Vince Hunter Entering Draft
UTEP sophomore power forward Vince Hunter has told Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com that he’s entering this year’s draft (Twitter link). It’ll be a long shot effort for Hunter to hear his name called at the June 25th draft, since he’s just 108th in fellow ESPN scribe Chad Ford‘s rankings. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress doesn’t list him within his top 100 prospects, instead pegging the 6’8″ Hunter as 30th-best among NCAA sophomores.
Hunter averaged 14.9 points and a Conference USA-leading 9.2 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game this season. He’s versatile, having guarded shooting guards and small forwards in addition to power forwards for UTEP, according to Givony, and indeed, Ford has him listed as a small forward. Still, he doesn’t offer much spacing on the other end, especially at small forward, having attempted just 10 three-pointers all season.
The 20-year-old didn’t see as many minutes as might be expected for a pro prospect on a non-power team, but he was efficient in his time on the floor, leading his conference with a 25.8 PER. He and his UTEP teammates, playing for former Bulls and Pelicans coach Tim Floyd, won 22 games and lost in the first round of the NIT this year.
Latest On Cavs, Salah Mejri
11:35am: Real Madrid has a team option on Mejri for next season, though various Spanish media reports have suggested there’s a decent chance the team will turn down that option, according to Sierra. Mejri is pleased with the club, but he would rather leave if he won’t see playing time, Sierra writes. The Cavs first reached out to the big man’s representatives in December, and though a high-dollar buyout clause kept the talks from getting far at that time, Cleveland has remained in contact, Sierra hears.
9:47am: The Cavs are indeed interested in Real Madrid center Salah Mejri, Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype tweets, confirming an earlier report from Chema de Lucas of Gigantes Del Basket. Mejri, his agent and Cavs director of pro player personnel Koby Altman dined together and Altman watched the 7’1″ native of Tunisia in action, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter links).
Mejri went undrafted in 2008, so no NBA team holds his rights in any sort of draft-and-stash arrangement. He reportedly was to work out for the Mavericks in 2012, and he saw summer league action with the Jazz the same year. Mejri seemingly continued to draw NBA interest in 2013, but he remained zeroed in on Europe. A lack of playing time has helped keep his numbers low. His overseas production doesn’t paint a picture of an intriguing prospect, and while that’s often the case with European players drawing the eye of NBA teams, who focus instead on upside, Mejri is 28 and turns 29 in June. He’s put up 4.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in just 9.8 minutes per game.
Cleveland has a full 15-man roster, with each player signed through at least the end of the season, so presumably the apparent interest in Mejri is geared toward next season. The Cavs have only about $26MM in commitments for 2015/16, but that doesn’t include salary for four of their five starters, including LeBron James. There’s a strong chance Cleveland ends up above the tax apron, which would give the team only the $3.376MM taxpayer’s midlevel exception to spend above the minimum on outside free agents.
Pacific Notes: Green, Bogut, Scott
Agent Kevin Bradbury is upset with Suns coach Jeff Hornacek‘s criticism of client and soon-to-be free agent Gerald Green, as Bradbury makes clear in his comments to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Hornacek brought up Green’s defense as one reason why the swingman hasn’t seen as much playing time as he’d like, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic relayed earlier this week, and that in particular drew Bradbury’s ire.
“It’s completely unfair to misrepresent Gerald and his game like this,” Bradbury said. “You’re talking about a player that wants to win at any cost and is a tremendous locker guy and teammate. I don’t see the benefit for the coach to go about things this way.”
Bradbury told Deveney that opposing teams were willing to give up assets in significant trade offers for Green at the deadline, only to have the Suns turn them down. Green, who hits free agency this summer, said that in spite of his lack of minutes that he wants to re-sign with Phoenix and retire as a Sun, though he’s not sure if Phoenix feels the same way, as Coro relays. Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Andrew Bogut is closing in on a key milestone tied to a bonus clause in his deal, as Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group points out. He played his 63rd game of the season Tuesday, so if he plays in two of the Warriors‘ last four regular season contests, he’ll hit the first criteria for triggering the bonus. He’d need to either win Defensive Player of the Year or make one of the league’s two All-Defensive teams for the bonus to kick in, but Bogut will almost certainly earn an All-Defensive nod, Kawakami writes.
- The prospect of Bogut triggering the bonus, worth 15% of his $12.973MM salary this season, was one reason why the Warriors didn’t give serious thought to adding a veteran the past few months, according to Kawakami. Golden State is well shy of the tax threshold for this season. Bogut’s cap figure for 2015/16 will be higher if he earns the bonus this year, but it won’t count toward the team’s salary for tax purposes next year unless he again hits the same benchmarks next season.
- Lakers coach Byron Scott on Wednesday tempered his earlier remark that he “wouldn’t want to be in a fox hole with” many of his players, which seemed to indicate a desire for an offseason overhaul. Scott said that he made that comment out of frustration and that he’s been pleased with the effort of his players for most of the year, as Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com details.
Jake Layman To Stay Out Of Draft
Maryland junior small forward Jake Layman will pass up a strong chance to become a second-round pick this year and stay with the Terrapins for 2015/16, a source tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Layman is the No. 36 prospect for 2015 in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings, and Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him 52nd. Multiple NBA executives told Goodman that Layman would have been selected somewhere between 25th and 45th.
The 21-year-old put up 12.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 30.1 minutes per game this season while continuing to improve his outside shot. He knocked down 37.8% of his three-pointers this year and is at 35.0% for his college career. Layman made two of three attempts from behind the arc in Maryland’s round of 32 loss to West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament, but he otherwise had a quiet March, averaging just 7.5 PPG combined in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
NBA personnel will hope that the 6’9 Layman adds strength and a better ability to create his own shot in the year to come, as Ford notes in his profile. Scouts will surely keep a close eye on Maryland in 2015/16, with freshman point guard Melo Trimble, another second-round prospect for this year, also returning to the school, and high school recruit Diamond Stone, No. 4 on Givony’s 2016 mock draft, joining the team.
Eastern Rumors: Copeland, Jackson, Nets
Chris Copeland is intensive care in a New York hospital and will remain there for the next two or three days, a source tells ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitlonger link). The Pacers combo forward and soon-to-be free agent was the victim of a stabbing early Wednesday morning, and the attack left him with a punctured diaphragm, according to Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. He also suffered lacerations on his left hand, Anderson hears. Copeland didn’t engage in an argument or initiate any altercation, a source tells Buckner. While we hope for the best for Copeland, here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Knicks owner James Dolan expressed continued faith in team president Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills and again insisted that he wouldn’t meddle with the team as he spoke in an interview with Matthew Belloni of The Hollywood Reporter. “You got to believe, baby!” Dolan said, when asked if Jackson is still worth his $12MM annual salary. “I believe, I believe!”
- The Nets want Brook Lopez back, as owner Mikhail Prokhorov on Wednesday made clear to reporters, including Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Still, the owner acknowledged the primary choice rests with the center, who has a player option worth more than $16.744MM, as Bontemps relays. “We need him,” Prokhorov said. “I think the Brooklyn Nets, it’s his home.”
- Brooklyn would pay the repeater tax if they’re a taxpayer again next season, and the return of Lopez would make that a strong possibility. Still, Prohorov said he’d be willing to do so, Bontemps notes. Prokhorov also insists he never sought to sell a majority stake in the Nets and said that while he’s been approached by 10 people with interest in buying a minority share, there’s nothing on the table for now, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- The Cavs have some interest in Salah Mejri, a center playing for Spain’s Real Madrid, as Chema de Lucas of Gigantes Del Basket hears (translation via HoopsHype). The 28-year-old who went undrafted in 2008 is averaging 4.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game.
Nuggets Claim Shavlik Randolph
11:59pm: The team still hasn’t made an official announcement, but the move indeed took place, according to the RealGM transactions log.
3:54pm: The Nuggets have claimed forward Shavlik Randolph off of waivers, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). The 31-year-old was waived by the Celtics to accommodate the signing of Chris Babb to a multiyear deal. The addition of Randolph will increase Denver’s roster count to the league maximum of 15 players. No official announcement has been made by the team as of yet regarding the waiver claim.
The logic of why Denver would claim Randolph was posited earlier today by Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Nuggets are close to $1.864MM shy of the salary floor, but claiming Randolph and his $1,227,985 salary will count toward that salary floor, lessening the amount of shortfall the franchise would need to distribute amongst its players. Denver will only be responsible to pay out the last prorated portion of salary that Randolph was due to receive this season. This could mean a savings of roughly $1MM for the organization, certainly worth claiming Randolph and carrying him on the roster for the remaining five contests.
Randolph has appeared in a total of 21 games this season for the Suns and Celtics. His career averages through 146 appearances are 2.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.2 assists. Randolph’s career slash line is .449/.167/.544.
Western Notes: Howard, Anderson, Parsons
Dwight Howard says that his desire is for an extended career similar to that of Tim Duncan‘s, Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle writes. The Rockets‘ big man told Creech, “That’s always been my goal- to play 20 years in the league so I think it can be done. It would be great. Tim [Duncan] is still playing great basketball. He has migrated to different spots on the floor instead of just the post. When you play that long, you get an opportunity to do a lot of different things. God willing, I will play this game as long as I can. It brings a lot of joy to myself and to other people around me. Hopefully I can continue to play at a high level.” This is currently Howard’s 11th season in the NBA.
Here’s more out of the Western Conference:
- The Spurs have recalled Kyle Anderson from their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. In five jaunts to Austin this season Anderson has made 26 appearances, averaging 21.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 40.0 minutes of action per contest.
- The Mavericks are hopeful that Chandler Parsons can return from injury in time for the playoffs, though no timetable has been set, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes. “He’s doing better. He’s just not there yet,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’d like to get him back to play a game or two before the playoffs, if it’s possible. But nothing is for sure. He’s doing better each day and there are some encouraging signs. But beyond that, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen.” Parsons is out of action courtesy of a balky right knee.
- The Wolves have announced (Twitter link) that Nikola Pekovic underwent a successful debridement and repair of his right Achilles tendon this morning. The center will remain out of action indefinitely. In 31 appearances this season Pekovic averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 26.3 minutes per contest.
Prospect Profile: Myles Turner
It’s been a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” sort of season for Texas big man Myles Turner, who officially announced that he’ll be entering this year’s NBA draft. Turner’s play this season helped the Longhorns lock down an 11th seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. But unfortunately in Texas’ first round contest it was one of those nights when the meeker Dr. Jekyll version of the center showed up, and Turner had just two lonely points to go along with 10 rebounds in the Longhorns’ loss to Butler.
The Texas native was ranked No. 6 overall in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index coming out of high school, but he didn’t quite live up to the hype during what will be his sole college season in the Lone Star state. In a draft rich with talented big men, Turner’s stats this season don’t necessarily rate him as a lottery pick. If a team selects Turner in the top 10 it will be more about his long-term potential than the player he is right now. Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) ranks Turner as the No. 10 overall prospect, and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress rates him the No. 12 overall player in this year’s NBA draft.
Turner’s overall numbers for the season weren’t eye-popping, with averages of 10.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks in 22.2 minutes per night. His shooting numbers in 34 appearances were .455/.274/.839. Turner was 1st in the Big 12 Conference in blocks, 1st in defensive rating (86.3), and 3rd in free throw percentage.
There was a large discrepancy between Turner’s performances against lesser competition and what he logged against the bigger, more talented schools. The 19-year-old failed to score in double figures in 20 of the 34 games he played in, and he only reached double digit rebounds in a total of seven contests. It’s unclear how much of Turner’s struggles with consistency can be placed upon the shoulders of former Texas coach Rick Barnes, who was let go by the university after Texas’ tournament ouster. Barnes’ system wasn’t a great fit for Turner, but one would still like to see more production from a potential lottery selection.
Offensively, Turner is more of a jump shooter at this stage of his development than a post up threat. The big man has good instincts on the offensive end, something that isn’t all that common in young power forwards and centers his age. Turner has a nice high release point on his shot which will translate nicely to the NBA and its bigger, more athletic players. He also can drain shots from beyond the arc, but isn’t a consistent threat from deep just yet. The forward is also a superior free throw shooter, nailing nearly 84% of his attempts from the charity stripe this season.
One major concern regarding Turner is his odd and somewhat awkward running style. The forward doesn’t move well in transition, even by big man standards. According to Givony, citing statistics gathered by Synergy Sports Technology, Turner only made five field goals (out of 13 attempts) all season in transition situations. That is an alarmingly low percentage for a college player with Turner’s level of athleticism, and should raise some red flags amongst scouts and GMs. Turner’s running style also has some scouts worried that he could be an injury risk, something that is already a concern with taller players without the added worry Turner’s unusual gait brings.
As a defender, Turner is far from a slouch. He was one of the anchors on a Texas team that ranked in the top-20 in the nation on defense, and he is a fearsome shot blocker and also an excellent help defender. While Turner still needs to bulk up, a common requirement for college bigs transitioning to the NBA, his excellent 9’1.5″ reach should make him a tough defender once he figures out the professional game.
The seven-footer does have a leg up on a number of college forwards, in that Turner does have a clearly defined NBA position. Far too many college bigs transition to the league without a set position, and those players usually don’t turn out to be much better than complementary rotation players for their careers. Turner is a prototypical stretch four as far as his skills go, and with the increasing demand for big men who can stretch the floor in the NBA, he shouldn’t be lacking for work anytime soon.
Turner is easily one of the more polarizing talents in this year’s NBA draft. He has top five pick potential, but his athletic limitations and injury concerns will likely cause him to drop to the bottom of the lottery, or out of it altogether. His pre-draft physicals will be paramount to his case to be a top 10 pick. If teams are too wary of his potential knee and hip issues, then Turner will slide down the draft board and some team picking in the late teens could land themselves a steal. Turner has the potential to provide similar production to that of LaMarcus Aldridge and Chris Bosh, though it will likely take him multiple seasons to even begin to approach those players’ levels. In a draft loaded with talented big men, Turner carries with him one of the higher risk versus reward ratios. But he’s absolutely worth taking a chance on for a team picking in the teens, though I wouldn’t risk a top 10 pick on him considering the depth in this year’s draft at Turner’s position.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
J.P. Tokoto To Enter NBA Draft
North Carolina junior swingman J.P. Tokoto intends to enter this year’s NBA Draft, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Tokoto, 21, won’t initially sign with an agent, he told Wojnarowski. This means he won’t have to formally declare for the June draft until the April 26th deadline, and he’ll retain his college eligibility if he decides to return to school.
“Going in, I know I’m not a first-round pick,” Tokoto said. “I know my jumper needs work, and I’m putting in that work now – and will keep doing it. My jumper is something that has me as a second-round pick right now, but I have a mindset of work to improve the form and range of my shot.” Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress rates Tokoto the No. 53 prospect overall, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) doesn’t rate the 6’6″ swingman quite as high, placing Tokoto at No. 77 overall on his top 100.
Tokoto said he believes that his best chance for developing his game will come from immersing himself in a professional environment, Wojnarowski relays. “I feel like there can be a lot more to me as a player, more than just the defensive player who can occasionally dunk the ball,” Tokoto told the Yahoo! scribe. “I know I can be so much more, but I’m not sure that I’m pushed to be that much more [in college].”
In 38 appearances for the Tar Heels this season Tokoto averaged 8.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 29.1 minutes per game. His career tallies are 6.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 2.7 APG. Tokoto’s career slash line is .462/.266/.544.
Central Notes: Bucks, Copeland, Whittington
State, county and city leaders continue to bicker over how to raise the public share of funding for a new Bucks arena in Milwaukee even as the team unveiled sketches for the proposed $500MM building today, report Don Walker And Tom Daykin of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Bucks nonetheless have extreme confidence that the project will get done, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. The team is facing an NBA-imposed deadline of 2017 to reach a deal on funding for construction, lest the league seize control of the franchise from its owners.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Pacers coach Frank Vogel expressed concern that the nightclub stabbing of forward Chris Copeland will become a distraction to his team, Peter Botte of The New York Daily News writes. “It’s always a shock when you hear something like this. So it’s a big shock,” Vogel said. “Obviously it hurts to see a teammate be injured like this, but we’re trying to remain focused on the game tonight.”
- The Bulls were 10-10 while Derrick Rose missed time due to a surgical procedure on his right knee, and the team hopes that his return tonight can spark a deep playoff run, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes. The handling of Rose and Chicago’s other injured players this season has deepened the rift between coach Tom Thibodeau and the front office, Berger adds. Thibodeau has grown increasingly frustrated with management’s involvement with the handling of injuries and return-to-play protocols, which he believes should be the coach’s domain, Berger notes.
- The Pacers have assigned Shayne Whittington to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA D-League, the team announced. This is the forward’s second trip to Fort Wayne this season, and Whittington is the lone player whom Indiana has dispatched to the D-League this campaign.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.