David West To Opt Out Of Contract
David West will turn down his player option with the Spurs for the 2016/17 season, making him an unrestricted free agent next month, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The option would have been worth $1,551,659, the minimum amount allowed for a player with West’s NBA experience.
[RELATED: Player option decisions for 2016/17]
According to Charania, West will “evaluate [his] playing future” after opting out of his contract. That wording suggests that retirement may be one option considered by the 35-year-old forward, who has 13 NBA seasons under his belt. Assuming he does want to continue his career, the Xavier alum may also re-evaluate his priorities in free agency, after taking a huge pay cut to join the Spurs a year ago.
West, who spent four seasons with the Pacers before signing with the Spurs last summer, played just 18 minutes per game for San Antonio, his lowest mark since his rookie year in 2003/04. He was still fairly effective in that limited role, however, recording a career-best .545 FG%.
West is one of three Spurs veterans facing decisions on player options and possible retirement this offseason — the other two, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, are among the franchise’s all-time greatest players. Duncan and Ginobili have yet to make announcements regarding their decisions on player options for 2016/17, but both players are viewed as candidates to call it a career.
International Prospects Withdrawing From Draft
With the deadline for early entrants to withdraw from the NBA draft just a few hours away (4:00pm central time), a number of international prospects have removed their names from consideration.
We’ll be updating this list today if and when more decisions are reported. For now though, nine international players whose intentions had been previously unreported have withdrawn from draft consideration, and won’t be eligible to be picked until at least 2017. According to ESPN’s Chad Ford (all Twitter links), the following prospects have removed their names from the 2016 NBA draft:
- Diego Flaccadori, SG
- Marko Guduric, SF
- Ognjen Jaramaz, PG
- Alpha Kaba, F/C
- Emircan Kosut, C
- Mathias Lessort, PF/C
- Adam Pechacek, PF
- Jordan Sakho, C
- Kenan Sipahi, PG
Celtics Aggressively Shopping No. 3 Pick
Barring an unexpected turn of events, Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram will almost certainly be the first two prospects to come off the board in next Thursday’s draft, likely in that order. However, there’s some uncertainty about which player will be the third selection — and it sounds like there may also be some uncertainty about which team will make that pick.
According to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, the Celtics are “really shopping” the third overall pick in the 2016 draft. Blakely suggests that the club is “trying to be as aggressive as possible in trying to move that pick.” Boston’s goal is to get an impact player who can contribute and help the team win immediately.
It’s not clear exactly which players the Celtics will be targeting as they dangle that No. 3 overall pick. Jahlil Okafor of the Sixers and Kevin Love of the Cavaliers have been frequently mentioned as possible targets, though that has been primarily speculation based on prior interest — there has been no confirmation that Boston will have its sights set on those players this summer.
Within his report, Blakely mentions Bulls star Jimmy Butler as one player the Celtics have their eye on, but it remains to be seen whether or not Chicago will be willing to discuss potential trades involving Butler, who is under contract for three more seasons, with a fourth-year player option in 2019/20.
If the Celtics do make a trade involving the third overall pick, it could also involve multiple other picks and/or players, depending on the return, says Blakely. Boston is armed with eight selections in this year’s draft, so even trading half of those picks in a mega-deal for an impact player would still leave the C’s with four selections to make this year.
According to Blakely, the Celtics are taking a long look at former California wing Jaylen Brown in the event that they do keep the No. 3 pick.
Draft Updates: Zizic, Zubac, Korkmaz, Washpun
The deadline for prospects to withdraw from the 2016 NBA draft is today at 4:00pm central time, which means this year’s draft class will get a little smaller by tonight. The majority of the NCAA underclassmen who have decided not to remain in the draft made their decisions final several weeks ago, since the NCAA’s cut-off for retaining eligibility came earlier. Today’s deadline will have an impact on plenty of international players, however, as they decide whether it makes more sense to keep their names in the draft this year or try their luck down the road.
Here are some of Monday’s latest NBA draft updates, including a handful of notes on those international prospects…
- Croatian big men Ante Zizic and Ivica Zubac will both remain in this year’s draft, and both players project to be selected in the 15-25 range, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford (Twitter links). Ford also provides an update on Serbian wing Rade Zagorac, who will keep his name in the draft. According to Ford (Twitter link), Zagorac figures to be picked in the 25-40 range.
- Ford adds (via Twitter) that French wing Timothe Luwawu will remain draft-eligible as well, though his value is a little harder to pin down — Ford suggests that Luwawu could come off the board in the back half of the first round or early in the second.
- Eighteen-year-old Turkish shooting guard Furkan Korkmaz will remain in the draft, reports ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla (Twitter link). Korkmaz will likely be one of the first international prospects to come off the board, perhaps even in the lottery.
- Former Northern Iowa guard Wes Washpun is set to work out for the Timberwolves, Bucks, and Bulls this week, league sources tell Michael Scott of Sheridan Hoops (Twitter link). Washpun didn’t earn a spot in Jonathan Givony’s or Chad Ford’s top 100 lists, so he projects as a potential undrafted free agent.
- Ben Leibowitz of Graphiq (link via The San Jose Mercury News) takes an in-depth look at which NBA franchises have had the best and worst luck in the draft lottery since its introduction.
Pistons Sign GM Jeff Bower To Extension
MONDAY, 9:27am: The Pistons have officially announced their new deal with Bower.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the job Jeff has done for our organization,” Van Gundy said in a press release. “He’s been at the forefront of all the moves we’ve made over the last two seasons and has implemented much of the strategy and structure throughout our basketball operations department. The confidence I have in his ability allows me to go out and coach during the season knowing that he’s always looking to make our team better.”
SUNDAY, 11:25 am: The extension is for one year, meaning that Bower is under contract until June 30, 2018, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
10:55 am: The Pistons have reached a multiyear contract extension with GM Jeff Bower, league sources told The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Bower has been Stan Van Gundy‘s right-hand man since Van Gundy was named head coach and president of basketball operations in the summer of 2014. Bower was entering the final year of a three-year contract.
Bower, 55, has negotiated several trades that have transformed the Pistons’ roster, including the acquisitions of forwards Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris and point guard Reggie Jackson. The Pistons made the Eastern Conference playoffs as the N0. 8 seed after a six-year absence and lost to the Cavaliers in the first round.
Bower was the GM for the New Orleans Hornets from 2001-03 and 2005-10, and was the head coach of Marist College from 2013-14 before Van Gundy hired him. Van Gundy has deflected credit for the team’s deals to Bower and other members of the front office, indicating that he simply rubber stamps or nixes the trade proposals that Bower and his staff negotiate.
Van Gundy praised Bower’s roster-building skills in an interview with Detroit Free Press columnist Jeff Seidel this spring.
“I think that’s where Jeff Bower is really at his best,” Van Gundy told Seidel. “It’s not just one big splash. He really understands how to put a team together. I think we have a lot of good people in our organization, but he is the one who has run a team before, and he is a guy who understands team building and how to put it together.”
Nets Expected To Acquire First-Round Pick
The Celtics own the Nets’ first-round pick in this year’s draft, but that doesn’t mean Brooklyn won’t end up being involved in the first round next Thursday. According to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), people around the NBA expect the Nets to acquire a first-round pick, with an agent and a rival executive both telling him with confidence that Brooklyn will get back into the first round.
The Nets likely don’t have the trade ammunition to land a pick in the top half of the first round, but there could be a handful of willing trade partners closer to the end of the round. The Celtics, Nuggets, Suns, and 76ers all have three first-round picks apiece, and likely won’t use all of them. The Raptors also hold an extra first-rounder, and are expected to move at least one of their two picks.
[RELATED: 2016 NBA draft picks by team]
Of course, Brooklyn won’t be the only club making an effort to move into the back half of the first round — the Nets aren’t even the only New York team in the market for a pick. We heard back in May that the Knicks plan on trading into the draft, either in the second round or late in the first.
With only about $47MM in guaranteed salary on their books for 2016/17, the Nets’ taxpaying days are likely behind them for the foreseeable future. Still, adding a young player on a rookie contract would help keep costs down as the team goes through its rebuilding phase.
Southwest Notes: Morey, Durant, Pelicans, Grizzlies
The Rockets already have several players on their roster who fit new coach Mike D’Antoni’s style, GM Daryl Morey told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Appearing as a guest on Wojnarowski’s podcast, Morey said D’Antoni has a very positive reputation with players and agents around the league because they know players can put up good offensive numbers in his system. “I think a lot of what we went through last year is guys weren’t as engaged on defense,” Morey said. “That’s because we were struggling from A to Z, and that impacted our defense overall.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Rockets are still hoping to meet with free agent Kevin Durant next month, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein reported this week that Houston isn’t among the teams that Durant is considering.
- The Pelicans have workouts scheduled for 12 players Monday, according to John Reid of The Times-Picayune. On the list are French stars Isaia Cordinier and Guerschon Yabusele, along with Troy Williams of Indiana, Michael Gbinije of Syracuse, Jake Layman of Maryland, Wayne Seldon Jr. of Kansas, Gary Payton II of Oregon State, Yogi Ferrell of Indiana, Thomas Walkup of Stephen F. Austin, Kaleb Tarczewski of Arizona, Prince Ibeh of Texas and Perry Ellis of Kansas. New Orleans has the sixth pick in the first round and the 39th and 40th selections in the second round.
- The Grizzlies held a workout today for Ben Bentil of Providence, Isaiah Cousins of Oklahoma, Brice Johnson of North Carolina, Payton, Malachi Richardson of Syracuse and Selden, according to Grizzlies.com. Memphis holds picks No. 17 and 57.
- Johnson could be the young power forward the Grizzlies need, speculates Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. Zach Randolph will turn 35 this summer, and Jarell Martin and JaMychal Green haven’t shown they can handle the position, Tillery writes. At 6’10” and 210 pounds, Johnson has a mixture of size and skills that makes him an intriguing prospect.
Sixers Rumors: Okafor, Ingram, Papagiannis, Saric
Sixers center Jahlil Okafor says he has recovered from the knee surgery that ended his season and he hopes to get back on the court soon, relays Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Okafor’s rookie campaign came to an end March 22nd when he underwent a procedure to fix the meniscus in his right knee. On a Duke University podcast Friday, the former Blue Devil said he was hoping doctors would approve him for basketball activity over the weekend. “I’m getting anxious,” Okafor told Duke assistant coach Jon Scheyer. “I got in trouble a week and a half ago for going out there and shooting. The biggest problem is my knee feels really good. So I want to go out there and shoot.” Okafor has been the subject of recent trade rumors, along with fellow Sixers big man Nerlens Noel.
There’s more news out of Philadelphia as draft day draws closer:
- Team officials hosted Duke’s Brandon Ingram today in advance of his workout for the team Monday, tweets radio analyst Alaa Abdelnaby. Joel Embiid and two assistant coaches joined Ingram and head coach Brett Brown for dinner, tweets Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers. The Sixers are expected to take either Ingram or LSU’s Ben Simmons with the first pick in the June 23rd draft.
- Sixers representatives attended a workout today by Greek center Georgios Papagiannis, Pompey writes in a separate piece. The 7’2″, 276-pound Papagiannis is projected as a possible late first-round choice. Philadelphia owns Miami’s pick at No. 24 and Oklahoma City’s at No. 26. Foreign players must decide by Monday whether or not to remain in the draft.
- Economics may persuade Dario Saric to wait another year before coming to Philadelphia, Pompey speculates in another story. The Sixers have owned the rights to the Croatian star since making a draft-day deal with Orlando in 2014. If Saric joins the Sixers this summer, he will be subject to a rookie contract, but if he waits until 2017, he could negotiate a salary up to $6MM annually. “The timing of him coming to the NBA is still in question,” said president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo, who met with Saric and his agent this week in Turkey. “I believe there’s a desire on both sides to make it happen sooner rather than later. But at the same time, the contract scenario, economics, etc. all plays a part in that decision making. We’ll know soon enough whether it’s going to happen for this particular season.”
Community Shootaround: Draymond Green
The Warriors will have to play Game 5 of the NBA Finals without Draymond Green, who was suspended today when the league assessed him a flagrant 1 foul for an encounter with LeBron James in Game 4.
League officials called Green’s actions a “retaliatory swipe of his hand to the groin” after he and James collided. The flagrant foul was Green’s fourth of the playoffs, which triggers an automatic one-game suspension.
“The cumulative points system is designed to deter flagrant fouls in our game,” NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe explained. “While Draymond Green’s actions in Game 4 do not merit a suspension as a standalone act, the number of flagrant points he has earned triggers a suspension for Game 5.”
Golden State has three double-digit wins in the series and has controlled the Finals except for a lopsided loss in Game 3. However, Green’s versatility is a major part of the Warriors’ effectiveness, and they won’t be the same team without him in the lineup.
That brings us to tonight’s question: Does Green’s absence in Game 5 give the Cavaliers a chance to win the series? The Warriors are returning home and will be aided by their raucous crowd, but the absence of Green gives Cleveland a fighting chance. If the Cavs can find a way to win Game 5 and then take Game 6 on their home court, that would set up a Game 7 next Sunday in Oakland. Is the series no longer a foregone conclusion, or will Golden State overcome Green’s absence and win the trophy Monday night?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Northwest Notes: Jazz, Vivant Arena, Nuggets
Tyrell Corbin, son of former Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin, was among the participants in Utah’s free agent mini-camp this week, writes Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. It’s the fourth year for the camp, which GM Dennis Lindsey brought to the Jazz after experiencing similar sessions when he worked for the Spurs and Rockets. Thirteen players from the last three free agent mini-camps have either landed spots on an NBA roster or earned invitations to training camp. “It’s a chance for them to play in front of an NBA coaching staff and for us to get a look at them,” said Jazz director of pro player personnel David Friedman. “Last year, we had a kid by the name of Jonathon Simmons [in camp] just to give you an idea. He didn’t end up with us, but he ended up with the Spurs.”
The camp has an extra dimension this year because Utah has its own D-League team and will be looking for players to fill the roster. Along with Corbin, other prominent names at this week’s event included Preston Medlin, Spencer Butterfield, Dionte Christmas and Julian Mavunga. Greg Stiemsma, who has played for four NBA teams, was also in attendance, along with Argentinian prospect Nicolas Brussino.
There’s more news from the Northwest Division:
- The Jazz hosted a workout this morning, Genessy notes in the same piece. Attending were LSU’s Tim Quarterman, California-Santa Barbara’s Michael Bryson, Memphis’ Shaq Goodwin, Texas’ Isaiah Taylor, Oral Roberts’ Obi Emegano and French prospect Mathias Lessort.
- Utah is planning a $125MM renovation project at Vivant Arena, Genessy writes in a separate story. Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment will cover $102.3MM, and the franchise is hoping for $22.7MM from Salt Lake City’s Redevelopment Agency. The Jazz will submit their proposal to the agency this week.
- Washington’s Dejounte Murray will have a private workout with the Nuggets Monday afternoon, the team announced in a press release. The 6’5″ point guard has been rising on draft boards and is listed ninth on the latest list of 100 best prospects compiled by ESPN’s Chad Ford. Denver will hold a Monday morning workout for Bryson, Joe De Ciman of Colorado State, Patrick McCaw of Nevada-Las Vegas, Egidijus Mockevicius of Evansville, Abdel Nader of Iowa State and Chinanu Onuaku of Louisville.
- Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin is joining the effort to keep Kevin Durant with the Thunder, according to The Tulsa World. She is willing to offer the free agent forward a government job to get him to stay with Oklahoma City. “Oklahoma loves Kevin Durant and Kevin Durant loves Oklahoma,” Fallin said. “But if he’ll stay, I’ll make him a Cabinet person for health and fitness.”