Knicks Notes: Lee, Winslow, Mudiay
Last year was the worst season in franchise history and Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com examines the Knicks’ options to improve their roster. Doolittle suggests the Knicks should target a top level free agent, such as Marc Gasol, Paul Millsap or Greg Monroe. If they are unable to land a top free agent, Doolittle suggests the team should attempt to re-sign Andrea Bargnani to a short-term contract or trade for David Lee, who is a systematic fit and has feel out of the rotation in Golden State. The Warriors already have slightly more than $77.6MM in guaranteed salary on the books for the 2015/16 season and the team will have to account for a possible maximum salary contract for Draymond Green if they want to keep the Michigan State product from leaving in free agency. Bringing Lee back to New York could be the kind of low risk-high reward transaction that could help the team quickly improve on their 17 win campaign.
Here’s more from New York:
- The Knicks’ brass are big fans of Justise Winslow, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Ford ranks Winslow as the sixth best prospect, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks him as the seventh best prospect.
- Ian Begley of ESPN.com believes the Knicks should consider Winslow because of his potential to make an impact on defense. New York ranked 28th in defensive efficiency last season. Begley also notes that drafting Winslow would force Carmelo Anthony to play more minutes at the four spot, which has benefited the team in the past.
- Emmanuel Mudiay is another possibility for the Knicks and Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal profiles the 19-year-old point guard. Herring notes that teams led by Phil Jackson have never invested heavily at the point guard position, but in today’s NBA, the position is more critical than in the past.
Clippers Seeking To Deal For Draft Pick
The Clippers would like to trade their way back into this year’s draft, tweets Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times. The writer says Los Angeles is interested in acquiring a pick, but doesn’t specify how high it might be.
The Clippers gave their first-round selection, which falls at No. 28, to the Celtics as compensation when they acquired coach Doc Rivers two years ago. Their second-round choice, No. 57 overall, went to Denver in a 2009 deal for Cheickh Samb.
Faced with bench problems this season, the Clippers will probably have to rely on the draft to improve. The team already has more than $58MM in salary committed for next year, and free agent center DeAndre Jordan is likely to receive a max contract this summer.
Mavericks Rumors: Stoudemire, Aminu, Ellis
Amar’e Stoudemire may be with another team next season, especially if the Mavericks can land a top-tier free agent this summer, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. After being waived by the Knicks, Stoudemire came to Dallas and averaged 10.8 points in 23 games while emerging as a locker room leader. However, the Mavericks are expected to chase LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan in free agency, which would make Stoudemire’s return unlikely. Sefko also examines some other Dallas free agents, writing that Rajon Rondo and Greg Smith are definitely leaving, although the writer is just making an educated guess on Smith. Sefko says Bernard James may find a better deal elsewhere, and the fate of Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva will depend on the market.
There’s more free agency news from Dallas:
- Al-Farouq Aminu is probably looking for a larger role and larger contract than the Mavericks are willing to give him, Sefko writes in a separate story. He’s the type of young, high-energy player Dallas needs, but as a small forward he could be trapped behind Chandler Parsons for the next two seasons, although Parsons can opt out next summer. Aminu can also play power forward, but Dirk Nowitzki is in his way there.
- If Monta Ellis decides to opt out of the $9MM he is owed next season, it will leave Dallas with a difficult decision, Sefko writes. Ellis is a big-time NBA scorer and would form a lethal inside-outside combination if the Mavericks are lucky enough to land Aldridge. However, Ellis’ defense is suspect and he tends to be a streak shooter. If Dallas gives him a max contract, Sefko argues, he would be another overpaid player on the roster along with Parsons.
- The Mavericks’ poor choices at point guard may force them to keep J.J. Barea, Sefko contends. With Devin Harris and Raymond Felton competing for the starting job, Dallas needs a competent backup, and Sefko notes that the free agent options aren’t promising.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Sullinger, Hollins
Sixers GM Sam Hinkie may exceed the 75 players he worked out last year, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Philadelphia had already talked to more than a dozen players before Tuesday’s lottery, which saw the team land the third overall pick. If Hinkie targets a certain player — Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell for instance — the front office will contact the player’s high school and college coaches, along with rival college coaches and players. Then comes a workout, followed by an interview process that can last for several hours. “We’ll spend all the available time between now and then to try to gain all the information we can to make good decisions,” Hinkie said. “By design, we’ll have to make a decision at the end of June. I think it’s really a mistake to make one sometimes much, much earlier.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Sixers will likely pursue the best player — not the best fit — with their first-round selection, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Loaded with big men but in need of backcourt help, the Sixers probably won’t have a tough decision if Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Duke’s Jahlil Okafor are the first two players selected. However, if the Lakers make a surprise decision with the second pick, Philadelphia could face a choice between a much-needed guard and a suddenly available big man. Pompey notes that Joel Embiid missed his entire rookie year due to injury and Nerlens Noel enjoyed success at center, where he won’t play once Embiid returns.
- The Celtics‘ Jared Sullinger is eligible for an extension this summer, but Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes that serious contract talks are more likely to happen when he becomes a restricted free agent in 2016. Sullinger, who will make $2.3MM next season, is trying to meet Boston’s front office challenge to get in better shape. “I think it’s just, they want me to go one step further,” he said. “I think that’s what it is — one step further. That’s pretty much what I’m doing [this offseason], every day at Ohio State.”
- The Nets‘ need for stability at coach should work in favor of Lionel Hollins, writes Daniel LoGiudice of netsdaily.com. LoGiudice gives Hollins a C grade for his first season behind Brooklyn’s bench, saying the coach will need to fix his rotations and rely more on analytics to succeed long-term.
Northwest Notes: Saunders, Jazz, Thunder
Wolves owner Glen Taylor expects Flip Saunders to return as coach next season, reports Charley Walters of The St. Paul Pioneer Press. Saunders, who also serves as president of basketball operations, led the team to a 16-66 record this year, which was the worst mark in the league and helped Minnesota land the top pick in the draft. However, the Wolves were hampered by injuries all season. “I think he worked so hard last year with all those problems that he wants an opportunity to see if we are healthy, if we really have the team he thought he had,” Taylor said. Saunders expects to hold pre-draft workouts with at least five players, including Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Duke’s Jahlil Okafor.
There’s more news from the Northwest Division:
- The Jazz will bring in six more players for pre-draft workouts Sunday [Twitter link]. The players are Andrew Harrison of Kentucky, Terry Rozier of Louisville, Vince Hunter of Texas-El Paso, J.P. Tokoto of North Carolina, Terran Petteway of Nebraska and Aaron White of Iowa.
- Re-signing free agents Enes Kanter and Kyle Singler is as much a business decision as a basketball decision for the Thunder, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. The columnist questions the wisdom of giving an eight-figure salary to a defensive liability like Kanter, but concedes that Oklahoma City has few options to replace the two players if they sign elsewhere.
- Anthony Morrow was the best free agent signing in Thunder history, Mayberry contends in a separate story. Morrow inked a three-year, $10MM deal last summer and gave Oklahoma City the outside shooting threat it needed. He connected on 43.4% of his shots from downtown and managed to lead the team in games played.
Southeast Notes: Korver, Riley, McRoberts, Butler
The Hawks‘ Kyle Korver will miss the remainder of the playoffs with an ankle injury, writes Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution [subscription required]. Korver suffered a severe high right ankle sprain in the third quarter of Friday’s Game 2 loss against Cleveland. His ankle got caught under Matthew Dellavedova when both were chasing a loose ball. X-rays were negative Friday, but an MRI and exam this morning at Peachtree Orthopaedic Clinic showed the severity of the damage. Korver’s next move will be to see a foot and ankle specialist to review his options, which could include surgery. Korver is signed for two more seasons; he will make more than $5.7MM next year and $5.2MM in 2016/17.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- It will be a surprise if Heat President Pat Riley holds onto the team’s number 10 draft pick, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. The columnist notes Miami hasn’t left the draft with its original pick in five years, and this year’s unsettled draft should provide plenty of chances to move up or move down. Winderman also speculates that if the Heat hadn’t been responding to LeBron James‘ stated preference for Shabazz Napier last season, the team may have pushed harder to swing a deal to draft Clint Capela, who was taken by Houston one spot ahead of Miami’s pick.
- The Heat got just a small taste of what Josh McRoberts can bring to the team, according to Joe Beguiristain of nba.com. Miami hoped for great production from McRoberts when he agreed to a four-year, $23MM deal last summer. However, he was limited to just 17 games before suffering a torn meniscus in December that wiped out the rest of his season. A few days before the injury, McRoberts turned in a tantalizing performance with 10 points and seven assists against Phoenix. “I’m looking forward to getting healthy and being able to come back and contribute,” he said about next season.
- Rasual Butler sees a bright future for the Wizards, even if he isn’t part of it, according to Ben Standig of CSNWashington.com. The 36-year-old veteran overcame the odds to make Washington’s roster this season after entering camp with no guarantee. He is among four Wizards’ free agents this offseason. “This is a great group of guys, a great coaching staff, a great organization,” Butler said. “I absolutely would love to return.”
Southwest Notes: Van Gundy, Hoiberg, Morey
The lure of Anthony Davis may be enough to get Jeff Van Gundy back into coaching, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein confirmed Friday that Van Gundy has interest in coaching the Pelicans. He is being considered among the top candidates, along with Alvin Gentry and possibly Tom Thibodeau. Van Gundy, a popular TV analyst with ESPN and ABC, last coached with the Rockets in 2006/07, but Stein writes that the chance to mentor a young superstar like Davis could be enough to bring him back him back to the sidelines.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Bringing Van Gundy on board would be the Pelicans‘ best personnel move to date, contends Jimmy Smith of NOLA.com. Smith notes that Van Gundy’s experience coaching big men like Patrick Ewing and Yao Ming would be valuable in molding Davis into an elite center. Smith also argues that Van Gundy is a big enough name to create excitement throughout the franchise and command the respect of players, along with being a progressive thinker who can adapt to the modern NBA.
- Although he has been rumored to be a coaching candidate in New Orleans, the Pelicans have not made contact with Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg, writes John Reid of NOLA.com. An ISU spokesman confirmed that the school has not received a request from New Orleans or any other NBA team. The 42-year-old Hoiberg has a 115-56 record at Iowa State and runs an up-tempo offense that should transfer well into the NBA, according to Reid. Hoiberg also has NBA ties — 10 years as a player and four years in the Timberwolves’ front office, where he spent one season as vice president of basketball operations and three as assistant general manager.
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey and Warriors GM Bob Myers have taken non-traditional approaches to building the Western Conference finalists, writes Brian T. Smith of The Houston Chronicle. Myers, the NBA’s Executive of the Year, and Morey have both put together deep rosters that fit well with the way the game is played today.
2014/15 D-League Usage Report: Bucks
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 complete the series with a look back at how the Bucks 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: 0
Total D-League Assignments: 0
Player Stats While On Assignment:
- No player assignments made.
D-League Signings
- Jorge Gutierrez (Canton Charge-Cavaliers affiliate): Signed 1st 10-day contract on January 28th. Inked 2nd 10-day pact on February 7th. Signed to multiyear deal on April 7th.
- Chris Johnson (Rio Grande Valley Vipers-Rockets affiliate): Signed 1st 10-day contract on March 6th. Inked 2nd 10-day deal on March 16th.
Assignment/Recall Log
- No player assignments made.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Lopez, Mudiay
The next logical step in the Sixers‘ rebuilding plan would be to begin adding high-value free agents to the team’s cache of draft picks and role-players, but that phase could still be a ways off, Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Ford also opines that any expectation that Philly will contend for anything special in the next two seasons is probably overly optimistic. “There are things you can look at on our roster and assume to be solidified. Our overall roster churn in terms of minutes was much less this year than last year. Maybe it will be less next year as opposed to this year. We’re not really sure,” GM Sam Hinkie said.
Here’s more out of the NBA’s Atlantic Division:
- Hinkie also acknowledged the frustrations voiced by fans of the team as being justified, Ford adds. “Our fans ought to demand some change. They ought to demand that we be looking [around] and changing,” Hinkie said. “I don’t think the Warriors fans should demand a whole lot of change. I think people would be really upset if they changed the top set of those players. But I think we should always be looking. People tease us about the players who are here two weeks or a month, but then there’s Robert Covington who’s here all year . . . and is an NBA rotation player. If those players we bring in have a 25% chance of being a rotation player, you ought to expect it takes four of them to find one.”
- Numerous mock drafts, including my own, have the Knicks selecting Emmanuel Mudiay with the No. 4 overall pick, a development that would sit well with the young guard, Roderick Boone of Newsday writes. Speaking about playing alongside Carmelo Anthony, Mudiay said, “I would love to, but I don’t know where I’m going to end up. He’s a superstar in this league and somebody that knows the game in and out, so he would definitely give me some good advice if I was to go there.“
- The Nets are still waiting on Brook Lopez‘s decision regarding his player option worth $16,744,218 for next season. Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily took a look back at Lopez’s 2014/15 campaign where he averaged 17.2 points and 7.4 rebounds, and was the subject of numerous trade rumors.
Draft History: Chris Wallace
The 2015 NBA draft is a little over a month away, and for teams that aren’t still participating in the NBA playoffs, the focus is on using that event to build toward a better future. Now that the NBA Draft lottery is complete, the speculation can truly begin as to which player each franchise will pin its hopes on for the future. Of course, having one of the top selections in any draft doesn’t guarantee that a team will snag a future All-Star. Team executives and scouts still have the difficult task of making the correct call with their picks.
With this in mind we at Hoops Rumors will be taking a look back at the draft history of the primary basketball executive for each NBA team. Their names, reputations, and possibly employment will be on the line as a result of the decisions to come on June 25th, and we’ll be examining what they’ve done in previous years in charge of a club’s front office. Note that many of them have played other sorts of roles within a team’s executive structure, but this won’t take that into account. We’ll begin with a look back at the calls made by Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace…
Celtics (January 2001-May 2003)
2001 Draft
- No. 10 Overall — Joe Johnson: 1062 games, 17.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.2 APG. .443/.371/.800.
- No. 11 Overall — Kedrick Brown: 143 games, 3.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 0.7 APG. .405/.274/.640.
- No. 21 Overall — Joseph Forte: 25 games, 1.2 PPG, 0.7 RPG, 0.7 APG. .234/.000/.800.
Notable players passed over: Richard Jefferson (No. 13), Zach Randolph (No. 19), Gerald Wallace (No. 25), Tony Parker (No. 28), and Gilbert Arenas (No. 31).
2002 Draft
- No first-rounder, No. 22 overall pick (Casey Jacobsen) owned by Suns.
- No. 50 Overall — Darius Songaila: 495 games, 6.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.2 APG. .499/.158/.844.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Carlos Boozer (No. 35) and Luis Scola (No. 56).
Grizzlies (June 2007-November 2012, May 2014-Present)
2007 Draft
- No. 4 Overall — Mike Conley: 581 games, 13.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.6 APG. .442/.374/.803.
Notable players passed over: Joakim Noah (No. 9), Arron Afflalo (No. 27), and Marc Gasol (No. 48).
2008 Draft
- No. 3 Overall — O.J. Mayo*: 506 games, 14.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.9 APG. .432/.377/.822.
- No. 27 Overall — Darrell Arthur**: 373 games, 6.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 0.7 APG. .442/.274/.762.
*Acquired from Wolves along with Greg Buckner and Marko Jaric in return for No. 5 overall pick (Kevin Love), Brian Cardinal, Mike Miller, and Jason Collins.
**Acquired in three team trade with Rockets and Blazers in return for the No. 28 overall pick (Donte Greene) and a 2009 second round pick.
Notable players passed over: Russell Westbrook (No. 4), Love (No. 5), Brook Lopez (No. 10), Roy Hibbert (No. 17), JaVale McGee (No. 19), Serge Ibaka (No. 24), DeAndre Jordan (No. 35), and Goran Dragic (No. 45).
2009 Draft
- No. 2 Overall — Hasheem Thabeet: 224 games, 2.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.8 BPG. .567/.000/.578.
- No. 27 Overall — DeMarre Carroll: 316 games, 7.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.2 APG. .462/.366/.733.
- No. 36 Overall — Sam Young: 249 games, 5.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.7 APG. .442/.280/.742.
Notable players passed over: James Harden (No. 3), Ricky Rubio (No. 5), Stephen Curry (No. 7), Brandon Jennings (No. 10), Jrue Holiday (No. 17), Ty Lawson (No. 18), and Jeff Teague (No. 19).
2010 Draft
- No. 12 Overall — Xavier Henry: 185 games, 5.7 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 0.6 APG. .406/.325/.635.
- No. 28 Overall — Greivis Vasquez: 375 games, 9.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.9 APG. .422/.356/.816.
*Traded the No. 25 overall pick (Dominique Jones) to the Mavericks for cash.
Notable players passed over: Larry Sanders (No. 15), Eric Bledsoe (No. 18), Hassan Whiteside (No. 33), and Lance Stephenson (No. 40).
2011 Draft
- No first round pick. No. 20 overall (Donatas Motiejunas) owned by Timberwolves.
- No. 49 Overall — Josh Selby: 38 games, 2.2 PPG, 0.5 RPG, 0.9 APG. .330/.143/.720.
Notable players available at draft spot or passed over: Kenneth Faried (No. 22), Nikola Mirotic (No. 23), Reggie Jackson (No. 24), Jimmy Butler (No. 30), Chandler Parsons (No. 38), and Isaiah Thomas (No. 60).
2012 Draft
- No. 25 Overall — Tony Wroten: 137 games, 11.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.0 APG. .416/.234/.654.
Notable players passed over: Draymond Green (No. 35) and Khris Middleton (No. 39).
2014 Draft
- No. 22 Overall — Jordan Adams: 30 games, 3.1 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.5 APG. .407/.400/.609.
- No. 35 Overall — Jarnell Stokes*: 19 games, 3.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.2 APG. .568/.000/.536.
*Acquired from Jazz in exchange for a 2016 second-rounder.
Notable players passed over: Rodney Hood (No. 23), K.J. McDaniels (No. 32), and Jordan Clarkson (No. 46).