Western Notes: Ingram, Bender, Iske, Waiters
The Lakers seem to have settled on Brandon Ingram as the No. 2 selection if Philadelphia takes Ben Simmons first, tweets international journalist David Pick. He reports that L.A. had interest in Croatian star Dragan Bender, but that has cooled.
There’s more from the Western Conference:
- The Timberwolves are very interested in Bender at No. 5, according to Pick (Twitter link). Minnesota scouts Calvin Booth and Zarko Durisic have both watched Bender play.
- The Grizzlies are considering former Kings assistant Chad Iske for a spot on David Fizdale’s staff, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Iske was an assistant to George Karl in Sacramento, but wasn’t retained when Dave Joerger took over last month. Former Cavaliers and Lakers head coach Mike Brown already turned down a job with Memphis, Stein reports.
- Dion Waiters‘ future in Oklahoma City may be tied to Kevin Durant‘s, suggests Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. Waiters will be a restricted free agent this summer, and if Durant re-signs, the Thunder won’t be able to afford a significant player to replace Waiters. Therefore, OKC is likely to match whatever offer Waiters gets, which Slater believes will be in the $12MM to $16MM range annually. However, if Durant leaves, the Thunder may not want to commit that much to Waiters. If Waiters really wants to stay in Oklahoma City, Slater says he should be willing to let the Durant process play out before accepting an offer.
- Center Greg Stiemsma will take part in a mini-camp run by the Jazz this week, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Stiemsma last played in the NBA for Toronto during the 2014/15 season.
- Gonzaga’s Kyle Wiltjer had stories about a local legend as he worked out for the Jazz Saturday, according to Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. “I used to play pickup with John Stockton all the time,” Wiltjer recalled. “This is his roots. It’s cool to be in this gym.” Syracuse shooting guard Malachi Richardson, who was also part of Saturday’s workout, sees a future for himself in Utah. “They’re definitely interested,” he said. “They wouldn’t have interviewed me [at the pre-draft combine]. They wouldn’t have me here if they weren’t interested. I’m definitely interested in coming here.”
Community Shootaround: Kevin Durant
Now that Kevin Durant‘s season has ended, the smart money seems to be on him re-signing with Oklahoma City this summer, probably on a two-year deal with a player option. That will allow him to become a free agent again next summer, when as a 10-year veteran and Tier Three Max player, he will be eligible for a five-year offer from the Thunder worth more than $200MM. It would also time his free agency with Russell Westbrook‘s and let both players decide at the same time if they want to remain in OKC.
But before Durant signs anything, he’s going to hear a lot of offers — from GMs and players alike. Boston’s Isaiah Thomas and Washington’s John Wall both said this weekend that they plan to aggressively recruit Durant. James Harden will make a similar pitch in Houston, as will Carmelo Anthony in New York. Even media figures are getting into the game, as the Ringer’s Bill Simmons, a well-known Celtics fan, penned a column advising Durant that his path to the NBA Finals would be much easier in the East.
The Spurs, Heat and Warriors are the front-runners to land Durant if he does leave Oklahoma City, and all three can sell him on the luxury of remaining with a title contender. More remote possibilities include the Clippers, who would have to trade Chris Paul, Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan to clear enough cap space, and the Lakers, who have plenty of cap room and a good young core in place, along with a tradition that Durant might find intriguing.
That brings us to tonight’s question: If Durant leaves the Thunder, where will he be playing next season? Should the Warriors be considered the favorites? Would he be better off in the Eastern Conference? Or is there another contender that we’ve overlooked?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Poll: 2016 Community Mock Draft (Pick No. 14)
The results of the 2016 NBA Draft lottery are in and the Sixers finally landed the elusive No. 1 overall pick after missing out the past two seasons. Now that the exact draft order is locked in, teams can begin targeting specific players who are likely to still be on the board when it is their time to choose. Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. We at Hoops Rumors thought it would be fun to give our readers the chance to predict the results of this June’s draft, which is what we intend to do with a series of polls.
We’ll continue on with the Bulls, who own the final lottery pick in this year’s draft. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Chicago’s pick and check back Monday for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Nuggets will select with the No. 15 overall pick. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 14 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.
Previous Selections
- Sixers — Ben Simmons (LSU)
- Lakers — Brandon Ingram (Duke)
- Celtics — Dragan Bender (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
- Suns — Jaylen Brown (California)
- Timberwolves — Buddy Hield (Oklahoma)
- Pelicans — Kris Dunn (Providence)
- Nuggets — Jamal Murray (Kentucky)
- Kings — Henry Ellenson (Marquette)
- Raptors — Marquese Chriss (Washington)
- Bucks — Jakob Poeltl (Utah)
- Magic — Skal Labissiere (Kentucky)
- Jazz — Denzel Valentine (Michigan State)
- Suns — Domantas Sabonis (Gonzaga)
With the No. 14 Overall Pick, the Bulls Select...
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Deyonta Davis (Michigan State) 21% (351)
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Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt) 15% (240)
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Tyler Ulis (Kentucky) 11% (181)
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Timothe Luwawu (Mega Leks) 11% (177)
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Thon Maker (Australia) 10% (159)
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Demetrius Jackson (Notre Dame) 7% (118)
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Malik Beasley (Florida State) 6% (100)
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Furkan Korkmaz (Anadolu Efes) 3% (48)
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Dejounte Murray (Washington) 3% (47)
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Malachi Richardson (Syracuse) 2% (39)
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Brice Johnson (North Carolina) 2% (39)
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Diamond Stone (Maryland) 2% (34)
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Cheick Diallo (Kansas) 2% (27)
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Taurean Prince (Baylor) 1% (24)
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Stephen Zimmerman (UNLV) 1% (23)
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Ante Zizic (Croatia) 1% (11)
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Isaia Cordinier (France) 1% (11)
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DeAndre Bembry (St. Joe's) 1% (10)
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Damian Jones (Vanderbilt) 0% (8)
Total votes: 1,647
Joakim Noah, Wolves Have Mutual Interest?
The Wolves, and particularly new coach Tom Thibodeau, have targeted Joakim Noah, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, Mitch Lawrence of The Sporting News reports. Noah has interest in Minnesota and in rejoining his former coach, according to Lawrence.
Noah would be a good fit for the Wolves because he would add a veteran presence and fill a leadership role on a young team, Lawrence writes. There have been reports that Noah is ready to leave the Bulls when he becomes a free agent this summer, but recent talks between the big man and the team have resulted in a “positive dialogue” about a new contract. Noah, 31, has spent all of his nine NBA seasons in Chicago.
Noah didn’t always see eye to eye with first-year head coach Fred Hoiberg, who removed Noah from the starting lineup early in the season. The big man thrived under Thibodeau, however. Noah underwent surgery on his separated left shoulder back in January, and while he should be ready to go for the 2016/17 campaign, he hasn’t played a game since that procedure. In 2015/16, he appeared in just 29 games, averaging 4.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 21.9 minutes per contest.
Celtics Notes: Thomas, Durant, Stevens
Isaiah Thomas will continue to try and lure Kevin Durant to the Celtics after the Boston guard deleted a tweet he had posted with the No. 35 next to a green shamrock, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe writes. It’s unlikely that Durant joins the Celtics, as Himmelsbach points out, but Thomas secured Durant’s number and plans to make a pitch via phone to the superstar.
“I definitely want to give him some time,” Thomas said. “I know that was a tough series and a long season for him. I wouldn’t want anyone calling me up about the biggest decision of my life right after the season’s over. So I’ll probably give him some time and casually talk to him, and then go all-in.”
Here’s more out of Boston:
- Thomas, in the same piece from Himmelsbach, said the Celtics’ decisions to extend the contracts of head coach Brad Stevens and president of basketball operations Danny Ainge sent a “great message” to current and future players of the organization. Thomas also hopes restricted free agent Jared Sullinger and unrestricted free agent Evan Turner return to the Celtics, Himmelsbach relays.
- Stevens’ wife, Tracy Wilhelmy Stevens, who is an attorney by trade, helped negotiate the deal and Stevens said that process began in the middle of the season, Mike Petraglia of WEEI relays. Talks of the extension started in early January at a time when the Celtics were scuffling so that indicates how much the front office and ownership believes in Stevens, Petraglia adds. “I guess I was kinda surprised,” Stevens said. “Again, it tells you the way that they think and the way that they value people around here. It’s why you enjoy working here.”
Southeast Notes: Wall, Durant, Fizdale, Weber
Wizards point guard John Wall plans an aggressive approach to bring free agent Kevin Durant to Washington, writes Michael Lee of The Vertical. The Wizards are considered a contender for Durant because the Thunder star has roots in Washington and new coach Scott Brooks coached Durant in Oklahoma City. “I feel if [Brooks] can make a pitch, and I can make a pitch and [Durant] comes, it’s great,” Wall said. “I think we do need another star here, another great player to [get over] that next hump. You need three stars to win this league.”
Wall and Durant have formed a friendship over the years, and Wall has spoken publicly before about wanting to have Durant as a teammate. However, the formal sales pitch will have to wait. “If he comes, he comes, if not, got to make other plans,” Wall said. “But that’s something I haven’t talked to him about. I’m not willing to right now. He just came off a tough series. I’m trying to give him a couple of weeks, a month off, to think about what he wants to do.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Wizards free agent center Nene wants to continue his NBA career, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. The 33-year-old recently posted on Twitter that he’s “working hard every day & getting ready.” Michael expects Washington to part ways with Nene, who earned $13MM last season.
- Former Heat assistant David Fizdale got help from Erik Spoelstra as he prepared for his interview with the Grizzlies, relates Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. After Miami was eliminated from the playoffs, Fizdale and Spoelstra turned their attention to interview preparation. “We waited ’til it was over and we got the call the next day that I was going to interview,” Fizdale said. “And so Spo and I went into playoff prep mode. He rented a room in the Ritz-Carlton for me. We got the boards up. We got the computers open. And we just basically did a crash course on prepping me for the interview.”
- Briante Weber is expected to be with the Heat during summer league, but probably not during next season, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Weber played six games for Miami this season, but Jackson says the Heat consider him limited offensively and found he had trouble remembering plays. He is scheduled to make $875K in 2016/17, but only about a fourth of that is guaranteed.
Southwest Notes: Gasol, Kalamian, D’Antoni, Thomas
Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, who missed the end of the season after breaking his foot in February, is still very limited physically and may have to skip the Olympics, he said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper As (hat tip to Orazio Cauchi of Sportando). “I’m not going to lie; it’s very difficult,” Gasol said. “The training camp starts in less than a month and I still can’t run.” Gasol has been part of the Spanish national team since 2006 and won silver medals at the Olympics in both 2008 and 2012. It’s too early to say whether the injury will affect Gasol’s participation in Memphis’ training camp, which will start in late September.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- In the same interview, Gasol remains convinced that his brother should join the Spurs. Pau Gasol has a player option with the Bulls for next season worth less than $7.77MM, which he is expected to turn down. He has said the idea of going to San Antonio is intriguing and it’s one of the spots he considered during free agency two summers ago. “I think that the Spurs are the best option for him,” Marc Gasol said. “What that franchise represents, their winning culture, how they treat players. Everything is great there.”
- The Rockets and Wizards are trying to lure Raptors assistant Rex Kalamian, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. New coaches Mike D’Antoni in Houston and Scott Brooks in Washington are both working hard to add Kalamian to their staffs, but Dwane Casey wants to keep him in Toronto. James Harden is reportedly a fan of Kalamian, who was an assistant in Oklahoma City when Harden broke in with the Thunder (Twitter link).
- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski likes D’Antoni’s chances of succeeding with the Rockets, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Krzyzewski, who hired D’Antoni as part of his USA Basketball staff, thinks D’Antoni and Harden will be an effective pairing. “When you have plays and reads, it’s the best combination,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s especially good if you have a special player, and they do in James. It will be interesting to see how that develops because James is not just a really good scorer; James is a heck of a passer. Who knows what their roster will be next year, but it will start with James.”
- Adonis Thomas attended the Rockets‘ free agent camp and plans to be at similar events for the Spurs and Jazz, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The 6’7″ small forward, who played for the Magic and Sixers during 2013/14, started last year with the D-League’s Grand Rapids Drive but was released in December with a season-ending wrist injury.
Knicks Notes: Lin, Lawson, Hornacek, Jackson
The Knicks will be looking for a point guard in free agency, but won’t consider Jeremy Lin or Ty Lawson, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. A source tells Berman the team isn’t impressed with Lin’s defense and thinks Lawson’s off-court problems, which include two DUI offenses, make him too much of a gamble. Mike Conley is considered the best free agent point guard on the market and will probably be the Knicks’ first target. Berman writes that Carmelo Anthony prefers Rajon Rondo, but many in the team’s front office believes he dominates the ball too much. Some other possibilities are Brandon Jennings, D.J. Augustin and Tyler Johnson.
There’s more this morning out of New York:
- New coach Jeff Hornacek, who was officially hired this week, said his three-year contract was timed to coincide with team president Phil Jackson’s deal, Berman writes in the same piece. “He had three years left, so he wanted to make it as mine,’’ Hornacek said. “Phil wants to bring winning basketball back to New York. I’m excited he brought me along to help do that.’’
- Another possible answer at point guard is Seton Hall’s Isaiah Whitehead, Ian Begley posts on ESPN Now. Whitehead worked out for the Knicks Saturday and reportedly had an impressive showing. Jackson prefers tall points guards, and Whitehead qualifies at 6’5″, plus he grew up in the New York area, so the pressure of playing in the city shouldn’t affect him. The Knicks are hoping to acquire a draft pick, and Begley speculates that they may have to trade into the late first round to land Whitehead.
- Former Knick J.R. Smith, now in the NBA Finals with the Cavaliers, says he feels bad that Anthony is stuck in an unstable situation in New York, writes Fred Kerber of The New York Post. Hornacek will be Anthony’s fifth head coach in nearly seven seasons with the Knicks. “When he first got there, I’m sure he felt they were going to work toward something, which he did being the second team in the Eastern Conference at one point and then the drop-off,” said Smith, who was traded to Cleveland midway through the 2014/15 season. “I’m sure it was disappointing for him. But he’s a soldier. I’m sure he’ll get through it.”
- The development of Kristaps Porzingis will determine how successful Hornacek is in New York, contends Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. Vaccaro says the new coach’s biggest challenge will be to ease Anthony into a second-fiddle role while building the team around Porzingis.
Community Shootaround: Jeff Teague To The Sixers
Earlier this week, we learned that the Hawks and Sixers discussed a deal that would involve Jeff Teague going to Philadelphia and Nerlens Noel going to Atlanta. It was reported that Nik Stauskas and/or Robert Covington could also be on the move in the potential deal.
In tonight’s shootaround, tell us what you think about the rumored Teague-Noel deal and let us know your thoughts from each team’s perspective.
Should the Sixers bring aboard Teague in exchange for Noel and possibly other pieces or should they look to acquire a younger player who may better fit with the rest of the team’s core? Philadelphia reportedly has been shopping Jahlil Okafor and Noel with the goal of locating the best deal. Is this Teague trade it?
As for the Hawks, are they getting enough in return for an established veteran who was an All-Star last season and helped the team win three playoff series over the last two campaigns?
Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
Draft Notes: Zizic, Ellis, English
Ante Zizic will go straight to the NBA upon being drafted as opposed to becoming a draft-and-stash prospect and playing overseas, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link). The 6’11” center is the 21st best prospect according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com and Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.
Here’s more on the upcoming draft:
- Perry Ellis (Kansas) has worked out for the Bucks, Suns and Spurs in addition to participating in a Chicago pro day, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders passes along (Twitter links). Ellis will also work out for the Hawks, Kennedy adds.
- A.J. English (Iona) will work out for the Bulls, Magic and Raptors this week, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reports (Twitter link).
- DeAndre’ Bembry (St. Joe’s) worked out for the Warriors and the Clippers today, Zagoria tweets.