Draft Updates: Saturday Evening
10:45pm: There have been some updates on the second to last day of the Chicago predraft camp, which started on Thursday and ends tomorrow night, as well as other draft-related news, including a few players who hope their names are announced earlier, rather than later, by David Stern in June.
- Virginia Tech guard and ACC Player of the year, Erick Green, told CSN Washington's J. Michael that he expects to be drafted higher than expected. Despite averaging 25 PPG along with 4 APG and 4 RPG in his last college season, Virginia Tech's awful record kept him off the national radar, and at a smidgen under 6'2" he's undersized for an NBA off guard.
- One player the Wizards interviewed was Duke's Mason Plumlee, who Green beat out for ACC Player of the Year. When Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer asked Plumlee whether he believes he's a top 10 pick, Plumlee told him: "I feel like athletically and how I played this year, I’ve proven that I am."
- Another player hoping to be a lottery pick, but who didn't play in a big conference like the ACC, is Lehigh University's C.J. McCollum, who spoke with Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal about his size (he's undersized for an off guard like Green, but can play both guard positions). Two teams who don't really have a need at guard, in the Cavs and Wizards, both interviewed McCollum.
- Norvel Pelle is even further off the radar than the others mentioned, but he's a player who Jeremy Woo described at Zagsblog.com as "the most enigmatic player on the court" in Chicago, and he didn't even play in college after failing to qualify academically. Despite some praise from Woo, and one Western Conference scout's take that Pelle "would have to make it via the NBA's D-League," another scout was a bit more harsh with his assessment, saying that the rail-thin 6'11" 20-year-old was "an AAU tragedy who got bad advice. Wasted years of development. Get his passport ready."
- After watching Bobcats general manager Rich Cho inquire time and again about players in the 10-20 pick range, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer believes the Bobcats might be looking to trade down from wherever they wind up in the draft lottery this Tuesday, May 21st.
- Josh Robbins writes at the Orlando Sentinel that Magic Senior Vice President Pat Williams, is their good luck charm because his teams have won the draft lottery four different times: once for the Sixers in 1986, and three times for the Magic in 1992, 1993 and 2004.
3:00pm: There isn't on-court action at the Chicago predraft camp this weekend as there was Thursday and Friday, though teams and players remain in town until tomorrow. Several general managers tell Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel that they would prefer the event focus less on putting players through drills and afford them more time for interviews. With ESPN televising the part of the combine with players on the hardwood, I wouldn't expect the GMs to get their wish anytime soon. Here's the latest draft-related news:
- The league posted measurements and athletic testing results from the combine participants on NBA.com.
- Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com rounds up his observations from the combine, passing along gloomy opinions on the top talent from a pair of NBA GMs, one of whom says, "There's really no one worthy of the top pick."
- MLive's David Mayo provides a master list of all the draft prospects whom the Pistons have interviewed either formally or informally, along with the dates of the individual workouts those players have scheduled with the team.
- Jamaal Franklin attended the combine despite a sprained ankle that kept him out of workouts and drills, and he interviewed with at least nine teams, according to Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune. His first workout is scheduled for June 3rd with the Mavs, and the Hawks, Nets, Cavs and Bucks are also "in the mix," Zeigler writes.
- The Sixers interviewed Rudy Gobert on Friday, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Chris Mannix of SI.com quizzed some of the top prospects with questions they likely heard in their interviews with teams.
Spencer Lund contributed to this post
Odds & Ends: Hornacek, Oden, Celtics, Thunder
The coaching carousel this offseason is personified by Jazz assistant coach Jeff Hornacek. The former Jazz player was a smart shooting guard next to Hall-of-Famer John Stockton, in the backcourt of some consistently excellent Jazz teams. But even with less than three years of experience on the Jazz bench, he's become a go-to interview for teams with a coaching vacancy.
Brad Rock of the Salt Lake City Desert News opines on Hornacek's bonafides as a head coach somewhere in the league, while current head coach Tyrone Corbin is also in a state of flux, but appears set to return to the sidelines next season after a vote of confidence from general manager Dennis Lindsey. In a summer of discontent for 29 NBA teams (and the city of Seattle), there are still plenty of question marks, like Hornacek, with uncertain, yet bright futures. Like the next item on our list…
- Greg Oden continues to impress those who have seen him workout, with the latest being predraft workout partner and former Ohio State forward, Deshaun Thomas, who told the The Oregonian's Jason Quick the former number one pick, "looks unbelievable." We've already shared Mary Schmitt Boyer's assessment that Oden looks terrific. A number of Eastern Conference teams have already targeted the rehabilitating center and it appears only a matter of time before he's back in the league.
- Speaking of comebacks, what are the Celtics going to do this offseason? Steve Bulpett at the Boston Herald did an informal survey of general managers at the predraft combine in Chicago on Friday, and they were as undecided as most observers. Some believe the Celtics may make another go of it with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, while others think they could blow the whole thing up and trade their franchise mainstays since the summer of 2007 for younger players and draft picks.
- The Thunder aren't undecided; they're title contenders now, and Barry Tramel writes at the Oklahoman that the Thunder are unlikely to make any splashy moves this offseason with about $66.12MM in salary for 10 players next season. The time for the young team to win is now.
- Also, the Oklahoman's staff answered four different questions about the Thunder's 2012/13 season, the most tenuous one being: was the Thunder's season a failure?
Central Notes: Bulls, Pistons, Cavs, Oladipo
The Bulls' season is done, despite gritting out a tough run of injuries–not to mention their season-long absence of 2011 MVP, Derrick Rose—to defeat the Nets and advance to the second round. Even with Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, and the aforementioned Rose out, and with Taj Gibson's knee bothering him, the Bulls pushed the Heat a lot more than many expected.
With the Bulls' season over, now is the time to plot for Rose's heralded return (a season later than expected), and decide whether to make a splash this offseason or hold firm and see what this year's tough group can do with a healthy and rested Rose.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune provides a primer on the state of the Bulls' guaranteed contracts next season, and with $72,044,288 earmarked for just eight players, the Bulls are hoping to find someone like Nate Robinson who can inject some offense without making more than the league minimum.
- Paul Ladewski at SheridanHoops.com thinks the Bulls should go after Al Jefferson in a sign-and-trade deal with the Jazz and Joe Cowley at the Chicago Sun Times bids adieu to important backcourt producers, Robinson and Marco Belinelli, who will likely sign with other teams this offseason when they become unrestricted free agents. The Bulls are expected to buy out Richard Hamilton's contract this summer, so they'll have a paucity of guards under contract for next season, and Cowley notes that Tom Thibodeau is looking for more outside shooting at the lowest cost they can find.
- Indiana guard, Victor Oladipo, told Vincent Goodwell at the Detroit News he had his best team interview at the NBA pre draft combine on Friday with the Pistons. The Pistons love his defensive tenacity and motor, and Oladipo says he'd be a good fit for the "defensively oriented" team.
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote in her mailbag the Cavs shouldn't look to acquire Paul Pierce this summer, but believes the team wants to win now and could be looking to add "significant veteran" to their younger squad using a collection of draft picks and money.
- In another in a series of pre-draft columns, Mary Schmitt Boyer also looks at the pro prospects of Michigan point guard and NCAA Tournament hero, Trey Burke.
Poll: Who Should Coach USA Basketball?
Mike Krzyzewski isn't ruling out returning as the coach of USA Basketball through the 2016 Olympics, Pete Thamel at SI.com reports. "There's a chance," Krzyzewski says, "That's correct." USA Men's Basketball chairman, Jerry Colangelo, said "Give it another week and we should be resolved."
The Men's Basketball national team will be meeting for a mini-camp this summer from July 22-25, but they're still not decided on a coach, unless Krzyzewski comes back to coach again after winning the gold medal at this past summer's Summer Olympics. So, do you want Coach K back, or would you prefer one of these other candidates?
Who should coach USA Basketball?
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Mike Krzyzewski 33% (234)
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Gregg Popovich 28% (197)
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Phil Jackson 23% (159)
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Mark Jackson 8% (54)
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Erik Spoelstra 3% (20)
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Jeff Van Gundy 2% (14)
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Stan Van Gundy 2% (13)
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Jim Boeheim 2% (13)
Total votes: 704
Offseason Outlook: Boston Celtics
Guaranteed Contracts
- Kevin Garnett ($12,433,735)
- Rajon Rondo ($11,954,545)
- Jeff Green ($8,965,000)
- Brandon Bass ($6,450,000)
- Courtney Lee ($5,225,000)
- Jason Terry ($5,225,000)
- Avery Bradley ($2,511,432)
- Jared Sullinger ($1,365,720)
- Fab Melo ($1,311,240)
- Jordan Crawford ($2,162,419)
Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Paul Pierce ($15,333,334; guaranteed for $5,000,000)
- Terrence Williams ($947,907)1
- Shavlik Randolph ($1,106,942)2
- D.J. White ($1,027,424)2
Free Agents / Cap Holds
- No. 16 pick ($1,419,200)
- Chris Wilcox ($884,293)
- (Nenad Krstic - $8,314,674)
- (Roshown McLeod - $3,772,503)
- (Stephon Marbury - $1,440,000)
- (Carlos Arroyo - $854,389)
- (Dana Barros - $854,389)
- (P.J. Brown - $854,389)
- (Mark Bryant - $854,389)
- (Michael Finley - $854,389)
- (Grant Long - $854,389)
- (Shaquille O'Neal - $854,389)
- (Michael Olowokandi - $854,389)
- (Scot Pollard - $854,389)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (16th overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $62,604,091
- Options: $0
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $13,415,607
- Cap Holds: $23,789,307
- Total: $99,809,005
The Celtics apparently have resolution to one of their offseason question marks, with president of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirming that Doc Rivers will be back as the team's coach. There wasn't much doubt about that, but Rivers wavered at the end of the season, and his name surfaced in rumors about the Nets. Much larger decisions remain, with uncertainty surrounding the futures of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Boston has an unusual opportunity with Pierce's contract. The team can save more than two-thirds of his $15MM+ salary if it waives him by June 30th, the day before the NBA's calendar flips over to 2013/14. That would require cutting ties with the player who's scored more points than anybody in Celtic green except John Havlicek. Pierce, at 35, might not be all he once was, as demonstrated by a decline in free throw attempts to his lowest per-game rate since his rookie season, but most of his numbers this season were consistent with recent years. Recognizing a need to help out a team that was weak on the boards, Pierce averaged 6.3 rebounds, his most since 2005/06.
Father time appears to be closer to catching up with Garnett, who turns 37 tomorrow. He played just 29.7 minutes per game this season, the fewest since he was a rookie. He still gets it done on the defensive end, where the Celtics give up just 96.2 points per 100 possessions when he's in the game. His rebounding is tailing off, though, as he grabbed 9.4 boards per 36 minutes, his lowest rate since 1997/98.
Alas, it would be much easier for the C's to part ways with Pierce than with Garnett, who has a guaranteed contract with one of the league's few no-trade clauses. They could try to goad KG into accepting a trade by unloading Pierce and demonstrating that they're in full-scale rebuilding mode, but I don't think Ainge is ready to move on from the "Big Three" era quite yet, if only because there aren't many other intriguing options.
The Celtics could try to trade Pierce, whose contract expires after next season, but that doesn't seem appealing. The cap space the C's can create with Pierce off their books in 2014, when several marquee free agents could be available, is probably more valuable than anything they might get in return for him. Ainge could also dangle Rajon Rondo's team-friendly deal, likely the team's best asset. That could net them draft picks and promising young players, and clear more cap space for a run at one of those summer of 2014 free agents. Boston, despite its rich basketball tradition, has never been a preferred destination for top free agents, however, and that would require Ainge to hit home runs with the youthful assets he would acquire for Rondo, who appears destined to stay put.
The four-year, $36.24MM contract that Jeff Green signed with the Celtics last summer looks like much less of an albatross for the team than it did in the middle of the season. Green's scoring average in games after the All-Star break (17.3) was a whopping seven points higher than it was through the first half of the season. Still, he'll need to show consistency if other teams are to find him an attractive trade asset.
Brandon Bass regressed after a career year in 2011/12, while Jason Terry and Courtney Lee, the two shooting guards the team ostensibly brought in to replace Ray Allen, went through significant declines as well. None of them look like strong trade candidates. Avery Bradley returned from his shoulder injury to play top-notch perimeter defense again, but he regressed offensively and proved incapable of taking over as the team's primary ball-handler in Rondo's absence. That likely limits his trade value, though Ainge probably isn't giving up a starting guard on a rookie contract.
The Celtics are in line to pay the luxury tax unless they waive Pierce, and they'd still be well over the cap even if they save that $10MM+ on him. The team's best bet to upgrade is likely through the mid-level exception. It will be hard to find quality big men on the cheap, particularly if the team is limited to the $3.183MM taxpayer's mid-level instead of the standard $5.15MM exception. Still, someone who can shore up the team's rebounding will no doubt be a priority for Ainge and his staff, which lost assistant GM Ryan McDonough to the Suns. The Heat were the only team to grab fewer rebounds than the Celtics this season, and Boston doesn't have the kind of all-world talent that Miami can call upon to overcome that kind of flaw.
Barring massive improvement by rookies Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo, or midseason acquisitions Shavlik Randolph and D.J. White, the Celtics could also use an inside player to take pressure off Garnett, whose minutes may decline again next season. Ainge acknowledges that the Celtics probably need to add more than a single piece if they're to become a championship contender again. Nonetheless, the clearest path back to the top appears to involve spending the summer on minor changes, rather than an overhaul.
Cap footnotes:
- Williams' contract becomes guaranteed for $200K if he's not waived by June 30th, and the guarantee rises to $300K if he's not waived by September 1st. The guarantee becomes full if he makes the team out of camp.
- The contracts of Randolph and White become fully guaranteed if they're not waived by August 1st.
Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.
Western Rumors: Warriors, Lee, Gasol, Sloan
A source tells Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group that first- and second-round draft picks will likely be available around the time of the draft in exchange for little more than cash. I'd be surprised if any team gave up a first-rounder for such paltry return, however, even considering the purported weakness of this year's crop of prospects. No first-round picks changed hands at the trade deadline, when teams were reluctant to give them up. The Warriors don't have a pick in this year's draft and co-owner Joe Lacob has shown the willingness to spend to acquire a selection in the past, as Kawakami points out, so perhaps they'll net a second-rounder this year.
There's more on the Warriors and their Western Conference rivals, as we detail here:
- Kawakami also hears talk about a hypothetical trade scenario involving David Lee and Pau Gasol, though he strongly cautions that Gasol's name was brought up merely as an example of the kind of player the Warriors might pursue in a trade for Lee. A Gasol deal won't happen, Kawakami writes, but he's the sort of highly paid, versatile big man the team could seek.
- Jerry Sloan attended this week's predraft camp with Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin, and team president Randy Rigby would welcome Sloan if he wants to come back to the Jazz as a consultant, reports Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune. Tribune columnist Gordon Monson predicts Sloan will take the team up on that offer.
- Thunder GM Sam Presti hinted that the team might expand its already liberal use of its D-League affililate, notes Nick Gallo of Thunder.com. "We’re going to have to continue to find ways to use it, because the elite organizations in sports, they assimilate younger players into their team," Presti said. "That’s part of their ability to sustain as they experience turnover or the unforeseen circumstance. It’s what you do before the storm hits, often."
Gani Lawal Drawing NBA Interest
Gani Lawal's NBA resume is about as scant as can be, having totaled two minutes in one game for the Suns in the 2010/11 season. That could be about to change, as a strong showing in Europe this year has prompted the Pacers, Raptors and Magic to schedule workouts with the 6'9" power forward, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Four or five other teams have also discussed bringing Lawal in for a look, Charania adds.
Lawal has spent this season in Italy with Virtus Roma, notching 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. According to Charania, the 24-year-old has lost weight and added strength since his stint with the Suns, who drafted him with the 46th overall pick out of Georgia Tech in 2010. He was in training camp with the Spurs in 2011, but San Antonio cut him before the start of the regular season.
I'd expect him to be in line for another training camp invitation this time around, perhaps with a small partial guarantee. That he's sparked interest this early in the offseason suggests he could be one of the top free agents from outside the NBA, but I don't think he'll merit much more than the minimum salary unless he's especially impressive in his workouts. That's just my speculation, of course, and Lawal appears to be in line for plenty of opportunities this summer to show NBA teams what he can do.
Thunder GM: No Plans To Amnesty Perkins
Following the Thunder's second-round loss to the Grizzlies, one player under the microscope is Kendrick Perkins, whose postseason stat sheet featured as many turnovers (24) as points (24) and nearly as many fouls (39) as rebounds (41). With two years and about $18.63MM left on his contract, Perkins would appear to be a prime amnesty candidate, but GM Sam Presti doesn't seem to be seriously weighing that option.
"We just haven't considered using the provision," Presti said, according to Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman (Twitter link). "We think Perk has a lot of value to our team."
Besides Perkins, the Thunder still have three more amnesty-eligible players on the roster. Kevin Durant, of course, won't be amnestied, and Nick Collison and Thabo Sefolosha appear unlikely candidates as well, considering they're both on inexpensive deals and continue to contribute positive minutes.
That leaves Perkins as the most logical candidate, though Oklahoma City could always let its amnesty provision go unused. If Perkins were to be amnestied, the Thunder would need to find another frontcourt player in addition to paying Perkins. Clearing the big man's $8.98MM cap hit also wouldn't create much, if any, cap space to sign a replacement, since the team already projects to be well over the cap next season.
We'll see what happens when this year's amnesty week begins on July 10th, but for now it looks like Perkins will stay put. Assuming he remains in Oklahoma City for all of next season, he'd be amnesty-eligible one more time in July 2014.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Seattle, Warriors, Bazemore
Of the four NBA divisions that sent three teams to the postseason this year, only the Pacific doesn't have a team still in the hunt, following the eliminations of the Lakers, Clippers, and Warriors. Here's the latest from out west:
- While Vivek Ranadive and the Kings new ownership group haven't closed the door on bringing back GM Geoff Petrie and head coach Keith Smart, Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee says the team's basketball operations should and will be overhauled this summer.
- Seattle's bidders for the Kings are expected to turn down the league's offer to repay their $30MM nonrefundable deposit, and if they do, they will have spent more than $100MM in their ill-fated effort to woo the team north, tweets Chris Daniels of KING-TV.
- Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group thinks Mark Jackson will receive an extension sometime in the next month, predicts the Warriors will choose Jarrett Jack over Carl Landry in free agency, and doesn't foresee a major trade in the offseason.
- Stephen Curry tells Marcus Thompson II of the San Jose Mercury News that he's been encouraging Jack to return to the Warriors next season. "This is the place for him," Curry said. "He's bounced around a lot. For him to have hopefully found a home here for the foreseeable future would be huge. I know he wants to be part of a winning team, and I think we have that here now."
- Assuming he's not released today, Kent Bazemore should receive a modest bonus, per Mark Deeks of ShamSports. According to Deeks, Bazemore's nonguaranteed 2013/14 contract becomes partially guaranteed for $25K if he's not waived within two days of the Warriors' final game of the season.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Villanueva, Kleiza, Gray Exercise 2013/14 Options
One ex-Raptor and two current Raps have opted in for the 2013/14 season, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com. According to RealGM's transactions log, Charlie Villanueva, Linas Kleiza, and Aaron Gray all picked up their '13/14 player options on May 13th.
None of the decisions come as any surprise, given the production the three players provided on the court compared to the salaries they're now in line to earn next season. Villanueva had confirmed earlier in the season that he'd exercise his option, worth $8.58MM. In 69 games with the Pistons this season, Villanueva established career-lows in PPG (6.8), FG% (.377), and PER (14.0), among other categories.
The Raptors duo won't be quite as expensive as Villanueva, as Kleiza's option is worth $4.6MM, while Gray's is worth about $2.69MM. Gray appeared in 42 games for Toronto this season, starting 16 of them, and averaged 2.8 PPG and 3.2 RPG. Kleiza played in just 20 contests for the Raps, missing time with a knee injury and then not getting back into the lineup even when he was healthy.
While all three players are now set to become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2014, free agency could come earlier for Villanueva and Kleiza. The Pistons and Raptors both still have the amensty provision available, and Villanueva and Kleiza represent the top amnesty candidates for their respective clubs.