coach Jim Boylan, but Stein hears Boylan has little to no shot of retaining the job, based on the team's late-season slump.
- Doug Collins may join the Sixers front office or simply become an adviser to the team if he decides to step away from coaching.
- Justin Holiday's deal with the Sixers includes a team option for next season, and it appears the deal is partially guaranteed for $50K, becoming fully guaranteed if he's not waived by August 15th.
- The Nets also have a team option on Kris Joseph's deal for 2013/14.
- A source insists to Stein that the Jazz will retain Tyrone Corbin for the final year of his contract next season, regardless of whether the team makes the playoffs.
- Jermaine O'Neal, 34, is leaning strongly toward playing again next season. He signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Suns last summer.
Cuban Wants To Keep Vince Carter Long-Term
Vince Carter, unlike most of his Mavericks teammates, isn't set to hit free agency this summer. The 36-year-old is signed through 2014, but Mavs owner Mark Cuban hopes the team can keep him beyond next season, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. Cuban has no concerns about Carter's game declining after a bounceback season this year, and would like to see Carter eventually retire as a Mav.
"He can play for more than a year, easily," Cuban said. "He’ll be cranking those motorcycle handles for a while."
Carter's scoring average is up to 13.2 points per game this year, more than three points higher than last season's mark in essentially the same amount of playing time. He's taking more shots, but his field-goal percentage is higher, and his three-point shooting, at 39.8%, is the best it's been since 2004/05.
Coach Rick Carlisle has used Carter as a sixth man this season, and it's the first time in the 15th-year veteran's career that he hasn't started at least half of his team's games. Carter is making $3.09MM this season and $3.18MM in 2013/14, so whatever he makes on his next contract couldn't be too much of a paycut.
Cuban's comments seem, at least on the surface, to indicate the Mavs won't look to trade him to free up cap space in pursuit of a marquee free agent this summer. Of course, Cuban might just be trying to talk up Carter's trade value, so nothing's certain. Carter was reportedly part of a proposed Josh Smith trade at the deadline.
Bucks GM On Redick, Boylan, Sanders
This time last year, it seemed Bucks GM John Hammond's job was on the line as the team chased the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The team fell short last year, but Hammond kept his job, and now the Bucks are in line for that eighth seed in the East. In the meantime, Hammond has been busy, having changed coaches, signed a three-year extension, and traded for J.J. Redick. There's plenty more work ahead, as the team's top three guards could all hit free agency this summer, and a decision on an extension for Larry Sanders looms. HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram caught up with Hammond, who reflected on some of what he's done.
On the Redick trade:
"We were hoping to make the playoffs. We thought adding a piece like J.J. Redick could help solidify that opportunity for us and he has. He’s been a great addition to our team. We’re also happy to have Gustavo (Ayon) and Ish Smith. It might be easy to forget about Gustavo and his abilities. We like him as a player, but it was a difficult trade to make to say the least. To move a piece like Tobias Harris and Doron Lamb; we like both those players, both good young players, but we felt at that time it was the right thing for our organization."
On Jim Boylan, who replaced Scott Skiles as head coach in January:
"Jim’s done a nice job with the team and I think we’re all seeing these situations that have occurred. It’s not a rarity in the NBA to have something like this happen. It’s not normalcy, but it’s not rarity by any stretch, so it happens. Most of the times when these sort of things happen, the situation goes south and goes south very quickly, but Jim has done a great job of working with our guys and communicating with our guys and motivating them to play hard. He deserves a lot of credit."
On the development of Sanders, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate:
"You draft Larry with the 15th pick and you’re hoping that when you used a first-round pick on a player that they turn out to be a location guy or better yet a starter, and Larry has turned out to be a significant piece of our team and a part of our team. Obviously, he’s one of the better shot blockers in the NBA. It’s been great for Larry, but he’s just taking advantage of the opportunity, and I think his game still has a chance to change and grow, and he’ll continue to develop as a player."