And-Ones: Celtics, Bulls, Rodriguez, Frazier
The Celtics are reportedly trying to move out of the No. 28th spot in the draft in an effort to gain more cap flexibility, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter Link). Earlier today, it was reported that the team would like to move up in the draft in order to select Myles Turner. Boston also owns the No.16 overall pick, so perhaps it could dangle both picks to a team drafting in the back-end of the lottery, which is where Turner is expected to be selected.
Here’s more from around the league on the last day of spring:
- Sergio Rodriguez is not contemplating the possibility of making the jump to the NBA, barring an offer he cannot refuse, according to Marca.com (Translation by HoopsHype.com). It was previously reported that the point guard planned to try and secure an NBA deal this summer.
- Tom Thibodeau and his coaching staff reportedly lobbied for Draymond Green to be the No.29 overall selection in the 2012 draft instead of Marquis Teague, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
- Since taking over for Thibodeau, Fred Hoiberg has immersed himself in the Bulls’ draft process, according to Johnson in the same piece. Hoiberg is also working finalize his staff with Pete Myers, Ed Pinckney, Mike Wilhelm and video coordinator Charlie Henry.
- Michael Frazier will work out for the Sixers, Hawks and Rockets, according to Antonya English and Bob Putnam of the Tampa Bay Times. The former Gator has previously worked out for 11 other teams.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Winslow, Knicks
The Sixers own the No. 3 selection in Thursday’s draft and Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor are expected to be off the board by the time Philly picks. Tom Moore of Calkins Media speculates what the team will do should either big man fall to them. If the draft goes as expected, the Sixers will most likely choose between D’Angelo Russell, Kristaps Porzingis and Emmanuel Mudiay, who I opined should be the selection in the franchise’s Offseason Outlook. Moore notes that the team could easily trade down in the draft or make some other unexpected move, citing GM Sam Hinkie‘s unconventional approach in the past.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division
- The Sixers have worked out Justise Winslow, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The forward should be an impact defender for a team right away, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors explains in his Prospect Profile of the forward.
- Tim Bontemps of the New York Post examines the journey that Winslow has taken through high school and college to become a surefire lottery selection. Winslow is reportedly the “leader in the clubhouse” to be taken by the Knicks with their No. 4 overall pick. Scarito has Winslow going to New York in his latest Mock Draft.
- The Knicks worked out Frank Kaminsky and Joshua Smith in addition to working out Trey Lyles and Kevon Looney yesterday, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Mavs Notes: Oden, Villanueva, Ellis
Earlier today, it was reported that Greg Oden will work out for the Mavs as part of a mini-camp the team is conducting. Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link) adds that Oden is on a list with guys like Samuel Dalembert and Jermaine O’Neal for a potential minimum-salary arrangement to be one of the team’s backup big men. Charlie Villanueva, Amar’e Stoudemire and Greg Smith are all free agents this summer, leaving Dwight Powell as the only remaining big man under contract that primarily came off the bench last season.
Here’s more from Dallas:
- The team would welcome back Villanueva if he is willing to play for the veteran’s minimum again, MacMahon writes. The forward enjoyed playing in Dallas last season, which included his first career playoff appearance. “I like my role,” Villanueva said. “I embraced it, I accepted it. I’ve been in the league for 10 years and been coached by nine different coaches. I would love to experience the same coach again next year, but we’ll see.”
- The Mavericks’ entire offseason hinges on Monta Ellis‘ decision to either opt in or out of his contract, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News opines. The shooting guard is expected to opt out in search of a more lucrative contract. If Ellis leaves in free agency, it would leave a huge void in the team’s backcourt. However, Sefko notes it would free up additional cap space to pursue LaMarcus Aldridge and retain Tyson Chandler. That potential series of moves would give Dirk Nowitzki a role off the bench, which is something he is willing to consider.
Celtics Attempting To Trade Up For Myles Turner
The Celtics are actively attempting to trade up in the draft to select Myles Turner, according to Andrew Perna of RealGM. The 19-year-old is the 10th best prospect in this year’s draft class, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks him as the 11th best.
Boston owns the No. 16 and No. 28 picks in the first round of next Thursday’s draft. The team also owns the No.33 and No. 45 overall picks, as our Draft Order page indicates.
Turner has the potential to be a star, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors explained in his profile of the big man. The Celtics have a roster full of young talent. Yet, no one player has the upside that Turner possesses, so the attempt to move up in the draft makes sense from a team building standpoint. Boston could afford to consolidate multiple draft picks and take a chance on such a player due to the stockpile of assets that President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge has accumulated.
Greg Oden Working Out For Hornets, Mavs
5:44pm: Oden also worked out for the Hornets last week, and indeed did so for the Grizzlies earlier this spring, Charania reports as part of a full story.
5:42pm: Greg Oden will work out for the Mavericks this week as part of a mini-camp the team is conducting, reports Shams Charania of RealGM, citing league sources (Twitter link). Mini-camps are usually the domain of players merely trying to latch on for summer league, but it nonetheless represents another small step in the latest comeback effort for the former No. 1 overall pick. The Grizzlies had been thinking about bringing in Oden for a mini-camp of their own, as Charania reported last month.
Oden sat out this past season as he faced multiple charges related to domestic violence. He avoided jail time as part of a plea agreement in February in which he pleaded guilty to a felony battery charge and the three other charges against him were dismissed.
The now 27-year-old Oden, whom the Blazers took first in the 2007 draft, played sparingly for the Heat in 2013/14, averaging 2.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per game across 23 regular season appearances. It was the first NBA action since the 2009/10 season for the oft-injured 7-footer.
Western Notes: Warriors, Mudiay, Hunt
Now that the Warriors have secured the NBA title, the team enters the offseason with the goal of keeping its young core intact while still improving itself, Diamond Leung of The Bay Area News Group writes. “When you have the success that we had, you like to keep it together as much as possible,” Golden State GM Bob Myers said. “It doesn’t mean you don’t open your eyes to see what else is out there, but if it’s a close call, you always want to retain the talent that got you a championship. I think if we’re going to lean in a direction, it’s the continuity, which is something we’ve tried to build here, and certainly at least it worked for this year.” One of the Warriors’ priorities this summer is to re-sign restricted free agent Draymond Green, who is in line for a hefty increase from his 2014/15 salary of $915,243.
Here’s what else is happening around the Western Conference:
- The Kings have been unsuccessful thus far in getting point guard Emmanuel Mudiay to work out for the team, Sean Cunningham of News 10 Sacramento tweets. Mudiay’s representatives believe that he’ll be off the board prior to Sacramento selecting with the No. 6 overall pick, Cunningham adds.
- Arizona defensive whiz Rondae Hollis-Jefferson‘s scheduled workout with the Jazz on Friday was cancelled due to travel issues, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News relays (Twitter link). It’s unclear if the showcase will be rescheduled prior to the draft. Hollis-Jefferson is already expected to work out for the Kings on Monday.
- Mavs coach Rick Carslile has confirmed reports that former Nuggets interim coach Melvin Hunt will be joining his staff as an assistant, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (Twitter links). Hunt will replace assistant Monte Mathis, who has been offered the job as head coach of Mavs’ D-League affiliate if he does not obtain another position outside of the organization, Stein adds.
Draft History: Donnie Nelson
The 2015 NBA draft is a less than a week away, and the speculation as to which player each franchise will pin its hopes on for the future is nearly over. 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 have been 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’ve been 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 continue onward with a look back at the calls made by Mavericks executive Donnie Nelson.
Mavericks (March 2005-Present)
2005 Draft
- No first-rounder. Pick No. 27 (Linas Kleiza) owned by Nuggets.
- No second-rounder. Pick No. 57 (Marcin Gortat) owned by Magic.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: David Lee (No. 30), Monta Ellis (No. 40), Lou Williams (No. 45), and Gortat (No. 57).
2006 Draft
- No. 28 Overall — Maurice Ager: 82 games, 2.1 PPG, 0.6 RPG, and 0.2 APG. .339/.250/.566.
*Traded No. 58 overall pick (J.R. Pinnock) to Lakers in exchange for a 2007 second-rounder.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Steve Novak (No. 32) and Paul Millsap (No. 47).
2007 Draft
- No first-rounder. Pick No. 30 (Petteri Koponen) owned by Trail Blazers.
- No. 34 Overall — Nick Fazekas: 26 games, 4.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 0.4 APG. .561/.000/.682.
- No. 44 Overall — Reyshawn Terry*: No regular season NBA appearances.
- No. 50 Overall — Renaldas Seibutis: No regular season NBA appearances.
*Acquired from Magic in exchange for the No. 60 overall pick (Milovan Rakovic).
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Carl Landry (No. 31), Glen Davis (No. 35), Josh McRoberts (No. 37), Marc Gasol (No. 48), and Ramon Sessions (No. 56).
2008 Draft
- No first round pick. Pick No. 21 (Ryan Anderson) owned by Nets.
- No. 51 Overall — Shan Foster: No regular season NBA appearances.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Anderson (No. 21), Serge Ibaka (No. 24), Nicolas Batum (No. 25), DeAndre Jordan (No. 35), Omer Asik (No. 36), and Goran Dragic (No. 45).
2009 Draft
- No. 25 Overall — Rodrigue Beaubois*: 182 games, 7.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 2.1 APG. .439/.325/.810.
- No. 45 Overall — Nick Calathes**: 129 games, 4.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 2.7 APG. .441/.288/.581.
- No. 56 Overall — Ahmad Nivens: No regular season NBA appearances.
*Acquired from Thunder along with a 2010 second-rounder (Solomon Alabi) in exchange for the No. 24 overall pick (Byron Mullens).
**Acquired from the Timberwolves in exchange for a 2010 second round pick.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Taj Gibson (No. 26) and DeMarre Carroll (No. 27).
2010 Draft
- No. 25 Overall — Dominique Jones*: 80 games, 3.1 PPG, 1.4 RPG, and 1.8 APG. .366/.095/.729.
- No second-rounder. Pick No. 57 (Ryan Reid) owned by Thunder.
*Acquired from the Grizzlies in exchange for cash.
**Traded the No. 50 overall pick (Alabi) to the Raptors in exchange for cash and a 2013 second-rounder.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Hassan Whiteside (No. 33) and Lance Stephenson (No. 40).
2011 Draft
- Traded the No. 26 overall pick (Jordan Hamilton) and No. 57 overall pick (Tanguy Ngombo) to the Blazers in exchange for Rudy Fernandez and Petteri Koponen. The rights to Hamilton were then dealt by Portland to the Nuggets.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Jimmy Butler (No. 30), Chandler Parsons (No. 38), and Isaiah Thomas (No. 60).
2012 Draft
- No. 24 Overall — Jared Cunningham*: 40 games, 1.9 PPG, 0.5 RPG, and 0.5 APG. .353/.304/.710.
- No. 33 Overall — Bernard James*: 92 games, 2.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 0.7 BPG. .497/.000/.680.
- No. 34 Overall — Jae Crowder*: 238 games, 5.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.0 APG. .414/.316/.735.
*Acquired from the Cavaliers in exchange for the No. 17 overall pick (Tyler Zeller) and Kelenna Azubuike.
**Dealt the No. 55 overall pick (Darius Johnson-Odom) to the Lakers in exchange for cash.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Zeller (No. 17), Evan Fournier (No. 20), Draymond Green (No. 35), and Khris Middleton (No. 39).
2013 Draft
- No. 18 Overall — Shane Larkin*: 124 games, 4.9 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 2.4 APG. .420/.305/.748.
*Traded the No. 13 overall pick (Kelly Olynyk) to the Celtics for the No. 16 overall pick (Lucas Nogueira) and two future second-rounders. Nelson then dealt Jared Cunningham, the rights to Nogueira, and the No. 44 overall pick (Mike Muscala) to the Hawks for the rights to Larkin and cash.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Olynyk (No. 13), Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 15), Mason Plumlee (No. 22), Tim Hardaway Jr. (No. 24), and Rudy Gobert (No. 27).
2014 Draft
- No first-rounder. Pick No. 21 overall (Mitch McGary) owned by the Thunder.
*Nelson dealt the No. 34 overall pick (Cleanthony Early), the No. 51 overall pick (Thanasis Antetokounmpo), Larkin, Wayne Ellington, Samuel Dalembert, and Jose Calderon to the Knicks in exchange for Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: McGary (No. 21), Rodney Hood (No. 23), K.J. McDaniels (No. 32), and Jordan Clarkson (No. 46).
And-Ones: NBPA, Hackett, Stoudemire
The way teams discuss their own pending restricted free agents is under fire from the National Basketball Players Association, which has officially taken the position that the traditional “we’ll match any offer” comments so often made by NBA executives are a circumvention of the salary cap in their intent to discourage potential rival bidders, Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. The league had issued a memo back in November warning teams that, while the NBA itself doesn’t agree with the NBPA’s stance on the matter, league officials see enough potential merit in the union’s stance to advise those who continue with match-any-offer comments that they could be opening themselves up to legal action, Stein notes.
The ESPN scribe’s sources informed him that this impetus stems from Klutch Sports agents Rich Paul and Mark Termini, who urged the NBPA to challenge the way that teams have historically dropped none-too-subtle hints about their plans to match offers in an attempt to depress the market for restricted free agents. This movement stems from the willingness of new NBPA head Michele Roberts to aggressively speak up for the players, Stein adds. It’s not too surprising to see Paul and Termini at the center of this, given that they represent Eric Bledsoe, whose restricted free agency dragged on for months last year after the Suns pledged to match any offer. The duo also represent Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph and Norris Cole, all of whom could become restricted free agents this offseason.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Unrestricted free agent Amar’e Stoudemire said that he’d love to return to the Mavericks next season, but is also potentially interested in returning to play for the Suns or Knicks, Jared Zwerling of BleacherReport tweets.
- Euroleague guard Daniel Hackett intends to void his contract with Emporio Armani Milano in order to pursue an NBA contract, David Pick of Eurobasket.com relays (Twitter link). The 27-year-old out of USC went undrafted back in 2009.
- The Blazers held workouts on Friday for Gary Bell Jr. (Gonzaga), Seth Gearhart (Rice), Jelani Hewitt (Georgia Southern), Dakari Johnson (Kentucky), Kevin Pangos (Gonzaga), and Thomas van der Mars (Netherlands), the team announced.
Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 6/14/15-6/20/15
In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop me a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. Now for this week’s inquiries:
“What are your thoughts on the Clippers-Hornets deal involving Spencer Hawes and Lance Stephenson?” — Vince
This is a case of both franchises trying to move on from mistakes made last offseason. While neither free agent signing worked out for either team, I’d have to say the Hawes deal for the Clippers was way more debilitating. Los Angeles had a core in place that could contend in the West, and needed to fill out the roster with useful veterans. Instead of addressing the team’s glaring need for a starting small forward (Paul Pierce!), Doc Rivers instead opted to ink Hawes, who provided little production for the franchise. Stephenson’s signing was equally misguided, but the Hornets, despite their success in 2013/14, were not going to be serious title contenders this past season.
I like this trade much more from the Hornets’ point of view. Charlotte really missed Josh McRoberts‘ ability to stretch the floor this season, and Hawes can certainly help out in that regard. Plus, the Hornets’ locker room chemistry should benefit immediately from the subtraction of Stephenson. Sure, Stephenson is the most talented player in this deal, but his baggage often outweighs his production. Los Angeles reportedly dealt with locker room chemistry issues this past season, and the addition of Stephenson could be akin to pouring gasoline on an inferno. Plus, with the increased media scrutiny a large market like Los Angeles comes with, any little misstep by the mercurial swingman could quickly become blown out of proportion. I will add the caveat that if Stephenson doesn’t rock the boat AND is able to revert back to the player he was during the 2013/14 campaign for Indiana, then L.A. will have won this deal hands down. I’m just not sold that will be the case.
“Which player in the 15-20 range has the highest upside in this year’s draft?” — Cole
Going by current mock drafts for slotting here, I’d say that Bobby Portis (Arkansas), Trey Lyles (Kentucky), and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Arizona) could all end up vying for this distinction. Portis has a wealth of talent on the offensive side, though he’s realistically a season away from contributing meaningful minutes. Lyles could be a future star, and should become a two-way force once he gets more experience under his belt. Hollis-Jefferson is ready to step into a rotation next season and contribute with his stellar defense and open court skills, but he’ll be a liability in the half court game until he can consistently sink jump shots. If I had to pick a player for next season in the 15-20 range who will shine it would be Hollis-Jefferson, but for the long-term I’ll go with Lyles. I really like his game and talent level.
“Where do you think Matt Barnes will be playing next season?” — Jon
Well, it won’t be with the Clippers, who can’t sign him until July of 2016 at the earliest. Barnes is a useful role-player, but he has no business being a starter in the NBA. It’s unclear right now what his market will be, but the Raptors could certainly use an upgrade defensively at the wing, which Barnes could certainly provide, as long as he’s doing so as a reserve. I’d also think that the Cavs, Knicks, Celtics, and possibly the Thunder could be suitors for Barnes at the right price…which is a short-term minimum salary deal.
“What do you see happening with David Lee in Golden State?” — Leon
This is going to be a tough one for Warriors GM Bob Myers. Golden State has a wealth of talent, but it will be difficult to sustain their success if the roster can’t be filled out with useful pieces, instead of stocked with players making the league minimum. While Lee is still a very solid player, not to mention a good locker room presence, his $15,493,680 price tag for next season makes him a very expensive luxury. This will be the case for many prospective trade partners as well, and while Golden State is likely to seek non-guaranteed, or significantly lower salaried players in return, I’m not sure the team will find a suitable taker. The Sixers are always a possibility when a salary dump is in play, but I’m not so sure that the Warriors will want to part with the draft picks necessary to get Philly GM Sam Hinkie to bite. The Celtics, Raptors, and potentially the Hawks (if Paul Millsap departs via free agency and a suitable replacement isn’t signed or drafted), are all fits for Lee. But Boston is rebuilding, and Lee would be a fallback for Danny Ainge at this point. This could change if Boston suddenly adds a number of veteran players and decides to make a serious playoff push next season. The Hawks seem like the best overall fit for Lee in my view, but quite a bit would need to go awry in Atlanta’s offseason for Lee to end up with that team.
That’s going to do it for this week’s batch of inquiries. Thanks to all who submitted questions, and please keep them coming. I’ll be back next week with more responses.
Eastern Notes: Russell, Sloan, Draft
Ohio State playmaker D’Angelo Russell‘s workout with the Sixers went extremely well, and the franchise, though impressed with what Emmanuel Mudiay showed them during his showcase, would love to draft Russell if he falls to them at the No. 3 overall pick, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. There was speculation that Russell didn’t want to be taken by Philadelphia when he cancelled his first scheduled workout due to illness, but a source close to the young guard dispelled such talk, Pompey adds. “He really loves Philly,” the source told Pompey.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Pacers‘ Donald Sloan, who is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, has switched agents and is now represented by Byron Irvin and Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star reports (Twitter link). The point guard was previously represented by Impact Sports Basketball.
- Kentucky big man Dakari Johnson said that he has a workout scheduled with the Cavaliers prior to the draft, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com tweets.
- Shooting guard Bobby Ray Parks Jr.‘s workout with the Nets on Wednesday ended prematurely due to an inadvertent elbow to his face that required stitches, Robert Windrem of NetsDaily writes. “It’s a shame, you know, for him to be here having the opportunity and start well in his workout but there’s nothing else we could do,” said Nets director of player personnel Gregg Polinsky. If schedules permit, the team intends to bring in Parks for a second workout, Windrem adds.
- St. John’s guard Phil Greene has a workout scheduled for today with the Celtics, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays (on Twitter).