2014 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Favors, LeBron, Leslie, Smart

October 19th, 2013 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

With Derrick Favors now locked up, Gordon Hayward is the next domino to fall for the Jazz, writes Tom Ziller of SBNation. Extending Hayward would further cut into Utah’s cap space for 2014, but ZIller notes that if they don’t work out a new deal with him, he’ll also affect their flexibility with an $8.6MM cap hold. Here’s more from around the Association..

A veteran NBA scout told Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel that he doesn’t see the Heat staying on top forever as he expects LeBron James to bolt at some point.
As C.J. Leslie fights for a roster spot with the Knicks, coach Mike Woodson told reporters that he views the forward as a project, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. “He is a project,” Woodson said after Leslie saw no playing time in Thursday’s preseason contest. “No doubt about that. Right now the game is somewhat quick for him in terms of catching on to what we’re doing. I’ve seen that over the years since I’ve been coaching, a lot of young guys they struggle early because you throw so many things at them, it’s too fast. So we’re trying to slow it down a little a bit, spend more time with him in the classroom.” Leslie has a reported guarantee of ~$200K.
Oklahoma State star Marcus Smart says that he’s motivated by people crowning Andrew Wiggins as the best player in college basketball before he has even played a game, writes Eric Prisbell of USA Today. Wiggins is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft while Smart is currently No. 5 on DraftExpress‘ mock draft.
Ryan Gomes is pushing for a job with the Thunder and he says that he is encouraged by the support he has gotten from GM Sam Presti, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman.

Odds & Ends: Adams, Carmelo, Wiggins, Pistons

October 18th, 2013 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Few NBA teams use their D-League affiliate more actively than the Thunder, who shuttled players like Jeremy Lamb, Daniel Orton, and Perry Jones III back and forth between OKC and Tulsa throughout the 2012/13 season. However, it doesn’t sound like the team is currently planning for rookie big man Steven Adams to spend significant time with the 66ers, as Royce Young of Daily Thunder details.

“It’s something that we never talked about,” coach Scott Brooks said of Adams and the D-League. “We just focus on what we do here. If players go down and play in the D-League in Tulsa that decision is made during that time. But right now, I’m not even going that way with any of our guys.”

Brooks’ comments leave the door open for Adams to join Tulsa at some point this season, and I’d be surprised if he didn’t make at least one D-League stop, but perhaps the team intends to get the Pittsburgh product more involved in OKC than rookies Lamb and Jones were a year ago.

Here’s more from around the NBA:

In his latest piece for SBNation.com, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com identifies a few contract trends, concluding that teams are less inclined than they were a few years ago to tie up their cap with long-term, overpriced contracts for mid-level type players.
Carmelo Anthony made a few more comments about his potential free agency today, noting that he’s assured coach Mike Woodson it won’t bother him during the season, and adding that he doesn’t expect to receive a recruiting pitch from Kobe Bryant this year. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com has the details.
Andrew Wiggins is an excellent prospect, but he’s not a mortal lock to be the No. 1 pick in 2014, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Insider-only link).
Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival takes a look at Nikola Mirotic, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Kostas Papanikolaou, three notable overseas prospects who have been drafted (or acquired) and stashed by the Bulls, Nets, and Rockets, respectively.
In his weekly mailbag at MLive.com, David Mayo explores whether the Pistons need to acquire more shooting, among other questions.

Traded 2014 First Round Picks To Watch

October 9th, 2013 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

As we saw in 2011 when the draft pick acquired from the Clippers by the Cavaliers ended up landing first overall, trading unprotected first-round picks is a risky proposition for NBA teams. That would explain why, heading into the 2013/14 season, only three ’14 first-round picks have been traded without protection, all by veteran teams expected to have strong years.

The Knicks’ first-round pick will be sent to the Nuggets, as part of New York’s debt from the Carmelo Anthony blockbuster. However, if the Knicks’ pick is less favorable than Denver’s own pick, the Nuggets will pass it along to Orlando, as part of last summer’s four-team Dwight Howard trade. Otherwise, the Magic will receive Denver’s pick.

The Warriors’ first-round pick will head to Utah, one of several picks Golden State sent to the Jazz in the cap-clearing summer deal that saw Andre Iguodala land with the Warriors.

The other unprotected first-rounder will come from the Nets, who agreed to send their pick to Boston in this offseason’s acquisition of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. As part of 2012’s Joe Johnson swap though, the Hawks have the opportunity to swap their own first-round pick with the Nets’ pick, leaving the Celtics with the lesser pick of the two. So if the Nets disappoint this season, it will be the Hawks, rather than the C’s, who benefit most.

Nine other teams have agreed to give up their respective 2014 first-round picks in certain scenarios, but given the protection on these picks, only a handful will actually change hands next summer. We’ll be keeping an eye on the standings all season to monitor whether or not these traded picks will fall under protection, but here’s an early look at the situations to watch this season:

Team: Charlotte Bobcats
Will be sent to: Chicago Bulls
Protection: 1-10
Forecast: Despite the addition of Al Jefferson, the Bobcats still likely project as a lottery team, meaning this pick has a good chance to stay put. That could be good news for the Bulls, since we continue to inch closer to 2016, when this pick will become unprotected.

Team: Dallas Mavericks
Will be sent to: Oklahoma City Thunder
Protection: 1-20
Forecast: Mark Cuban and the Mavs are optimistic about the new-look roster, but I’m skeptical that Dallas is a top-ten team. This pick will probably stay with Dallas.

Team: Detroit Pistons
Will be sent to: Charlotte Bobcats
Protection: 1-8
Forecast: If the Pistons were to finish as a bottom-eight team, I expect there’d be some jobs opening up in Detroit in 2014, given the expectations for the club. I have the Pistons penciled in as a low playoff seed in the East, so this pick should be ticketed for Charlotte.

Team: Indiana Pacers
Will be sent to: Phoenix Suns
Protection: 1-14
Forecast: While the Heat may be the No. 1 seed in the East again, the Pacers shouldn’t be too far behind them. As such, this pick will likely land in the mid-20s and be shipped to Phoenix.

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Will be sent to: Phoenix Suns
Protection: 1-13
Forecast: If the T-Wolves can avoid the injury problems that plagued them last season, they should be a playoff contender. The West will be competitive though, so there are no guarantees either way on this one.

Team: New Orleans Pelicans
Will be sent to: Philadelphia 76ers
Protection: 1-5
Forecast: I’m not bullish on the Pelicans’ postseason chances for 2013/14, but the offseason upgrades, along with continued development from Anthony Davis, should ensure that New Orleans isn’t a bottom-five team. The result could be a pair of lottery picks for the Sixers.

Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Will be sent to: Miami Heat
Protection: 1-14
Forecast: Speaking of those Sixers, it would be truly be a shocker if their own first-rounder changed hands next summer. Many pundits don’t expect the Sixers to win 20 games, let alone earn a playoff spot.

Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Will be sent to: Charlotte Bobcats
Protection: 1-12
Forecast: Like the Wolves, the Blazers expect to be in contention for the postseason, but again, it won’t be easy in the West. This is another pick I could see going either way.

Team: Sacramento Kings
Will be sent to: Cleveland Cavaliers
Protection: 1-12
Forecast: The Kings are entering the season with playoff aspirations as well, but their odds are significantly lower, in my view, than the Wolves’ or Blazers’. I expect we’ll see Sacramento keep this pick.

RealGM.com was used in the creation of this post.

Odds & Ends: Jazz, Draft, Karl, Ledo, Weems

October 6th, 2013 at 8:45pm CST by Zachary Links

If the Jazz are going to roll with a third point guard this season, it’ll be either Scott Machado or Lester Hudson, writes Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune. Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks could conceivably bring the ball up the floor, but it sounds like Utah would prefer to have another cushion at the one-guard position. “It’s always better to have a third point guard,” coach Tyrone Corbin said. “A guy gets hurt, a guy gets sick … If it’s for an extended period of time, having that third point guard gives you a luxury.” Here’s more from around the Association..

Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv spoke with an NBA GM about the 2014 Draft. The GM feels that even though it’ll be a two-player race between Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle, no one will have the fortitude to pick Randle over Wiggins, even if he outperforms him.
George Karl says the 2012/13 was the most fun he’s ever had in coaching, so he’d like to return to the bench, even though the former Nuggets boss acknowledges to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that he may not get another chance. “If that doesn’t happen, I think I can be OK with it,” Karl said. “I’ve had a great career and I think I’m healthy enough and energized enough to go another four or five years, and hopefully someone else out there will think the same thing.”
Rick Carlisle is high on second-round pick Ricky Ledo, but the Mavs coach hinted that Ledo will probably spend time on assignment to the D-League this year, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram passes along.
Sonny Weems, who will play in Russia this season, still has his eye on an NBA deal, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

Odds & Ends: 2014 Draft, 2015/16 All-Star Games

September 24th, 2013 at 5:46pm CST by Michael Pina

A few random notes from around the league.

In a pair of pieces for ESPN.com, Jeff Goodman makes a case for why Julius Randle could challenge Andrew Wiggins for the No. 1 spot in the 2014 draft, and—along with a few of his colleagues—tackles five questons related to next year's draft.
The NBA will hold a press conference tomorrow where the league is expected to announce that the Nets and Knicks will both host All-Star weekend in 2015, according to a tweet from Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling.
In other All-Star weekend news, Ryan Wolstat from The Toronto Sun is reporting that Toronto will host the event in 2016.

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2014 NBA Draft

Odds & Ends: Pistons, LeBron, Anderson

September 12th, 2013 at 10:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque

A panel of HoopsWorld columnists discussed their thoughts on the Pistons' offseason additions, current strengths and weaknesses, and where the team projects to finish in the Central Division standings this year. Count Brandon Jennings among those who seem most eager to get the season started, as he believes that with Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, and Josh Smith, Detroit should be a dominant rebounding force on both sides of the court (Detroit Free Press staff report). Here's the rest of tonight's noteworthy links:

Ken Berger of CBS Sports believes that with so many variables to consider, there's no way that even LeBron James knows what he's going to do on July 1st next year, when he'll have the ability to exercise his early-termination option and hit unrestricted free agency.
Jeff Goodman of ESPN (via Twitter) doesn't think it's a guarantee that UCLA's Kyle Anderson will declare for the draft after this year, especially since he's not considered a lock to get selected in the first round at this point.
Jeff Caplan of NBA.com gives the Trail Blazers a "B" for their offseason report card, highlighting their coaching staff and frontcourt as the team's strongest suits and identifying defense as their weakest one. In another a piece, Ben Golliver of BlazersEdge.com relays Damian Lillard's interview with True Hoop TV's Henry Abbott about his workload and expectations defensively.
Dan McCarney of Spurs Nation wades through the changes and holdovers of the Northwest Division and touches upon what to expect from each team in 2013/14.
Moke Hamilton of HoopsWorld held his weekly chat with fans, answering questions about Seattle, the Knicks, how Danny Granger's return from injury could affect Paul George, and the Pelicans' playoff chances among other topics.

Odds & Ends: 2014 Draft, Jay Z, Wolves, Mavs

September 9th, 2013 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

We're 290 days away from the 2014 NBA draft, but for ESPN.com's Chad Ford, it's by no means too early to forecast next June's first round. In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Ford presents his first 2014 mock draft, headlined by a top five of Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, Dante Exum, and Jabari Parker.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the Association:

The NBPA is still waiting for official confirmation that Jay Z has divested his ownership stake in the Nets before granting him full NBA agent certification, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (Twitter links). We heard last week that the rapper is selling half his Nets share to head coach Jason Kidd, and the other half to a current minority owner.
The Timberwolves officially announced today that they've hired Bobby Jackson as a player development coach and promoted David Adelman, Rick Adelman's son, to assistant coach (Twitter link). Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune adds (via Twitter) that the Wolves didn't pick up Shawn Respert's option at the end of August, leaving Jackson as the team's only player development coach.
Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com loves the Mavericks' decision to re-sign Brandan Wright to a two-year, $10MM contract, giving the team a grade of A+ for the move. I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, though it looks like a solid value for Dallas.
Speaking to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Marcus Camby discusses his decision to sign with the Rockets, the recruitment he received from Dwight Howard, and his plan to coach after his playing career is over.
In a piece for Secret Rival, Hoops Rumors contributor Mark Porcaro examines a few former Big East standouts, rounding up where they're playing now. You can take a more in-depth look at the latest international player movement in our tracker, which we introduced earlier today.

Dante Exum Undecided On College

August 28th, 2013 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Australian guard Dante Exum is set to graduate from high school this coming December, but his next move after that is still unclear. Exum, who is considered one of top young prospects in the world, could opt to immediately come stateside and start college in December. Alternately, he could attend an NCAA school starting in the fall of 2014, or forgo college entirely in favor of declaring his intent for the '14 draft as an international early entrant.

While Exum has yet to make his decision, it doesn't sound as if he plans to start college immediately after high school, as he tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com.

"Schools have been saying I can start in early December and play this season," Exum told Goodman. "But if college is the option, I'll stay in Australia, do workouts with the national team and then go to college next August. Playing this season in college is not an option."

If he does decide to enroll in an NCAA program, Exum figures to choose one of five schools: Indiana, North Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan or Oregon. Still, the 18-year-old tells Goodman that he's 50/50 on whether to declare for the 2014 draft or to attend college a year from now, which would make him ineligible for the NBA until at least 2015.

Currently, both ESPN.com's Chad Ford and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com rank Exum as the third-best prospect of the 2014 class, behind only Andrew Wiggins (Kansas) and Julius Randle (Kentucky). Barring any setbacks, he projects as a top-five pick in the '14 draft, assuming he declares his intent.

Odds & Ends: Ivey, Cavs, Fredette, Lakers, Draft

August 24th, 2013 at 3:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

Former second-round pick Royal Ivey has never scored more than 5.6 points per game in the NBA, nor has he averaged as many as 20 minutes a night. Still, the 6'3" combo guard has consistently found work in the league, as he's spent the entirety of the last nine seasons on an NBA roster. He's unsigned this summer, but it looks like he'll have a chance to make it an even 10 years in the Association. Ivey will soon work out for the Hawks and Spurs, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Here's more on a few others looking to stick around the NBA awhile:

It was Carrick Felix's performance over the summer that prompted the Cavs to give the 33rd overall pick a slight bump in his first-year salary, the Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto writes. Pluto refers to the contract as a four-year deal, as it was originally reported to be, but Mark Deeks of ShamSports and HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus have it as a three-year pact.
Pluto has heard renewed chatter linking the Cavs to Jimmer Fredette. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported in early July that the Kings were dangling Fredette and Chuck Hayes in discussions with the Cleveland, but Pluto says the Cavs haven't spoken to Sacramento in more than a month.
The deal Elias Harris signed with the Lakers isn't fully guaranteed, but he seems a strong bet to make the team, since he's one of only 12 players under contract. Lakers assistant Mark Madsen shares his thoughts on the undrafted Gonzaga power forward with Mike Trudell of Lakers.com.
HoopsWorld's Yannis Koutroupis checks in with a ranking of the top 40 prospects for the vaunted 2014 draft, and names 20 others who could hear their names called next June.
This week's trade for Tony Wroten is further indication that the Sixers are all-in on player development, opines Michael Kaskey-Blomain of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Odds & Ends: Union, Lucas, Draft, Brown

August 12th, 2013 at 9:30pm CST by Zachary Links

With the offseason winding down, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld identified who the real contenders will be in 2013/14. The back-to-back champion Heat top the list with some of the other usual suspects, including the Spurs and Thunder. The Bulls should be vaulted back into contention with the long-awaited return of Derrick Rose. The Clippers are a bona fide contender after re-signing Chris Paul, landing Doc Rivers as coach, and adding J.J. Redick. The Nets, who now boast the most expensive roster in the NBA by far, hope to be among the league's elite with first-time coach Jason Kidd at the helm. And of course, the Rockets will be one of the most intriguing teams to keep an eye on after luring Dwight Howard away from L.A. Here's more from around the Association..

NBPA executive committee member Jerry Stackhouse told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that LeBron James' comments about the union felt like a "kick in the stomach". "I don't think he's had any dialogue with anybody since the All-Star break, but it is what it is," Stackhouse said. "To make that statement about where we are as a union right now, he was misinformed."
Point guard John Lucas III was a safe choice for the Jazz, in the sense that he won't threaten Trey Burke or expect to be the main one-guard for the long-term. However, Utah believes they have more than a capable stop-gap and more than a positive locker room influence in the veteran, writes Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) runs down the 2014 NBA Draft and notes that its remarkable depth could make it the best ever. Ford's latest big board has Andrew Wiggins at the top, followed by Kentucky's Julius Randle, Australian Dante Exum, Duke's Jabari Parker, and Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart.
Sean Deveney of the Sporting News gives his immediate and long-term outlook for the league's 13 new coaches. The list starts with the latest hire, 76ers coach Brett Brown.
Jordan Hill's summer assignment is to become the stretch four that the Lakers need, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Hill missed 53 games last year, mostly because of back and hip trouble.