Tyus Jones Declares For Draft
Duke freshman point guard Tyus Jones is off to the NBA draft, as he announced in a statement released through the school. The 18-year-old, who turns 19 next month, is projected to join Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow as members of the national champion Blue Devils to be drafted in the first round this year. Jones is the 21st-best prospect on Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress board, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him 23rd.
Jones had been “proceeding toward plans” to enter this year’s draft last week as he arranged meetings with agents, as Shams Charania of RealGM reported then. NBA personnel who spoke recently with Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com thought leaving school this year would be a wise decision for the point guard, believing his stock wouldn’t go any higher with another year at Duke. The Pistons, Pelicans, Sixers, Magic and Rockets have been among the NBA teams doing the most research into the Minnesota native so far, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
It’ll take a while for Jones to develop on the NBA level, but he’s capable of rewarding a patient team that drafts him in the middle of the first round, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors wrote as he ranked Jones 20th in our latest Draft Prospect Power Rankings. Jones averaged 13.9 points in 33.9 minutes per game, and he nearly had a three-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio, putting up 6.6 assists and 2.3 turnovers per contest. He recorded only one assist in the national championship game, but his game-high 23 points helped him earn the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player award.
Draft Notes: Staten, Wiltjer, Harvey
With the regular season almost at a close the NBA draft will become the primary focus for all of the non-playoff teams around the NBA the next few months. You can stay up to date on all of the underclassmen who have already declared their intent to enter this year’s draft here. If you want to see what your favorite team’s current chances of landing the No. 1 overall pick are then head on over to Hoops Rumors’ Reverse Standings for the answer. Now here’s the latest news regarding the 2015 NBA draft…
- West Virginia senior guard Juwan Staten has signed with agent Colin Bryant of Max Deal Sports, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets. Staten is currently ranked 83rd by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and he is the No. 93 overall player according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required).
- Gonzaga junior Kyle Wiltjer is considering entering the NBA draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Wiltjer, who appears on neither Ford’s or Givony’s rankings, is unlikely to be drafted if he does indeed declare, Goodman adds.
- Eastern Washington’s Tyler Harvey has signed with agent Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports, Goodman tweets. The sophomore is currently ranked No. 35 overall by Ford and No. 75 by Givony.
- Georgia State junior R.J. Hunter has signed a deal with agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, Goodman reports (Twitter link). ESPN.com has Hunter rated the No. 19 prospect while DraftExpress.com slots him at No. 27 overall.
- Fellow Georgia State guard Ryan Harrow, a senior, has inked a deal with agent Wallace Prather of Perennial Sports & Entertainment, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops reports (Twitter link).
Eastern Notes: Calderon, Farmar, Pistons
It’s been a difficult first season in New York for Jose Calderon, who has only appeared in 42 contests for the Knicks this season, averaging 9.1 points and 4.7 assists in 30.2 minutes per night. Though the team was reportedly shopping him prior to February’s trade deadline, the point guard still believes that he has a future with the team, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. “I really want to stay here,” Calderon said. “I think they want me here. That’s the feeling I got. I think I really can help this team next year.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Jordan Farmar said that the Cavaliers expressed interest in signing him after his release from the Clippers in a buyout arrangement, but playing time concerns led him to ink a deal with Darussafaka Dogus of Turkey, David Pick of Eurobasket.com relays (Twitter link). “I wanted to play,” Farmar told Pick. “Enough of being an NBA backup.”
- Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is already gearing up for what should be an active offseason for the franchise, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. Discussing Detroit’s free agent strategy this summer, Van Gundy said, “You’ve got to study those guys and know where you want to go. A lot of it depends on Greg Monroe and Reggie Jackson and all of that when you get to free agency and who you have in the draft and what you think their timetable might be. So there’s a lot of things you have to consider, but in the meantime you’ve got to evaluate [free agents] and have an idea.“
- Van Gundy also indicated that the Pistons‘ planning extends beyond this summer, Langlois notes. “One of the things we do after the season – one of the first things – is look at our budget, salary wise, not only for the coming year but what that’s going to mean going out,” Van Gundy said. “You’ve got to have some planning. If we’re going to pay this guy X amount of money in year two, three four and five and then we’re going to pay this guy X amount of money, what are we going to have left to build our team? I know [GM] Jeff Bower has already done a lot of work on it, but I haven’t really looked at it. It’s easy to say you’re so much under the cap, but going out, if you’re giving people raises where is it going to put you the next year? There’s got to be a lot more careful planning than what we’ve done to this point.“
Medina On Lakers Offseason, Roster
Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News reported earlier today that the Lakers will explore potential trades for swingman Nick Young this summer. In a separate piece, Medina runs down where each of the players on Los Angeles’ roster stands as the team heads into the offseason. Here are some of the highlights…
- Ed Davis is almost assuredly going to opt out of his deal and become an unrestricted free agent this summer, Medina notes. The Lakers are interested in inking him to a long-term deal as long as the cap hit is a reasonable amount, Medina adds.
- There is mutual interest between the team and Wayne Ellington in having the player return to Los Angeles next season, Medina notes. While Ellington views the Lakers as his top choice, he desires long-term security in his next deal, Medina adds. The guard will be an unrestricted free agent when the season ends.
- Los Angeles has little interest in bringing back Carlos Boozer, and the player is likely to seek out a team on which he can have a larger role, the Daily News scribe relays.
- Wesley Johnson‘s potential continues to intrigue the Lakers, but the team is frustrated with his inconsistent play, Medina notes. How well the team fares in the draft and free agency will dictate whether or not the swingman is re-signed, Medina opines.
- The Lakers don’t view Jeremy Lin as a great fit for the team’s system, and it’s not clear yet if Los Angeles has any interest in re-signing the point guard. For his part, Lin will consider returning to the Lakers if the team has interest, but he will place a higher priority on finding a team that runs a pick-and-roll oriented offense, the Daily News scribe notes.
- Los Angeles still hasn’t made a decision regarding Jordan Hill‘s team option worth $9MM for next season. The big man’s time with the Lakers could be at an end if the team decides it wants to maximize its cap space, Medina writes.
- The team expects injured rookie Julius Randle to play in this year’s summer league, Medina notes. Randle’s rookie campaign ended 14 minutes into his first regular season contest when he suffered a broken leg.
- Ryan Kelly did not feel comfortable with the Lakers using him as a small forward at times this season, and the team plans to use him at power forward, his natural position, more often next season, Medina relays. Kelly appeared in 51 games and averaged 6.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per contest this season.
2014/15 D-League Usage Report: Nets
The D-League’s regular season is now complete, and the three-round D-League playoffs are underway. The relationship between the NBA and the D-League continues to grow, and 17 NBA franchises currently have one-to-one D-League affiliates amongst the 18 D-League teams. The remaining 13 NBA teams shared the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this season.
We at Hoops Rumors will be recapping each team’s use of the D-League this season, looking at assignments and recalls as well as the players signed out of the D-League. We’ll begin with a look back at how the Nets utilized the D-League during the 2014/15 campaign…
D-League Team: Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Affiliation Type: Shared
D-League Team Record: 28-22
Number of NBA Players Assigned To D-League: 2
Total D-League Assignments: 2
Player Stats While On Assignment:
- Markel Brown: 1 assignment, 1 game, 7.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.0 APG. .500/.500/1.000.
- Cory Jefferson: 2 assignments, 2 games, 10.5 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 0.0 APG. .615/1.000/.600.
D-League Signings
- None
Assignment/Recall Log
- January 1st: Assigned Markel Brown (Recalled January 8th)
- January 1st: Assigned Cory Jefferson (Recalled January 8th)
*Note: Both players were assigned to the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s D-League affiliate.
Nets Notes: Pierce, Williams, Garnett
Paul Pierce has found the Wizards to be a much better fit for himself than the Nets were last season, Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com writes. Speaking about being in Washington, Pierce told MacMullan, “I’m much happier. It was a tough situation [in Brooklyn] last year. Horrible, really. It was just the guys’ attitudes there. It wasn’t like we were surrounded by a bunch of young guys. They were vets who didn’t want to play and didn’t want to practice. I was looking around saying, ‘What’s this?’ Kevin Garnett and I had to pick them up every day in practice. If me and Kevin weren’t there, that team would have folded up. That team would have packed it in. We kept them going each and every day.”
Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- The veteran forward also relayed that the player who most perplexed him on the Nets was Deron Williams, MacMullan adds. “Before I got there, I looked at Deron as an MVP candidate,” Pierce said. “But I felt once we got there, that’s not what he wanted to be. He just didn’t want that. I think a lot of the pressure got to him sometimes. This was his first time in the national spotlight. The media in Utah is not the same as the media in New York, so that can wear on some people. I think it really affected him.”
- Pierce indicated he would have remained in Brooklyn this season for the sake of his longtime teammate, MacMullan notes. “I would have stayed in Brooklyn because of Kevin,” Pierce said. “I told him, ‘I don’t really like this situation but I would never leave you if you want me to stay.’ But they decided not to re-sign me so I never had to make a choice. I would never have left Kevin like that.”
- The Nets are currently a half game behind the Pacers for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, but even if the team makes the postseason this campaign still will be considered an expensive failure, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes.
Jazz, Joe Ingles Mutually Interested In New Deal
There is mutual interest between Joe Ingles and the Jazz in the player returning to Utah next season, Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. The 27-year-old can become a restricted free agent this summer if Utah extends him a qualifying offer worth $1,045,059. This would allow the Jazz to match any offer sheets the forward was to receive this offseason. Ingles is ineligible to ink an extension since his current deal was for a single season, and extensions are only for contracts that cover four or more years. The Jazz hold Ingles’ Non-Bird rights, which means they will only be able to offer the forward 20% above the minimum unless they utilize cap space or another exception.
Ingles arrived in Utah back in October after being released by the Clippers and claimed off of waivers. Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey was very complimentary of the Australian, telling Monson, “He’s exceeded our expectations as a teammate and a competitor. He’s an NBA player. He’s proved that this year. Hopefully, his experience has been good enough that he’ll consider us when the time comes.”
The appreciation isn’t one-sided, with Ingles proclaiming himself a fan of the organization. “Being here has been one of the best experiences I’ve had in basketball,” said Ingles. “It’s been great. The guys are unselfish and fun and I’ve had a great time. I love Utah and I’d like to come back. I feel like I’ve found the enjoyment of playing the game again here. Last year, at Maccabi Tel Aviv, was good. This has taken it to another level. I’d love to …”
In 78 appearances for the Jazz this season, including 31 as a starter, Ingles is averaging 5.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 21.2 minutes per night. His slash line is .422/.362/.750.
Justise Winslow To Enter Draft
Duke freshman small forward Justise Winslow is entering this year’s NBA draft, as he announced in a statement released by the school. Winslow is No. 5 in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings and No. 6 with Chad Ford of ESPN.com. The news is no surprise, given his position as a likely top-10 pick. One Eastern Conference GM told Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops recently that Winslow would be a contender to become the No. 1 overall pick if not for the presence of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor.
The 19-year-old Winslow improved his three-point shooting over the course of the season, and the continued development of that outside shot is key to his pro potential, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors wrote as he ranked him eighth in his latest Draft Prospect Power Rankings. Winslow finished at 41.8% from behind the arc and averaged 12.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in 29.1 minutes per game.
Duke, with Winslow, Okafor and fellow likely first-round pick Tyus Jones, won the national championship, though Winslow’s best NCAA Tournament performance came against Utah in the Sweet 16. The 6’7″ Winslow had 21 points, two off his season high, and 10 rebounds, and he made three out of his four three-point attempts.
Lakers To Explore Nick Young Trades
The Lakers will “shop [Nick] Young around” this summer after a subpar season and conflict with coach Byron Scott, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News hears (Twitter link). Medina’s wording is a bit softer in a slideshow in which he says the Lakers will likely entertain trade offers, but the situation nonetheless appears to have changed from when Young signed a four-year deal worth about $21.326MM to remain with the Lakers last summer. Young said today in his exit interview with the Los Angeles media that he’s confident he will be back with the Lakers next season, Medina notes (Twitter link).
Young also said today that he and Scott are “cool” and “on the same page,” according to Medina (on Twitter). The 29-year-old, who turns 30 in June, seemed unreceptive last week when he addressed advice from Scott that he should become more of a complete player, and he said that he believes Scott was targeting him for criticism. Scott had suggested that there were Lakers players he “wouldn’t want to be in a fox hole with,” a remark he later backtracked from and claimed was a product of frustration.
In any case, Young slumped to a career-worst 36.6% field goal percentage, and his 13.4 points per game were well off last season’s 17.9 PPG mark. He hasn’t played since February 22nd because of a fractured knee cap.
That performance stands to complicate trade scenarios, as would an opposing team’s insistence on a draft pick in return, as Medina writes in the slideshow. The Lakers owe their first-round pick to the Sixers this year if it’s not in the top five, and a protected first-rounder they owe the Magic will come due two years after they convey the pick to the Sixers, RealGM shows. Young will be eligible to be traded as soon as Thursday, since the Lakers will miss the playoffs, but offseason trades usually don’t start happening until June.
Southeast Notes: Magic, Sefolosha, Deng
The Magic will interview fewer than the half-dozen candidates they brought in when they hired Jacque Vaughn in 2012, and the focus will be on those who have head-coaching experience, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel details. It’s almost certain that the Magic regard Scott Skiles as a potential candidate, Robbins writes, and that falls in line with earlier reports. However, it’s unclear if the Magic will give interim coach James Borrego a chance to keep the job for the long term, Robbins adds. The general belief was that Borrego would get a chance to stick around depending on his performance down the stretch, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com wrote in February, and the Magic have gone 10-19 with Borrego as head coach. There’s more on the Magic amid the latest from the Southeast Division:
- Thabo Sefolosha blames New York City police for the season-ending injury he suffered outside a New York nightclub last week, as the Hawks swingman made clear to reporters, including Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- Soon-to-be restricted free agent Tobias Harris regards the season as a lost opportunity for the Magic, as he tells Robbins for a separate piece. Orlando failed to make much headway this season, and for that to change next year, many league insiders believe the team needs to sign a pair of two-way free agents who are in their primes, according to Robbins.
- One reason why Luol Deng likes playing for the Heat is its medical staff, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post notes. Miami’s playoff hopes are nearly extinguished thanks in large measure to injury this year, but all signs point to Deng’s return to the team even as he remains unsure about his player option more than $10.15MM, Lieser writes. “I love this organization,” said Deng, who turns 30 on Thursday. “It’s been top-class and everything. I’ve had one of my healthiest years. It was never anything serious. I’ve felt great about the medical staff. When you’ve been in the league 11 years, as soon as you start putting mileage on your body, you want a group that knows your body and you’re comfortable with them. The organization has been great.”