2016 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Pope, Kidd, Casey

April 13th, 2016 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Raptors GM Masai Ujiri noted that coach Dwane Casey‘s job was safe regardless of how the team performs in the playoffs, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports relays (via Twitter). “He’s been phenomenal, I think,” Ujiri said of Casey. “Whether it’s reading games, or adjustments and just growth overall as a coach. To be honest, everybody makes such a big deal about, like okay if we don’t go past the first round what’s going to happen? Coach Casey deserves to be the coach, that’s 100% and I stand by that. He deserves to be our coach in the future because he’s put in the work to bring winning to our program. Players have responded well and it’s translated a little bit. We hope that it translates to the playoffs and I’m very hopeful that it will because he’s a defensive-minded coach. I think he’s been tremendous for us.”

Here’s more from around the league:

San Diego State sophomore small forward Malik Pope intends to test the waters and declare for the 2016 NBA draft, the University announced. Pope, who is the No. 25 overall sophomore according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and the No. 46 overall player according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, won’t hire an agent which will allow him to return to school should he withdraw prior to the May 25th deadline. “Malik Pope, with our consultation and approval, has submitted his name to the NBA for the upcoming draft, but will not hire an agent, allowing himself the opportunity to return to San Diego State,” coach Steve Fisher said. “With the rule change, it is a great opportunity for Malik to get workouts and evaluations from NBA personnel. Together, we will monitor his progress.”
Bucks coach Jason Kidd dismissed the rumors that say his job may be in jeopardy and said he wanted to remain in Milwaukee for the long-term, Matt Velazquez of The Journal Sentinel tweets. The coach, who still has one season remaining on his deal, said he doesn’t plan on broaching the subject of a contract extension this summer, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel relays (via Twitter).
Oklahoma senior power forward Ryan Spangler has hired agent Keith Kreiter of Edge Sports to represent him, international journalist David Pick reports (via Twitter).
Potential 2016 second-rounder Jake Layman has signed with Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets. The senior power forward from Maryland averaged 11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 35 appearances on the season for the Terrapins.

Justin Jackson To Enter NBA Draft

April 13th, 2016 at 5:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

North Carolina sophomore small forward Justin Jackson intends to test the waters and enter the 2016 NBA Draft, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jackson isn’t expected to hire an agent immediately, which will allow him to return to school should he choose to withdraw prior to the May 25th deadline, Goodman adds.

The 21-year-old comes in at No. 11 overall among sophomores and is ranked No. 63 overall by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com slots him at No. 125 overall. The main knocks against Jackson are that he is a year older than the average sophomore, which limits his ceiling somewhat, and that he isn’t as strong or athletic as the majority of NBA wings, according to Ford.

In 40 appearances for the Tar Heels this season, Jackson averaged 12.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 28.4 minutes per contest. His slash line on the year was .466/.292/.667.

Utah C Jakob Poeltl Declares For Draft

April 13th, 2016 at 2:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

University of Utah sophomore center Jakob Poeltl will enter this year’s draft and plans to hire an agent, the school announced. The 7’1″ 20-year-old is the No. 8 prospect in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings and No. 10 with Chad Ford of ESPN.com. He’ll lose his college eligibility once he signs with an agent, so it appears he won’t withdraw from the draft by the NCAA’s May 25th deadline.

It’s no surprise that Poeltl is in this year’s draft to stay, given his intriguing size, his rebounding and shot-blocking acumen, and his coordination in the pick-and-roll, attributes Ford lists among the big man’s many strengths. He averaged 17.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game as he picked up Consensus All-American and Pacific-12 Player of the Year honors. His 64.6% shooting led the conference and was eighth in NCAA Division I.

Poeltl’s low-post game could use some work, according to Ford, but he scored a career-high 32 points against NCAA Tournament-bound Temple in a game this past November. Poeltl came to Utah from Vienna, competing on the amateur level in Austria and representing the country in international competitions.

Memphis SF Dedric Lawson Opts Against Draft

April 13th, 2016 at 8:32am CST by Chuck Myron

University of Memphis freshman small forward Dedric Lawson won’t be in this year’s draft, the school announced (Twitter link). The school refers to the 6’8″ 18-year-old as having withdrawn from the draft, though it doesn’t appear as though he ever entered. In any case, it looks like he won’t take advantage of the new rules that would have allowed him to go through workouts with NBA teams and, if invited, take part in the NBA combine while retaining his college eligibility. That’s somewhat surprising, since he was a candidate to go in the middle of the second round, with Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranking him the 45th-best prospect. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress pegs Lawson as the 28th-best freshman.

Lawson put up strong numbers this season, with 15.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. His rebounding average led the American Athletic Conference, and he was third in the conference with 1.7 blocks per contest. He showed range, knocking down 35.0% of his 3-point attempts, but he committed a conference-leading 104 total turnovers over 33 games, so NBA types will surely look for improvement in that area when he returns to school for next season.

The native of Memphis entered his hometown school at No. 32 in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index. His impact was almost immediate, as he went for 22 points and 15 rebounds against eventual Final Four team Oklahoma in just the second game of the season.

And-Ones: Brown, Van Gundy, Jackson

April 12th, 2016 at 10:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets have gone 11-33 under interim coach Tony Brown, who understands that he is coaching for his job but asserts that he is unfazed by the pressure involved, Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily relays. “I feel like the situation has been tough from the beginning,” Brown said. “I’ve tried to make the best of it, and I’m going to continue to do that the last two games and whatever happens, happens. I’m not worried about my fate with this organization. I’m just trying to give these guys a great opportunity to showcase their skills, and I’m going to continue to do that.”

Here’s more from around the league:

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy won the trade market this season, with his deals for Marcus Morris, Reggie Bullock and Tobias Harris being clear victories for the franchise, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. The scribe also points to the offseason signing of Aron Baynes, who has provided solid minutes as the backup center, as another strong roster move by Van Gundy.
Notre Dame junior point guard Demetrius Jackson intends to hire Priority Sports to represent him, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets. Hiring an agent would eliminate the possibility of Jackson returning to school for his senior campaign. The 21-year-old is ranked No. 11 in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress listings and 25th according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
Dragan Bender is easily the most tantalizing among the international prospects who are entering the 2016 NBA Draft, opines Derek Bodner of USA Today. The big man’s combination of size, speed and mobility have NBA scouts excited for his potential, though he will need to add strength and bulk before he can hope to be a force in the NBA, Bodner adds. Bender is the No. 3 overall prospect according to both Ford and Givony.

Notre Dame SF V.J. Beachem To Test Draft Waters

April 12th, 2016 at 7:47pm CST by Chuck Myron

Notre Dame junior small forward V.J. Beachem will enter the draft without an agent, the school announced. The 6’8″ 21-year-old is a second-round prospect, checking in at No. 61 in Chad Ford’s ESPN.com rankings. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress doesn’t list him among his top 2016 prospects but pegs him 41st in his 2017 mock draft. He’ll be able to retain his college eligibility for next season if he pulls out by May 25th and refrains from hiring an agent.

Beachem holds plenty of promise as an outside shooter, having canned 44.4% of his 3-pointers on 5.5 attempts per game this season. Ford suggests he can play both forward positions, indicating the Fort Wayne, Indiana, native could have a future as a stretch four in the NBA. The ESPN scribe praises his defense, too, but it was only this season that Beachem became a starter for the Irish, and he averaged just 12.0 points and 3.9 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per game this year. Still, he stepped up at key times, striking for a career-high 22 points against eventual Final Four team Syracuse in January and averaging 16.7 points per contest in six total appearances during the ACC and NCAA tournaments.

He was 77th in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index coming out of high school, one spot ahead of Kris Jenkins, who went on to hit the buzzer-beating shot that gave Villanova the national championship this year. Beachem had one of his best games this season against North Carolina, the team that eventually lost to Villanova in the national final, scoring 18 points and playing all but one minute in Notre Dame’s Elite Eight loss.

And-Ones: Dunn, Murray, Coaches

April 12th, 2016 at 3:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

Former Providence point guard Kris Dunn has hired Ty Sullivan of the Creative Artists Agency to represent him, as Dunn told Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Sullivan represents Elfrid Payton, among other NBA players. Jamal Murray, Dunn’s primary competition to become the first point guard drafted this year, has hired Mike George of Excel Sports to be his agent, sources told Goodman (Twitter link). International journalist David Pick reported earlier that Excel was the overwhelming favorite to land Murray, the former Kentucky standout. George has recently drafted standouts Tyler Ennis and Dwight Powell among his clients. See more on the representation for some of this year’s draft prospects amid a look at other future-focused NBA items:

Former St. Joseph’s small forward DeAndre’ Bembry has hired Pensack Sports, which has also partnered with former Iowa combo forward and fellow second-round prospect Jarrod Uthoff, Goodman reports (Twitter links). Adam Pensack will represent Uthoff, though it’s unclear who’ll be the primary agent for Bembry. N.C. State point guard Cat Barber is going with Sunny Shah of Paramount Sports (Twitter link) and former Iowa State combo forward Georges Niang will sign with Thad Foucher and Makhtar Ndiaye of Wasserman (Twitter link), Goodman also reports, while Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal hears former Syracuse swingman Michael Gbinije has signed with Rich Kleiman of Roc Nation Sports (Twitter link).
Swingman Josh Jackson, who chose Kansas for his college this week, tops the early look at 2017 draft prospects that Chad Ford of ESPN.com compiled for an Insider-only piece. Incoming Duke power forward Harry Giles is No. 2 and soon-to-be Washington point guard Markelle Fultz is No. 3. Jayson Tatum, a small forward who’s headed to Duke, is No. 1 on Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress 2017 mock draft but No. 4 on Ford’s list.
A panel including GMs, coaches, veteran players, agents, scouts and executives named assistant coaches Nate Tibbetts of the Trail Blazers, Jarron Collins of the Warriors, Nick Nurse of the Raptors, Chris Finch of the Rockets, Stephen Silas of the Hornets and Sean Sweeney of the Bucks as strong candidates to eventually become NBA head coaches, as Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com details.

Michigan State F/C Deyonta Davis To Enter Draft

April 12th, 2016 at 10:52am CST by Chuck Myron

Michigan State freshman forward/center Deyonta Davis will enter this year’s draft and sign with an agent, the school announced. The 6’10” 19-year-old is 11th in Chad Ford’s ESPN.com rankings and 13th with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. He won’t be able to return to college ball once he formally hires an agent.

Davis had been “50-50” on the idea of entering the draft, Spartans coach Tom Izzo said earlier this month, and Davis told Jake Fischer of SI.com in December that he planned to stay in college for two years (Twitter link), but it’s no surprise to see him head to the NBA, since few turn down strong chances to become lottery picks. The native of Muskegon, Michigan, played a limited role for his home-state school, averaging just 18.6 minutes per game, but he still managed 1.8 blocks per outing, the third-best average in the Big Ten. His 64 total blocks this year were the most ever by a Michigan State freshman and the second-most that any Spartan has ever recorded in a single season. He also collected an impressive 5.5 boards per game in his short minutes.

The Recruiting Services Consensus Index listed Davis at just No. 26 coming out of high school last year, though he was a McDonald’s All-American. His physical tools and defensive versatility have impressed NBA types, as Givony wrote last month, but questions surround his offensive polish inside, according to Ford. Davis notched just 7.5 points per contest and scored in double figures only three times in 12 games during February and March. One of those occasions was his 10-point, 15-minute performance in Michigan State’s first-round upset loss to Middle Tennessee State in the NCAA Tournament.

Arkansas F/C Moses Kingsley To Test Draft Waters

April 12th, 2016 at 10:13am CST by Chuck Myron

Arkansas junior forward/center Moses Kingsley will enter the draft but won’t hire an agent, the school announced. The 6’9″ 21-year-old will likely have to impress in predraft workouts and, if invited, the NBA combine, if he’s to end up getting drafted in June, since he’s just 123rd in Chad Ford’s ESPN.com rankings. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress doesn’t give players an overall ranking beyond the top 100, but he does list Kingsley as the 27th-best junior. Kingsley can retain his college eligibility if he withdraws by May 25th and doesn’t hire an agent.

He entered college in 2013 at No. 47 in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index, two spots below Christian Wood, who re-signed with the Sixers last week, and two spots above Zach LaVine, whose stock surged before he became the 13th pick in the 2014 draft. Kingsley didn’t have any such fast rise, averaging just 11.1 minutes per game his first two years in college before becoming a starter this season.

His performance proved worth the wait, as he finished second in the SEC with 2.4 blocks per game and third with 9.3 rebounds per outing. Ford calls him an excellent defender, and Kingsley also averaged 15.9 points, eclipsing 20 points eight times. His offensive skill has been a question mark, according to Ford, so the big man will seemingly have to prove to NBA types that his production can translate to the next level.

And-Ones: Colangelo, Luwawu, Motiejunas

April 11th, 2016 at 10:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA placed restrictions on Jerry Colangelo after the Sixers hired him as chairman of basketball operations in December, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Rival executives were concerned about Colangelo’s access to star players as USA Basketball’s managing director, fearing he would have an advantage in courting top free agents, Wojnarowski continues. The limitations include Colangelo’s ability to communicate directly with players outside of USA Basketball activities, as well as his impact on the final voting process for national team and Olympic rosters, league sources indicated to Wojnarowski. The limitations will remain in place even though he relinquished his title as the Sixers’ chairman of basketball operations after his son Bryan was hired as president of basketball operations. Jerry Colangelo will now serve as a special adviser to the team’s ownership group, Wojnarowski notes.

In other developments around the league:

Timothe Luwawu, a lottery-level prospect from France, has no intention of withdrawing from the draft in the wake of agent Misko Raznatovic’s announcement earlier today that he’s entered, tweets international journalist David Pick. “I’m ready,” Luwawu told Pick. “I’m going to the NBA.” The swingman is the No. 12 prospect in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com lists him 19th.
Marquette freshman power forward Henry Ellenson has signed with agent Joe Branch of Roc Nation, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops tweets. Ellenson, who declared for the draft earlier this month, is the No. 6 prospect on Ford’s Big Board, while Givony ranks him at No. 9.
Donatas Motiejunas started Sunday’s game for the Rockets, his 20th of the season and 82nd since the start of 2014/15, enough to trigger the NBA’s starter criteria, as we explained Friday. That means the Rockets will have to make a qualifying offer worth $4,433,683 instead of just $3,278,998 by June 30th to retain the right to match competing bids for the power forward, who’s headed into free agency.
Bob Donewald, Jr. will not return next season as the head coach of the Grizzlies’ D-League affiliate, the Iowa Energy, the team announced on its website. Donewald compiled a 52-48 record with the Energy, including a 26-24 record this season.
The Cavaliers recalled center Sasha Kaun and shooting guard Jordan McRae from their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, according to the team’s website. They had been assigned to the Charge earlier in the day. The pair will be reassigned to the Charge on Tuesday, Josh Weir of The Repository tweets.