Draft Rumors: Hornets, Lakers, Russell
The Hornets have been extremely active this week and sources have indicated to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News that they’re probably not done. The Celtics and Suns, according to a source, have been the most ardent suitors of Charlotte’s No. 9 pick. The Suns have the No. 13 pick but want to move up to draft Frank Kaminsky, who they fear could be a target of the Heat at No. 10 or the Pacers at No. 11. The Celtics, meanwhile, have interest in Willie Cauley-Stein. If the Hornets stay at No. 9, Deveney believes they will want to add shooting, which could lead them to Kentucky guard Devin Booker.
- Jahlil Okafor did not perform well in his second pre-draft workout with the Lakers, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. While Okafor had a drop-off from his first showing in Los Angeles, D’Angelo Russell flourished and knocked down his shots. Ding expects the Lakers to target Russell at No. 2 in Thursday night’s draft.
- Oregon guard Joseph Young does not have a first round promise from the Lakers or anyone else, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News tweets. Young’s foot injury remains a concern and he’ll be reevaluated to see if he needs surgery.
- The Lakers, Sixers, Knicks, Magic, Kings, Hornets, Pacers are all talking trades and could shake up the draft order, Chad Ford of ESPN.com tweets.
- Richaun Holmes is drawing consideration from several teams picking in the 20s, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated (on Twitter). Holmes spoke with Hoops Rumors recently as a part of our Draft Prospect Q&A series.
Nets Dangle Mason Plumlee, Seek Higher Pick
JUNE 25TH, 9:38am: The Nets are still trying to use Plumlee to get into the lottery, sources tell Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
JUNE 23RD, 8:55pm: Brooklyn is unlikely to part with Plumlee unless it can secure a 2015 lottery pick in return, league sources have informed Stein (via Twitter).
6:57pm: The Nets continue to explore trade possibilities involving Plumlee in advance of the draft, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
JUNE 15TH, 3:37pm: The Nets are trying to trade Mason Plumlee to further their goal of landing a higher draft pick than the ones they have at 29th and 41st overall, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, responding to a NetsDaily tweet that posed the question of whether the Nets should trade Plumlee. Brooklyn’s desire to keep Plumlee derailed a proposal that would have sent Deron Williams to Sacramento this past season, as multiple reports made clear, but circumstances have changed for the 25-year-old big man, as Bondy detailed in May.
Some executives from teams around the league figured that Brooklyn would come to this point after the trade-deadline acquisition of Thaddeus Young and the resurgence of center Brook Lopez reduced Plumlee’s role, as Marc Stein and Mike Mazzeo reported a few weeks ago. Opposing teams had begun to inquire about Plumlee’s availability, as Stein added at the time. Lopez and Young aren’t necessarily locks to return, with Lopez possessing a player option and Young an early termination option, though Nets GM Billy King has made it clear that retaining both is a priority.
King said early last month that he explored trading everyone on the roster at some point last season, and in the same press conference, he said that the team will indeed try to trade up in the draft, as it’s often done in years past. King cautioned that he preferred not to deal away future draft assets to do so, leaving cash and current players as more likely trade bait.
Plumlee, whom the Nets mined with the 22nd overall pick two years ago, has two more years left on his rookie scale contract, which pays him slightly less than $1.416MM next season. That would make him a bargain with the kind of production he displayed in the first half of the season, when he averaged 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per game coming off a summer with Team USA. Those numbers dropped to 6.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 17.5 MPG in the season’s second half.
Rockets To Make Play For Love, Aldridge
9:24am: Both Jones and the No. 18 pick are very available as the Rockets look to shed salary, Stein tweets.
8:27am: The Rockets will try to get in the mix for Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge this summer, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The Rockets do not have a whole lot of cap space to work with this summer, but they are working to change that. Stein adds that Houston is likely to try to trade Terrence Jones at some point today (link).
Yesterday, we learned that Love will opt out of his contract with the Cavs to become a free agent. By opting out, the forward can make as much as the max, an estimated $18.96MM. Some executives have been predicting that the Cavs will sign-and-trade him to one of his many suitors, given the success Cleveland had without him while he was out with a shoulder injury during the playoffs, though Griffin insists he wants to keep the core of his team together, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote earlier this week. There’s little doubt the Cavs will put a max offer of their own on the table for him, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com wrote in late April, several weeks after ESPN colleague Chris Broussard had heard from rival executives who’d begun to question that prospect.
Aldridge, meanwhile, is said to be coming increasingly fond of the Lakers. The big man will have tons of suitors this summer and the Blazers are reportedly concerned about him bolting.
Jones is scheduled to earn $2,489,530 during the 2015/16 season after having his fourth-year option exercised by Houston. He was selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.
Kings Exploring Trading Back From No. 6
The Kings have been making calls on the possibility of moving back in the top 10, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). If the Kings do remain at No. 6, however, Mario Hezonja is a strong possibility to be their target.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has Hezonja ranked as the fifth-best prospect in this year’s draft and predicts that he’ll go No. 4 to the Knicks, so it’s quite possible that the guard won’t be there when the Kings pick at No. 6. Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required), meanwhile, has the Kings landing Hezonja at No. 6.
Nets, Spurs Inquiring On Cavs’ Sasha Kaun
The Nets and Spurs are among the teams checking in with the Cavs on a possible deal for the rights to sign center Sasha Kaun, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Kaun is set to leave Russia for the NBA this year.
Kaun played under Cavs coach David Blatt on the Russian national team and Cleveland was previously giving thought to signing him this summer. The 30-year-old Kaun, who played for CSKA Moscow last season, recently “retired” from the Russian League. Kaun was originally drafted in 2008 by the SuperSonics — the last draft pick made by the franchise before moving to Oklahoma City — and his rights were later traded to the Cavaliers for cash considerations.
Offseason Outlook Series
The draft is today, and free agency begins next week. The height of the NBA offseason is upon us, and Hoops Rumors has been preparing for months. Our Offseason Outlook Series began in April as the first teams were eliminated from the playoffs and ran through Wednesday night, as we pondered how the Kings will proceed as they face an apparent turning point in their relationship with DeMarcus Cousins. All 30 teams are covered below in this recap of the series, so dive in to get ready for the whirlwind of player movement that’s poised to descend upon the league.
Atlantic
Central
Southeast
Southwest
Northwest
Pacific
And-Ones: Batum, Booker, Milutinov
A change that would allow underclassmen greater capacity to return to school after declaring for the draft would indeed take effect for next year if the NCAA approves the proposal in January, as Dan Guerrero, chairman of the NCAA men’s basketball oversight committee, said to Andy Katz of ESPN.com. The committee lent its sponsorship to the measure Wednesday, and a formal vote on adoption is to take place in January, according to Katz.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Hawks have discussed moving up from the No. 15 overall pick in the draft with a number of teams, including the Pacers, who sit at No. 11, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (via Twitter). A number of executives around the league believe that Atlanta is trying to land Wisconsin big man Frank Kaminsky, Kennedy adds. Kaminsky is a draft possibility for the Hornets (No. 9), Heat (No. 10), and the Jazz (No. 12), which could complicate the Hawks’ designs on snagging the talented shooter.
- Speaking about newly acquired swingman Nicolas Batum, Hornets GM Rich Cho said, “He is a quality defender and a solid outside shooter who brings versatility and playoff experience,” Mike Tokito of The Oregonian tweets. Batum’s deal includes a trade bonus that will lift his cap hit by about $890K for the 2014/15 campaign and approximately $890K again for 2015/16, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes (Twitter links). The Blazers also end up with a trade exception, according to Pincus, worth $3,241,300.
- Many executives around the NBA believe that Kentucky guard Devin Booker is the player in this year’s NBA Draft who could benefit the most from significant time spent in the D-League during his rookie campaign, Keith Schlosser of SBNation writes. While Booker is regarded as the best pure shooter in this year’s draft, a large number of NBA and D-League executives believe that Booker could stand to improve his agility, quickness, and instincts on both ends of the floor, Schlosser adds.
- Serbian big man Nikola Milutinov is climbing up the draft boards and could possibly be selected in the first round, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). It’s doubtful that the Spurs would be the team to select the seven-footer, a league source informed Dan McCarney of The San Antonio Express-News tweets. San Antonio currently owns the No. 26 overall pick.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Players With NBA Ties In Overseas Transfer Market
The international transfer market has been in full swing for a few weeks now and many players with NBA ties have signed new contracts overseas. Let’s catch up with some of these players and see what they’ve been doing since we last heard from them.
FORMER NBA PLAYERS
Trey Thompkins – signed a three-year contract with Real Madrid (Spain)
Thompkins was drafted 37th overall by the L.A. Clippers in the 2011 draft. He played in only 24 games during his rookie season before the Clippers waived him during a sophomore campaign in which he didn’t play a single game. He resurfaced in the 2014 summer league with the Lakers before signing in Russia with Nizhny Novgorod. Thompkins had a breakout season this year, averaging 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in the VTB United League and 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds in Euroleague play. He led his team, which included former NBA player Gal Mekel, to a surprise appearance in the Euroleague Final 16 while also reaching the semifinals in the VTB. Thompkins parlayed his great season into a three-year deal with the reigning Euroleague champions from Spain. He will join a team that includes former NBA players Gustavo Ayon, Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Rodriguez and Andres Nocioni as well as potential future Houston Rocket Sergio Llull.
Derrick Brown – signed a 2-year contract with Anadolu Efes (Turkey)
Brown is a three-year NBA veteran with 171 games of experience who was drafted 40th overall in 2009 and who we last saw during the 2011/12 season with Charlotte. He spent this season in Russia with Lokomotiv Kuban, the same team that Anthony Randolph signed with after being waived by the Magic last year. Brown had an outstanding season, averaging 14.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game across 54 combined contests in the VTB United & Euroleague. He and Malcolm Delaney led Lokomotiv to the Eurocup quarterfinals as well as the VTB semis. Brown now moves to the powerhouse Turkish team that boasts significant young talents in Sixers first-round pick Dario Saric, 2015 draft hopeful Cedi Osman and 17-year old future star Furkan Korkmaz. Efes made the Euroleague playoffs this year and were also the runner-up to a surprising Karsiyaka team in the Turkish TBL finals.
Darius Johnson-Odom – signed a 1-year contract with Trabzonspor (Turkey)
Johnson-Odom spent parts of two years in the NBA after he became the 55th pick in the 2012 draft. Philadelphia waived him during the 2013/14 season and he went on to put up 22 points, 6.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game in the D-League with the Springfield Armor. That performance led him to Italy where he played this season with Cantu and averaged 14.4 points per game. Joined by fellow ex-NBA players Metta World Peace and DeQuan Jones, Johnson-Odom’s team actually struggled badly, finishing seventh in the Italian league and getting bounced in the first round of the Eurocup playoffs. He now heads to Turkey to join former St. John’s star Dwight Hardy on an up-and-coming Trabzonspor team.
Jon Brockman – re-signed with Ludwigsburg (Germany) for one more season
Brockman was the 38th overall pick in 2009 and played in 150 games over three NBA seasons. He last played in 2011/12 for the Milwaukee Bucks before beginning his overseas career in France. He led the German BBL in rebounding (9.8 per game) this season while also averaging 12.2 points per game. Paired with the league’s top scorer, former NBA player D.J. Kennedy, he led Ludwigsburg to a playoff berth and decided to stay with the team for another season.
Other notable former NBA players
- Kyrylo Fesenko switched teams in Russia, moving from Avtodor to Lokomotiv Kuban. The five-year NBA vet was with the Timberwolves for training camp this past fall, but they waived him prior to the start of the season.
- Yi Jianlian will continue with Chinese team Guangdong after signing a reported five-year, $16.1MM extension. Jianlian last played in the NBA with Dallas during the 2011/12 season and has 272 games of NBA experience.
- Yaroslav Korolev stayed in Greece, signing with Rethymno after spending last year there with Panionios. Korolev’s NBA cup of coffee lasted just 34 games over two seasons after he became the 12th overall pick in 2005.
- Jerry Smith re-signed with German team Bremerhaven for next season. The former Louisville and one-time Nets guard averaged 11.8 points and 5.1 assists this season.
NBA DRAFT RIGHTS HELD PLAYERS
Ante Tomic – extended contract with Barcelona (Spain) through 2018
The Jazz drafted Tomic 44th overall in the 2008 draft, and he has continued to flourish overseas since then. Utah was rumored to be willing to pay his buyout and bring him over for next season, but this extension likely puts an end to that conversation for the time being. Tomic averaged 11.5 points and 7.1 rebounds in Euroleague play and was named to the Second Team All-Euroleague squad. He received first-team honors during the last two campaigns as well. He helped Barcelona reach the Spanish ACB finals after a disappointing defeat in the Euroleague playoffs.
Sasha Kaun – announced retirement from European basketball
Kaun won the 2008 NCAA title with Kansas before he became the 56th overall pick in the 2008 draft. He has played his entire professional career with Russian powerhouse CSKA Moscow, who this season won their fifth consecutive VTB United League title. Kaun won the 2013/14 VTB United Defensive Player of the Year award along the way as well. This season he averaged 10.5 points per game in the VTB and 9.9 points per game in Euroleague play. CSKA lost to Olympiacos by two points in the Euroleague semifinals but were able to regroup and win the third-place game against Fenerbahce. Kaun’s rights are owned by the Cleveland Cavaliers and he is moving back to the U.S. to pursue an NBA deal.
Other notable draft rights held players
- Robertas Javtokas re-signed with Zalgiris in Lithuania after the team won its fourth consecutive LKL title. The Spurs hold rights to the 35-year-old, who is in the twilight of his playing career.
- Brad Newley re-signed with Spanish team Gran Canaria after a season that ended with a second-place Eurocup finish. The Rockets hold Newley’s NBA rights.
- Henk Norel extended his contract with Zaragoza (Spain) for two more seasons. The big man whom the Timberwolves made the 47th pick in 2009 finished the year with 8.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in Eurocup play.
- Ryan Richards recently signed with the Guangxi Rhinos of the Chinese NBL, which is China’s lower division. A 2010 second-round pick of the Spurs, he bounced around this season, moving from Turkey to Austria and finally to Iran.
2015 NBA DRAFT RELATED PLAYERS
- Nedim Buza signed with Oostende in Belgium after spending the year with Bosnian team Spars Sarajevo. He withdrew from the draft after declaring as an early entrant for the second year in a row.
- Tyler Haws has signed a deal with Obradoiro in Spain that includes an NBA out if he gets drafted or signs with a team by July 31st.
- Alpha Kaba signed with Mega Leks, the same Serbian team that produced recent draft picks Nikola Jokic, Vasilije Micic and Nemanja Dangubic. Although Kaba pulled out of this year’s draft, he drew rave reviews for his length and athleticism during team workouts.
2014-15 NBA SUMMER LEAGUE PLAYERS
- Justin Brownlee moves to Chalon (France) after averaging 16.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game with Italian second-division team Brescia.
- Melvin Ejim signed with Bayreuth (Germany). He played this season in Italy with Virtus Roma and averaged 7.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
- Abdul Gaddy extended his contract with Virtus Bologna (Italy) for two more seasons. He averaged 7.3 points and 3.7 assists per game this year.
- Steven Gray signed a two-year deal with Gravelines (France) after averaging 16.8 points per game with Dijon (France).
- Stephen Holt signed with Melbourne United (Australia) after putting up 10.9 points per contest for the Canton Charge, the one-to-one affiliate of the Cavs, in the D-League.
- Michael Jenkins signed for two years with Turk Telekom (Turkey). He played for Istanbul BB (Turkey) this year and scored 15.5 points per game.
Central Notes: Jackson, Pacers, Bulls
The Pistons have tendered a qualifying offer worth $4,433,683 to Reggie Jackson, making him a restricted free agent this summer, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). Detroit will now have the opportunity to match any offer sheet that Jackson signs, though it is not a given that it will do so. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com had previously relayed that if Emmanuel Mudiay were to be available at the No. 8 overall pick, the Pistons would consider allowing Jackson to depart this offseason. Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) concurs that Detroit would snag Mudiay if he were available, though the franchise doesn’t believe he is ready to run an NBA team just yet.
Here’s more from the NBA’s Central Division:
- The Pacers will focus on accumulating talent in the draft, and not on any particular position, Indiana GM Kevin Pritchard said, notes Mark Montieth of NBA.com. “More than ever, it’s not like you’re going after a quarterback or point guard,” Pritchard said. “You’re seeing the teams that really succeed put five guys who can really make plays out there. You try to get the best player you can, because in a small market, it’s your only chance to get special. We’re not New York or L.A., so to get special you have to do it in the draft.“
- Pritchard also said that the Pacers are focused on “four or five” players with the No. 11 overall pick, but are prepared to call audibles if a player “drops” during the draft, Montieth adds. The team isn’t opposed to dealing the pick either, the NBA.com scribe adds. “We’re not afraid to trade the pick; we talk about that all the time,” Pritchard said. “We’ve heard a lot about 11. There’s interest in 11. Moving down is tough because then the draft selects for you instead of you selecting the draft.“
- The Bulls, who are badly in need of backcourt depth, will have numerous options in the draft to add a rotation piece, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. Playmakers who could potentially be available at the No. 22 overall pick include Delon Wright, Jerian Grant, and Tyus Jones, Johnson adds.
Atlantic Notes: Smith, Embiid, Thomas
Knicks president Phil Jackson would love to have big man Jason Smith back for the 2015/16 season, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. Jackson is aware that it may not be possible to re-sign the unrestricted free agent if he is offered a deal by another team for more than the veteran’s minimum, Berman adds. New York may be willing to go above the minimum to retain the 29-year-old, but that is dependent on how the team’s pursuit of bigger ticket free agents goes, the Post scribe notes. The Zen Master has acknowledged that he may not be able to land a big man via the NBA Draft, and with the Knicks’ roster currently devoid of big men, as well as Smith relaying that he would indeed like to return to New York, the two sides could be a fit, Berman relays.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Raptors brought in Kentucky center Dakari Johnson for a workout on Tuesday, Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun relays. Johnson is projected to be a second round pick in this year’s draft, and though Toronto doesn’t currently own any second-rounders, the team is considering trying to purchase one, Wolstat adds. “You always got to come into the opportunity and just make the best of it, no matter the circumstances, you’ve got to come in and work your hardest,” Johnson said. “That’s the type of person I am, I love to compete. I initially didn’t have this workout scheduled, but they added it on for me and I decided to come in and just compete. I just love to compete.”
- Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil has indicated that additional doctors will evaluate the latest setback in the healing of center Joel Embiid‘s right foot, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We’re still waiting,” O’Neil said. “We have another three doctors to come see him. The nice thing about jobs like these – you can literally get the best experts in the world. All you have to do is call and they love to see us.” Philly has legitimate concerns that Embiid could miss the entire 2015/16 campaign.
- The Nets are pessimistic that they will be able to move up from the No. 29 overall pick in this year’s draft, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com tweets.
- The New York Liberty of the WNBA have suspended consideration of Isiah Thomas‘ application to become part owner of the team, Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg News relays (Twitter link). Thomas will remain in his duties as team president, but the ownership review process is expected to take an extended period, Berman notes in a separate piece. Both Jackson and GM Steve Mills had expressed concerns to owner James Dolan when he informed them he was hiring the former Knicks executive.