2016 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Prospect Profile: Skal Labissiere (Part One)

April 24th, 2016 at 2:09pm CST by Will Joseph

Steven Branscombe / USA TODAY Sports Images

OVERVIEW: Things didn’t go so well this season for Skal Labissiere. The 7-foot, 225-pound Haitian struggled for much of his lone season at Kentucky after being a highly recruited and raw five-star prospect out of Lausanne Collegiate School, a prep school in Tennessee. Without much 5-on-5 experience, Labissiere looked physically overmatched until late in the season. Labissiere, 20, lost his starting spot by midseason but improved enough to reclaim it down the stretch. Labissiere was a preseason top-five selection, but his stock dropped because of the uneven campaign. It didn’t quite plummet, however. Labissiere is still viewed as a first-round pick.

STATS: In 36 appearances for Kentucky this season, Labissiere averaged 6.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 1.6 blocks in 15.8 minutes per outing. His slash line on the year was .521/.000/.661.

STRENGTHS: Labissiere has great size and shown an ability to run the floor with a skill level that will likely improve on both ends of the court. He showed flashes of rare offensive moves for a 7-footer with jump hooks and turnaround jumpers. He became much more of an efficient scorer, especially from midrange, as the season progressed. One of his best games came against LSU on March 5th, when he had 18 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. Overall, Labissiere displayed nice touch inside with a fluid shot from the line and elbow. Labissiere was mostly an interior defender and provided some rim protection. His leaping ability is what set him apart before college and was an essential part of his transition with Kentucky. Labissiere registered at least four blocks in a single game on four occasions. As a long, athletic big man with solid shooting skills, Labissiere is an intriguing prospect.

WEAKNESSES: Labissiere had almost as many personal fouls (108) as he did rebounds (113) last season. His foul woes can be partially attributed to a lack of awareness at times. Labissiere also lacked strength and toughness inside, which was why he averaged only a few rebounds per game. While his shooting is a strength, Labissiere tended to rely too heavily on it and needs to develop more of a low-post game. He is likely one of the most raw prospects in the draft and is not polished by any means.

(For Part Two of Skal Labissiere’s prospect profile, click here.)

And-Ones: Demps, Obekpa, Bucks

April 23rd, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

People close to the Pelicans‘ front office feel that GM Dell Demps will be retained, reports Scott Kushner of The Advocate (Twitter links). Kushner adds that the staff feels safe, but ownership has not made a final decision yet. The team is expected to have a press conference on Monday.

Here’s more from throughout the league:

Chris Obekpa, who sat out the season for UNLV, has hired Aaron Turner of Verus Management to be his agent, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets. Obekpa isn’t ranked in the ESPN nor DraftExpress top 100 lists and isn’t expected to be drafted.
The biggest need for the Bucks heading into the offseason is 3-point shooting, writes Genaro C. Armas of The Associated Press. “Unfortunately in today’s game, two is not going to beat three. In today’s game, the 3 is so important,” coach Jason Kidd said.
Teams with young cores rarely develop into true championship contenders, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders argues. Greene takes a look at a some teams over the last 20 years that have possessed young talent but never were able to become true contenders.

Prospect Profile: Jakob Poeltl (Part Two)

April 23rd, 2016 at 3:50pm CST by Eddie Scarito

PROJECTED DRAFT RANGE: Poeltl is projected to come off the board within the top 10 picks, with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranking him No. 8 overall while Chad Ford of ESPN.com slots him tenth and has the big man penciled in as the top available center in this year’s draft. His biggest draft competition is likely to be Marquette freshman big man Henry Ellenson, whose offensive skills and higher upside could trump Poeltl’s abilities in the eyes of scouts.

RISE/FALL: The premium that the league places on athletic big men who can protect the rim makes it difficult to envision Poeltl dropping out of the top 10 on draft night. Poeltl had a legitimate shot at being a lottery pick in 2015, so it would certainly be a shock to see him tumble out of the top 14 picks this season. The significant increase in Poeltl’s productivity from his freshman campaign at Utah to this season’s numbers certainly bode well for his future and illustrate that the best is still to come from the 20-year-old. Poeltl’s predraft workouts will be vital in determining where he lands come June. If the Austrian shows scouts that he can regularly connect on his midrange shots and demonstrate solid footwork in the post while on offense, he could creep into the top seven selections, though it may take a team reaching for fit for him to come off the board that high.

I don’t see Poeltl landing outside the lottery unless he appears to be severely overmatched physically during his workouts, assuming he even agrees to compete against other players instead of limiting himself strictly to individual showcases. His medical assessments will also play a part, given that teams are especially wary of big men who have lower body issues. Poeltl has no reported medical or physical problems, but NBA medical exams have been known to turn up previously undiagnosed maladies, so some level of uncertainty always exists in this area.

FIT: There aren’t many teams that couldn’t benefit from adding a player with Poeltl’s skills and potential. The Bucks immediately come to mind as a prime destination, since he’d be a solid fit alongside Greg Monroe, provided Milwaukee doesn’t trade Monroe this summer. Orlando could also use some interior help, though the Magic are looking to add veteran depth and may well end up trading their first-rounder. The Bulls are also a strong possibility with the futures of Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah unresolved, and Poeltl’s athleticism would blend well with coach Fred Hoiberg‘s system.

FINAL TAKE: There will always be work in the NBA for skilled big men, so Poeltl shouldn’t have to wait too long on draft night to hear his name called. His intriguing size, rebounding ability, shot-blocking acumen and coordination in the pick-and-roll should make him a serviceable player for seasons to come. Still, Poeltl will need to add strength and improve his post arsenal if he hopes to become more than simply a rotation player in the NBA.

(For Part One of Jakob Poeltl’s prospect profile, click here.)

Prospect Profile: Jakob Poeltl (Part One)

April 23rd, 2016 at 1:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports Images

OVERVIEW: Austrian big man Jakob Poeltl was projected as a borderline lottery pick in the 2015 NBA draft, but the center decided to return to Utah for his sophomore campaign, a move that should pay off handsomely for him this June. Not only is the 20-year-old now virtually assured of being a top-10 pick, but his game is now better suited to succeed at the NBA level thanks to the extra year in school. Poeltl made some significant strides during his sophomore campaign. His confidence level and efficiency were noticeably improved. He’s still far more valuable as a defender than as an offensive weapon at his current stage of development, but Poeltl has shown flashes of the potential to evolve into the two-way threat that NBA scouts crave when analyzing big men.

STATS: In 35 appearances for Utah this season, Poeltl averaged 17.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 blocks in 30.4 minutes per outing. His slash line on the year was .646/.000/.692.

STRENGTHS: The first thing that stands out about the 7’1″ Poeltl’s game is how fluid and deceptively athletic he is. While he’s not an athletic freak in the vein of a Karl-Anthony Towns or Kristaps Porzingis, two distinguished members of the draft class of 2015, Poeltl is certainly mobile and quick enough to effectively guard players on the perimeter, which is an uncommon skill for big men. Poeltl is quite effective when running in transition, and his soft hands allow him to make some difficult catches in traffic. It’s extremely tough to prevent him from scoring when he gets close to the rim, though he’ll need to develop a stronger and more diverse post game if he hopes to be a consistent offensive threat in the NBA. Poeltl has shown the potential to be an elite defender at the NBA level, though I don’t necessarily believe he’ll be a dominating rim protector in the league during his career. His true defensive value will come from his ability to play effective team defense, his high motor and basketball IQ, as well as his ability to be extremely effective against the pick-and-roll.

WEAKNESSES: Poeltl has demonstrated the ability to score close to the basket, but he still has a ways to go in his offensive development. The big man hasn’t shown the ability to create his own offense, and he’ll need to continue to work at improving his midrange jump shot, which has the potential to become an effective weapon for him down the line. Poeltl’s offensive output during his rookie campaign is likely to consist primarily of putbacks and transition buckets and he shouldn’t be counted on to produce much initially. He’s not rail-thin at 240 pounds, but he’ll need to add strength and bulk if he hopes to survive prolonged exposure to the NBA’s elite big men on a nightly basis. Poeltl also needs to improve his decision-making when facing multiple defenders, as his 2.1 turnovers per game are a touch high for a player not generally tasked with handling the ball or facilitating an offense.

(For Part Two of our Jakob Poeltl Prospect Profile, click here.)

And-Ones: Zizic, Freeland, Zubac

April 22nd, 2016 at 10:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Center Ante Zizic has agreed to a buyout with the Croatian club Cibona Zagreb that will allow him to join the NBA in 2016/17, agent Misko Raznatovic of BeoBasket relays (Twitter link). The 19-year-old, 6’11” Zizic is considered a first-round talent. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks him No. 26, and he’s No. 22 on ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s Big Board. The center had been debating whether to go the draft-and-stash route or withdraw from the draft, according to international journalist David Pick, but Pick tells Hoops Rumors that Zizic doesn’t intend to pull out.

Here’s more from around the NBA and abroad:

Croatian big man Ivica Zubac wants to join the NBA immediately if he is drafted this June, as he told Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. “I have decided to enter NBA draft this year, and if I get drafted, I would like to go to the NBA right away. [The] NBA has always been my dream. I can’t wait to play there and prove myself on the biggest basketball stage in the world,” Zubac told Cauchi. The analysts are split on Zubac, with Givony pegging him 25th while Ford has him all the way down at 71st.
Former Providence point guard Kris Dunn‘s combination of elite athleticism, ability to get to the rim, passing ability and defensive upside should land him highly among lottery selections, Derek Bodner of DraftExpress opines in his scouting report of the player. Dunn is ranked No. 5 overall by Givony, while Ford lists him seventh. You can check out our profile of Dunn here and here.
Former NBA player Joel Freeland, who signed a two-year deal with the Russian club CSKA Moscow this past summer, will miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury, and the team isn’t likely to re-sign him, Pick reports (via Twitter). Freeland averaged 3.8 points and 4.4 rebounds in Euroleague play this season.

2016 NBA Draft Order, Lottery Odds

April 22nd, 2016 at 3:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

The future for several NBA teams hinges on the May 17th draft lottery, but the work doesn’t end for the teams that luck out that night. It remains imperative to nail the draft on June 23rd, and if the right prospect isn’t available, a trade is always an option.

Picks are commonly swapped from team to team on draft night, so that, plus the lottery, means the order below is unlikely to hold. Still, this shows the draft assets and possibilities that teams have as they seek to improve in the offseason.

Lottery order (Odds of landing top pick in bold)

1. Sixers — (the Sixers have the right to swap picks with the Kings if Kings’ pick is in top 10) — 25%
2. Lakers — (will send pick to Sixers if not in top 3) — 19.9%
3. Celtics (via Nets) — 15.6%
4. Suns — 11.9%
5. Timberwolves — 8.8%
6. Pelicans — 6.3%
7. Knicks (will send pick to Nuggets if Denver exercises right to swap picks; otherwise pick goes to Raptors) — 4.3%
8. Kings (will send pick to Bulls if not in top 10; otherwise, Sixers have the right to swap picks) — 1.9%
9. Nuggets (will send pick to Raptors if Denver exercises right to swap picks with Knicks) — 1.9%
10. Bucks — 1.8%
11. Magic — 0.8%
12. Jazz — 0.7%
13. Wizards (will send pick to Suns if not in top 9) — 0.6%
14. Bulls — 0.5%

Remainder of first round

15. Nuggets (via Rockets)
16. Celtics (via Mavericks)
17. Grizzlies
18. Pistons
19. Nuggets (via Trail Blazers)
20. Pacers
21. Hawks
22. Hornets
23. Celtics
24. Sixers (via Heat)
25. Clippers
26. Sixers (via Thunder)
27. Raptors
28. Suns (via Cavaliers)
29. Spurs
30. Warriors

Second round

31. Celtics (via Sixers)
32. Lakers
33. Clippers (via Nets)
34. Suns
35. Celtics (via Timberwolves)
36. Bucks (via Pelicans)
37. Rockets (via Knicks)
*38. Bucks
*39. Pelicans (via Nuggets)
*40. Pelicans (via Kings)
41. Magic
42. Jazz
43. Rockets
44. Hawks (via Wizards)
45. Celtics (via Grizzlies)
46. Mavericks
47. Magic (via Bulls)
48. Bulls (via Trail Blazers)
49. Pistons
50. Pacers
51. Celtics (via Heat)
52. Jazz (via Celtics)
53. Nuggets (via Hornets)
54. Hawks
55. Nets (via Clippers)
56. Nuggets (via Thunder)
57. Grizzlies (via Raptors)
58. Celtics (via Cavaliers)
59. Kings (via Spurs)
60. Jazz (via Warriors)

* The order of picks 38 through 40 depends on the lottery. The Bucks’ second-round pick and the second-rounders originally belonging to the Nuggets and Kings will go in the reverse order of the picks originally belonging to each team in the first round.

UNC’s Justin Jackson, Kennedy Meeks To Test Draft

April 22nd, 2016 at 2:23pm CST by Chuck Myron

North Carolina sophomore small forward Justin Jackson and junior center Kennedy Meeks will enter this year’s draft, but they will do so without hiring agents so they can retain their college eligibility, the school announced. Jackson is the 64th-best prospect on Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress board, but Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks him only 126th. Meeks is right behind him at No. 127 in Ford’s listings, while Givony, whose top overall prospect rankings only go to No. 100, views his stock more optimistically for next year, pegging him 47th in his 2017 mock draft. Jackson and Meeks can return to college ball if they withdraw by May 25th, as long as they don’t hire agents before then.

Jackson, a 6’8″ 21-year-old, was highly touted coming out of high school in 2014, when he was ninth in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index, sandwiched between 2015 first-round NBA draft picks Kelly Oubre and Rashad Vaughn. The past two years have seen Jackson’s stock slip as he’s posted underwhelming numbers for the Tar Heels, with just 12.2 points and 3.9 rebounds to his credit in 28.4 minutes per game this past season. He shot only 29.2% from 3-point range, a slight decline from his 30.4% accuracy as a freshman.

Meeks, who’s also 21, is only 6’9″ and has struggled with his weight, with Givony listing him at 279 pounds. Meeks arrived at UNC with less promise than Jackson did, ranking just 56th in the 2013 RSCI, and the past season represented a regression for him as he experienced declines in minutes, field goal percentage, scoring and most other categories. He averaged 9.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game. Still, his strength and skilled post play are commodities, according to Ford.

And-Ones: ‘Melo, Batum, Hield

April 22nd, 2016 at 12:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Carmelo Anthony wasn’t at the Knicks triangle seminar this week after all, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post and Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, despite an earlier report that he was. Some say the seminar was mandatory and others called it voluntary, Isola hears, adding that one player said team president Phil Jackson only invited a few Knicks. Anthony is believed to be receiving therapy on his left knee, Berman writes, and the triangle sessions were mostly review, a source told the Post scribe, who downplays the significance of ‘Melo’s absence. Still, 10 other Knicks took part, Berman hears, including Kristaps Porzingis, who’s recovering from a shoulder strain and recently had a routine visit at the Hospital for Special Surgery, notes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (ESPN Now link). The other attendees, according to Berman, were Jerian Grant, Cleanthony Early, Langston Galloway, Tony Wroten, Sasha Vujacic, Jose Calderon, Robin Lopez, Kyle O’Quinn and Kevin Seraphin.

See more from around the NBA:

Nicolas Batum isn’t definitively out for the rest of the Hornets‘ first-round series against Miami, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, dispelling an earlier report, but he’s unlikely to return unless it goes at least six games, Bonnell says. Batum is poised for free agency this summer.
Indiana freshman small forward OG Anunoby won’t enter this year’s draft, the school announced (Twitter link). He was a late second-round prospect for this year, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who ranks him the 50th, but the 6’8″ 18-year-old has first-round potential for next year, as Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress slots him 20th in his 2017 mock draft. Anunoby saw limited action this season, putting up 4.9 points in 13.7 minutes per game.
Long-shot draft prospect Moustapha Diagne will enter this year’s draft, but he’ll do so without an agent so he can retain his college eligibility, a source told Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The 6’8″ 20-year-old from Northwest Florida State, a community college, is a former Syracuse commit, Rothstein notes, and he was 68th in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index coming out of high school last year. Neither Ford nor Givony ranks him among the top 100 draft prospects.
Top-10 prospect and former Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield has signed with agent Rob Pelinka of Landmark Sports, a source told Darren Rovell of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link).

Draft Notes: White, Taylor, Diop, Sipahi

April 21st, 2016 at 7:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nebraska junior small forward Andrew White intends to test the waters and declare for the 2016 NBA Draft, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The 22-year-old is the No. 25 ranked junior according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and lands at a less optimistic No. 262 overall according to ESPN’s Chad Ford. In 34 appearances for the Cornhuskers this season, White averaged 16.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals to accompany a shooting line of .481/.412/.775.

Here’s the latest news regarding this year’s draft:

University of Texas point guard Isaiah Taylor intends to hire an agent, which would eliminate the opportunity for him to withdraw from the draft and return to school for his senior season, relays Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
Turkish point guard Kenan Sipahi intends to enter this year’s NBA draft, agent Misko Raznatovic tweets. The 20-year-old is the No. 18 overall ranked international player in his class, according to Givony.
African center Ilimane Diop and Latvian forward Rolands Smits intend to enter this year’s NBA draft, Eurohopes.com relays (via Twitter). Diop, a native of Senegal, is the No. 13 international prospect born in 1995, according to Givony, who projected him as the No. 50 overall player in the 2017 draft. Smits is the No. 20 international prospect in his class, according to the DraftExpress scribe.
Florida sophomore small forward Devin Robinson underwent surgery to repair a left foot stress fracture and is expected to be out of action for four to six months, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets. The ESPN scribe speculates that this will result in Robinson withdrawing from this year’s NBA draft, though no announcement to that end has been made by the player or the university.
Dayton junior guard Charles Cooke intends to enter this year’s NBA Draft, though he’ll hold off on hiring an agent, which will allow him to return to school if he withdraws prior to the May 25th deadline, Goodman relays (on Twitter). The 21-year-old is a long shot to be selected and doesn’t appear among the top 100 prospects on Givony’s or Ford’s rankings.

Cal Swingman Jaylen Brown To Enter Draft

April 21st, 2016 at 1:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

Cal freshman swingman Jaylen Brown will enter this year’s NBA draft, he announced in a press conference today, the school relays via Twitter. The 6’7″ 19-year-old is the fourth-best prospect in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings and No. 9 with Chad Ford of ESPN.com. It’s not immediately clear whether he’ll hire an agent right away, a move that would prevent him from returning to college ball if he were to withdraw from the draft by May 25th.

Brown is a slasher on offense and a long, skilled defender, according to Ford. His wingspan is more than 7 feet, according to the latest measurement Givony shows. The Georgia native didn’t put up flashy numbers, playing just 27.6 minutes per game, but his 6.4 free throws per contest show his ability to get to the rim. He averaged 14.6 points and 5.4 rebounds a night, though his 29.4% 3-point shooting and 3.1 turnovers per contest are troublesome. His final game of the season was a four-point, seven-turnover nightmare in Cal’s first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Hawaii.

Still, he was already an elite prospect by the time he entered college. The Recruiting Services Consensus Index pegged him third, with only Ben Simmons and Skal Labissiere in front of him. Brown was a mainstay in competitions involving elite high school talent, and he had nine points in 21 minutes at the 2015 McDonald’s All-American game, the most well-known showcase.