J.J. Hickson Out For Season
J.J. Hickson is out for the year after tearing his ACL last night against the Mavericks, per a team release. The five-year veteran has averaged 11.8 points and 9.2 rebounds for the Nuggets this season, serving as Denver’s starting center in a majority of their games. Hickson is in the first year of a three-year, $16MM contract.
The Nuggets already have the maximum of 15 guaranteed roster spots filled, so they won’t be adding any players to plug into the rotation. The absence of Hickson will open up significant playing time for Jan Vesely, whom the Nuggets acquired from the Wizards at the trade deadline as part of the Andre Miller three-team deal. Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com writes that coach Brian Shaw was already planning to give Vesely a closer look as the season winds down, but a thinner frontcourt will ensure that happens.
Vesely has been a disappointment for most of his career after being taken as the sixth overall selection in the 2011 draft by the Wizards. He’s shooting .488 from the field and a dismal .279 from the free throw stripe, percentages that have dropped each year in his career. Vesely’s athleticism has never been in question, but his raw ability has remained unpolished to this point.
Draft Notes: Embiid, Parker, Wiggins, Ross
Kansas center Joel Embiid won’t be playing against Stanford tomorrow, but Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated doesn’t think his absence should have a major impact on his draft stock (Twitter link). The latest mock draft from DraftExpress has Embiid going second overall. Here’s a look at some more news related to the draft:
- Despite yesterday’s crushing loss to Mercer, Jabari Parker is still expected to enter his name into June’s draft, one executive tells Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog. The same executive says he would take Parker at third overall, behind the Kansas duo of Embiid and Andrew Wiggins. If Embiid’s back proves to be an issue, however, he’d take Parker second behind Wiggins.
- Ohio State’s LaQuinton Ross still hasn’t made a decision on whether or not he’ll enter the draft, reveals Zagoria. One scout tells Zagoria that Ross would be well advised to stay in school and work to improve his game. Ross would figure to be a mid-second-round pick this June.
- University of Arizona coach Sean Miller labeled Weber State forward Joel Bolomboy as an NBA prospect, tweets Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune. Bolomboy average 8.7 points and 11 rebounds per game in 2013/14.
- Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders gives his take on how the tournament has affected the top prospects’ draft stocks. Adreian Payne and T.J. Warren are two players who Koutroupis thinks have really benefited themselves from good performances in the early rounds of the tourney.
And-Ones: Donovan, Union, Heat, Kidd
Florida Gators coach Billy Donovan has enjoyed great success at the college level. He’s on the way to his fourth consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA tournament, but he isn’t ruling out a potential jump to the NBA one day, revealed an Associated Press report (via ESPN.com). Donovan accepted a head coaching position for the Magic in 2007, but changed his mind shortly after and returned to continue coaching Florida. Here’s more from around the NBA:
- Roughly two dozen players and agents would like to see the NBA player’s union push back their selection of a new executive director to July, passes along Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report. We had previously heard that David White and Michele Roberts were the two finalists for the role, but the opposing group wants the candidates to be reconsidered, possibly widening the fielding by “starting from scratch.”
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel thinks the Heat would be wise to alter their draft strategy in light of the impending enforcement of the repeater tax. It’s important to secure young talent at the rookie-scale price rather than relying on expensive free agent contracts to build a team, says Winderman.
- Nikola Pekovic won’t appear in 70 or more games this year, so he won’t receive the bonus he would have drawn for doing so, notes Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Wolves signed Pekovic to a five-year, $60MM deal last summer that had up to $8MM in potential incentives.
- Nets GM Billy King doesn’t think Jason Kidd is getting the credit he deserves for turning Brooklyn into a winning team, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. King notes Kidd was receiving flak when his club was struggling, but few people credit the rookie coach for his instrumental role in their recent success.
- The report that the Nets are prioritizing a signing for Shaun Livingston next summer might mean the team is confident they’ll re-sign Paul Pierce, tweets Bondy. Another tweet from Bondy reiterates that King has not offered Pierce an extension and hasn’t discussed next season with Kevin Garnett.
- Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times runs down how the round of 64 in the NCAA tournament affected the draft stocks of many of the best college players. Jabari Parker and Marcus Smart were two top prospects who saw an early exit from the tourney yesterday.
Cavs Rumors: Curry, Edwards, James
It’s been a tough few seasons for the Cavaliers organization. No team has a worse record since 2010/11, as Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer points out, Cleveland is 90-209 in that stretch, good for just a .301 winning percentage. Let’s look at the latest on the Cavs:
- Cleveland signed Seth Curry to a 10-day contract yesterday, and the young guard is excited for the opportunity he’ll have to prove he belongs in the NBA, reports Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer. With five players sidelined for tonight’s game versus the Rockets, Curry will likely receive ample opportunity to showcase his abilities.
- An official team announcement confirmed that Shane Edwards has re-signed with the D-League affiliate of the Cavs, the Canton Charge. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio was the first to report that the forward would return to Canton, where he’s spent most of the season, if the Cavs decided not to retain him. Cleveland terminated his 10-day contract Friday to make room for Curry.
- LeBron James is surprised at the Cavs’ lack of success in 2013/14, but he doesn’t think it’s fair for him to judge the club, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “Who am I to say they should play better or not? I’m not there with them every day,” said James. “I’m not coaching them. I’m not playing. From the beginning of the season, I think we all would say they’d be in better contention in the East.” A rumored offseason reunion between James and Cleveland has been one of the most discussed topics this season, but he doesn’t sound overly impressed with the team as it stands.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Atlantic Notes: Young, Babb, Johnson, Knicks
While Thaddeus Young is focused on finishing the Sixers dismal season on a high note, he admits to Christopher A. Vito of The Delaware County Daily Times that his player option for the 2015/16 season has crossed his mind. “It’s a lot of money to leave on the table. At the end of the day, I’m not a guy that spends a lot of money,” Young said Friday. “Obviously, I want to be winning on a championship team. At the end of the day, like I said, it’s a card that could be played.” Young added that coach Brett Brown and GM Sam Hinkie have done their best to include the power forward on board with the rebuilding process. Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- Celtics coach Brad Stevens says that the recently signed duo of Chris Babb and Chris Johnson were brought in to add character to the locker room and enhance practices with their good attitudes, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Babb and Johnson both hooked onto Boston with multi-year deals after each seeing a pair of 10-day contracts.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines the likelihood that the Celtics re-sign Jerryd Bayless for next season. Bayless will need to work on his defense if he wants to be in Boston long-term, says Forsberg.
- Steve Mills’ new role in the Knicks organization will likely turn out to be only ceremonial, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. Team president Phil Jackson will look to bring in a different GM to handle day-to-day operations for the club, and Lawrence lists Kurt Rambis, Jim Cleamons, Ronnie Lester, and Mike Dunleavy as possible candidates for the job.
- Crafting his front office team is only one of the tasks Jackson will face in the early stages of his new role for the Knicks. Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders discusses the other challenges the Zen Master will deal with in the early stages of his tenure in New York.
- Harvery Araton of the New York Times thinks that the Knicks’ move to bring in Jackson has overshadowed the impressive recovery that the Nets have been able to make over the second half of the season. Brooklyn sits just one game back from third place in the East after an underwhelming start to the 2013/14 campaign.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Pacific Notes: White, Kelly, Lakers
Gregg Popovich has long been in Kings coach Michael Malone‘s corner, explaining to The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Jones why he endorsed Malone when Malone sought his first NBA head coaching gig. “In an NBA season, there’s all kinds of ups and downs, and you have to be able to roll with all of them,” Popovich said. “I just thought he had that edge, that toughness and the obvious sense for the game and that he could be successful. That’s why I went to bat for him.” More from the Pacific:
- After playing his first minute of NBA action last night, Royce White tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com that he plans to attend every game with the Kings as long as he’s under contract, including road games requiring flying. White is optimistic about his stay in Sacramento working out better than his time with the Rockets, who drafted him and eventually traded him after failing to resolve issues surrounding his mental health. “In all fairness to Houston, they were in a much different position. A lot of things, they couldn’t make a ruling on themselves as much as the league. They had to wait on a lot of OKs and things from people. It was a real complex situation. But [this] feels very different.” said White. “I’m definitely feeling more comfortable with the ability to have a successful career in this league.”
- Rookie Ryan Kelly is trying to prove that he deserves to remain with the Lakers next season, he tells Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times. “I’ve seen it as an opportunity to let not only the Lakers organization know but the rest of the league know that I deserve a spot in this league,” Kelly said. Kelly will be a restricted free agent this summer if the Lakers extend a qualifying offer of just over $1MM.
- Lakers owner Jeanie Buss doesn’t believe Phil Jackson‘s presence in New York will hurt her team’s appeal for free agents, she said in an interview with ESPN 710 (transcription via Mike Bresnahan and Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times). “I think the Lakers are a legacy franchise. Players know when they come here this is the ultimate platform… I’m not worried about that in any way, shape or form,” said Buss.
- Buss added that the Lakers‘ struggles don’t effect the Buss family’s long-term commitment to keep and run the team.
New York Notes: Jackson, ‘Melo, Pierce
Nets GM Billy King tells reporters, including Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (via Twitter) that the team hasn’t had any discussions with Paul Pierce about an extension. Pierce will become a free agent this summer if he doesn’t reach an extension agreement with Brooklyn by June 30. Here’s more from New York:
- King also said he has no idea if Kevin Garnett may be planning to retire this offseason or after his current contract expires following the 2014/15 season, per Washburn (Twitter link).
- In a recap of the Knicks close victory over the Sixers last night, The New York Post’s Marc Berman notes how some of the Knicks culture hasn’t changed yet following Phil Jackson‘s hiring as team president. GM Steve Mills is still traveling with the team while Jackson stays home in Los Angeles, and the team’s standoffish attitude toward the media is still in effect.
- Sources are split on whether Jackson will play a deciding role in Carmelo Anthony‘s free agent decision this summer, as Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops reports.
- For his part, Jim Boeheim thinks the addition of Jackson adds credibility to a team with limited possibilities for roster improvement next season, telling Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that Anthony always wanted to stay with the Knicks.
- Bill Parcells tells Gary Myers of New York Daily News that the hardest part of Jackson’s new job might be watching Knicks games without the ability to jump in and coach. Parcells also took on a personnel role with the Dolphins after establishing himself as a great coach in the NFL, and eventually resigned due to the frustration of lacking hands-on control. “These are things not directly related to personnel acquisitions. Putting the right kind of player on the team — he will know what to do with all that,” says Parcells. “The ancillary issue is he’s not going to be coaching. So his vision for what might be done in certain situations might not be the same vision as the guy who is coaching. It doesn’t mean they are not on the same page personally from an organizational standpoint, but there may be things that he sees he can’t control.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Central Notes: Drummond, Bulls, Bynum
Andre Drummond tells Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press that the many Pistons losses this season have taken their toll on the young big man. “That’s how it goes sometimes. Nothing good comes easy, and nothing starts off easy, either. Tough starts will help us build this team and this organization,” said Drummond. Ellis points out that if the Pistons finish low enough to keep their lottery pick, it would be little consolation if continued losing sours Drummond on the organization. Here’s more from around the Central:
- Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times thinks speculation on Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau moving to the Knicks, or Carmelo Anthony signing with the Bulls, is a thing of the past, implying that Phil Jackson‘s tenure in New York will put an end to those possibilities.
- Cowley adds that Gary Harris, Doug McDermott, K.J. McDaniels, and Zach LaVine could be good options for the Bulls in the draft. Barring a Bobcats late-season meltdown, Chicago will have Charlotte’s first round pick to go with their own in the 2014 draft, both of which are currently projected in the teens.
- Carlos Delfino, lost for the year due to injury, won’t be joining the Bucks for the remainder of the year, per Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times (Twitter link). The guard is opting to rehab in his home country of Argentina, and is still under contract with Milwaukee beyond this season.
- Pacers backup center Andrew Bynum is sidelined indefinitely while he receives treatment for swelling and soreness to his knee, per a team release. Bynum has only played two games with Indiana since signing there in early February, and it’s no shock that his chronic knee issues are limiting his time.
Northwest Notes: Westbrook, Nuggets, Jazz
Kevin Durant likely regained the lead for the MVP last night, leading the Thunder to a double-OT victory over the Raptors by hitting a game-winning three that put him over 50 points for the second time this season. It wasn’t all good news for Oklahoma City, though, as Russell Westbrook had to leave the game after a collision with Kyle Lowry against the same knee he’s had three recent surgeries on. Here are some notes from the Northwest Division:
- After the game, Westbrook was positive, telling reporters including Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman that he felt no pain and doesn’t expect to miss time. Westbrook first hurt the knee in the first round of last year’s playoffs. He played through that game and expressed similar optimism before being ruled out for the postseason. Last night’s injury was officially ruled a sprained knee, and he will be re-evaluated today.
- While former Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri, now guiding the Raptors, is routinely mentioned as one of the best executives in the league, Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post says that Ujiri is responsible for one of the worst trades in Denver’s history. Sending away Arron Afflalo and a first-round pick for one year of Andre Iguodala set the franchise back in Kiszla’s eyes.
- The Jazz will be joining the Las Vegas Summer League this year and leaving the Orlando league, per Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (H/T Jody Genessy of The Deseret News). The team decided to switch leagues because the logistics of conducting team activities on the East Coast can be challenging and limiting.
Draft Rumors: Parker, Wiggins, Nuggets
Jabari Parker called his college career “incomplete” after Duke’s upset loss in the NCAA tournament Friday, and the Blue Devils’ early exit could affect his decision about whether to enter the draft this year, he tells Andy Katz of ESPN (Twitter link). Scouts had held the belief that Parker was leaning toward declaring for the draft, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Here are more draft rumors:
- Sean Highkin of USA Today doesn’t think Parker will skip the draft based on his disappointing tournament. Highkin says the farthest Parker could fall is to the third overall pick, so the small forward has more certainty of his selection (and payday) than players like Marcus Smart or Jared Sullinger had when deciding to return to school for another year.
- Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider [subscription only] offer some analysis of Andrew Wiggins‘ upside, using both scouting information and advanced metrics. Both Ford and Pelton see Wiggins as a potential Paul George-type player.
- Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post thinks that Gary Harris, Nik Stauskas, and James Young are three players who would make sense for the Nuggets to draft this year. Kiszla notes that the Knicks‘ recent winning streak has hurt the Nuggets’ odds of landing a high lottery pick. The Nuggets will have the better of their own pick and New York’s pick.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.