Tyler Dorsey Declares For Draft
Tyler Dorsey has declared for the draft and will sign an agent, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets. Dorsey led the Oregon Ducks to their first Final Four since 1939 during this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks the point guard as the 53rd-best prospect in the upcoming draft. Ford notes that Dorsey is a good passer and an elite scorer, but adds that the sophomore needs to improve his decision-making.
The 21-year-old averaged 14.6 points per game this past season. He added 1.7 assists per contest and shot 42.3% from downtown.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Lowry, Hornacek
The Sixers are near the top of our Reverse Standings, owning a record of 28-52. The team is optimistic that it can climb the real NBA standings next season and Joel Embiid is a major reason why there’s hope, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
“The thing I get most excited about with Joel is he has such a long ways to go,” coach Brett Brown said. “He is just scratching the surface of what ultimately he’s going to be.”
Embiid remains out as he recovers from knee surgery, but the organization expects him to resume basketball activities this summer.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Raptors are still working to incorporate all their new players, Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun details. The scribe notes that Kyle Lowry, who recently returned to the lineup following a wrist injury, hasn’t yet found a comfort level with new addition Serge Ibaka.
- Coach Jeff Hornacek admits that the all-in switch to the triangle mid-season may not have been the best move for the Knicks, Al Iannazzone of Newsday relays. “It shouldn’t have been that big of a deal,” Hornacek said. “But from the players’ side they probably thought it was too big a change. We’ll figure what’s best for us, what everybody wants to do and try to go from day one and leave it like that.”
- If the Celtics are going to make a deep postseason run, they must rediscover their 3-point shot, A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sportsnet argues. Marcus Smart, who will be eligible for a rookie extension this offseason, is among the team’s bench players who have struggled from behind the arc since the All-Star break.
Tony Allen’s Future With The Grizzlies Remains Unclear
Tony Allen is a fan-favorite in Memphis, but since he’ll be a free agent at the end of the season, there’s a chance he finds himself playing for a team other than the Grizzlies next season.
“I don’t even want to think about that,” Allen said about the possibility of leaving over the summer (via Geoff Calkins of The Commercial Appeal). “What I embody for this organization, everything that I embody, it would be almost like a divorce if I go somewhere.”
Memphis wants Allen back, but if the shooting guard is aiming for one last sizable deal, he may have to look elsewhere.
“I’ve already talked to the front office, and if it works out for us that we can have him back, I love him,” said coach David Fizdale when asked about Allen’s future “But I also know that we have to make some decisions based on what’s best for the unit. That’s where we’ll come together and we’ll see what’s on the table and we’ll give our input on what gives us our best chance moving forward.”
Next season, the franchise will pay approximately $74MM in salary to Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, and Chandler Parsons. The 2017/18 salary cap is expected to come in at $101MM, which doesn’t leave the Grizzlies with much salary cap space for its other dozen roster spots.
Allen, who turned 35 this season, was one of the best perimeter defenders in the league this season. He ranks third among shooting guards in ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus/Minus and he ranks eighth among non-bigs in NBAMath’s Defensive Points Saved.
It’s arguable that he’s the best perimeter defender in the history of the franchise. His playing style ushered in the team’s Grit-and-Grind era and the city of Memphis embraced the movement. Even if the era comes to an official end this summer, Allen will remain a part of the town.
“Even if I don’t sign here, I’m going to still live here,” he said. “I’m thankful, I’m glad that the city embraced me, my hard work and my work ethic. That’s what made that connection, that bond, that made me want to call myself a Memphian. You know I’m born in Chicago but I’m a Memphian.”
Allen is making slightly more than $5.5MM this season. I speculate that he could fetch a short-term deal with similar annual values in free agency. Given their cap woes, it remains to be seen whether the Grizzlies are willing to pay the market rate. Regardless, Allen knows where he wants to be.
“I really don’t know what’s going to happen, but what I do know is, my heart is here,” Allen said. “That big ‘ol blue face, that Grizzly bear, that’s where my heart is.”
Draft Notes: Comanche, Haas, Bozic
Arizona’s Chance Comanche will test the NBA Draft waters, but will not hire an agent, Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star relays.
“I am excited about the opportunity to explore my NBA options, gather information and dedicate the next month to reaching my goals of becoming an NBA player,” Comanche said. “At the conclusion of this process, my family and I will make the best decision for my future both on and off the court. I also want to thank coach [Sean] Miller and the Arizona staff for supporting my decision.”
The Sophomore is not ranked in Draft Express’ Top 100. Here’s more on the upcoming draft:
- Purdue’s Isaac Haas has declared for the draft, but will also not hire an agent, according to the University’s Twitter feed. Prospects who declare, but opt not to hire an agent, have until May 24 to make a final decision.
- Luka Bozic has entered the draft, according to Milan Nikolic of Adriatic Region (Twitter link). Bozic is a 20-year-old, 6’5″ guard who plays for KK Zagreb in the Croation League.
- UCLA’s Aaron Holiday and Thomas Welsh are entering the draft, according to Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. Neither player has hired an agent.
D.J. Wilson, Moritz Wagner Testing Draft Waters
A pair of Michigan Wolverines, power forward D.J. Wilson and center Moritz Wagner, announced today that they’ll test the 2017 NBA draft waters, entering their names without hiring agents. Both Wilson and Wagner made their announcements on Twitter.
Wilson, a redshirt sophomore, is viewed as a possible first-round pick, ranking 34th on the DraftExpress big board and 31st on ESPN’s list of top prospects. Wilson received significant playing time in 2016/17 for the first time in his college career, and responded by averaging 11.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 1.5 BPG, with a shooting line of .538/.373/.833.
According to ESPN’s Chad Ford, Wilson has “all the tools” necessary to be an effective modern NBA power forward, including an ability to protect the rim and shoot from outside. Ford notes that Wilson’s mediocre rebounding numbers are hurting him a little, but he still projects as a late first-rounder or early second-rounder if he keeps his name in the draft.
As for Wilson’s teammate Wagner, the 6’11” sophomore doesn’t show up at all on DraftExpress’ top 100 list, but Ford is bullish on the 19-year-old’s draft prospects, placing him 25th overall on ESPN’s big board. Ford acknowledges that Wagner’s sophomore year was inconsistent, but notes that he had a huge game against Louisville in the NCAA tournament and “ticks a lot of boxes” for NBA scouts. Wagner averaged 12.1 PPG and 4.2 RPG with a .395 3PT% in his sophomore year.
Pelicans Sign Axel Toupane
APRIL 10, 2:31pm: The Pelicans have officially signed Toupane for the rest of the season, the team announced today in a press release. While there’s no indication in the club’s announcement that Toupane’s deal is for more than one year, RealGM’s transactions log suggests it’s a multiyear pact. That makes sense, since contracts signed at this time of year typically included a non-guaranteed second season.
APRIL 8, 11:19am: The Pelicans are signing forward Axel Toupane, currently of the D-League, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.
The 24-year-old forward had previously signed a 10-day contract with the Bucks in February, but after two games of action was released so that the team could make room for Terrence Jones.
Last season, Toupane played 21 games for the Nuggets and averaged 3.6 points per game.
Hornets Pick Up 2017/18 Option On GM Rich Cho
The Hornets have exercised their option on general manager Rich Cho’s contract, sources tell ESPN’s Marc Stein. The move will keep the Charlotte GM locked up through the 2017/18 season.
Cho, who has been the Hornets’ general manager since June 2011, helped build a roster that made the playoffs in 2013/14 and again in 2015/16. During Cho’s time in Charlotte, the front office has drafted players such as Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cody Zeller, and Frank Kaminsky.
Still, the Hornets will miss the postseason this season, and the team’s cap situation going forward isn’t all that flexible. Currently, the club has $102MM in guaranteed money committed to team salary for 2017/18, and the roster lacks any legit star-power beyond Walker, unless a player like Kaminsky can take a major step forward.
According to Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press (Twitter link), there was “a lot of intrigue in league circles” about what team owner Michael Jordan would do with Cho’s contract and the Hornets’ front office. While Charlotte will stay the course for now, the 2017/18 season figures to be a crucial one for the front office as the club looks to get back into the playoffs a year from now.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 4/10/17
Here are Monday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
2:14pm:
- The Rockets have sent rookie forward Kyle Wiltjer back to the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). As noted below, Wiltjer was recalled to Houston earlier today, but it appears it was just for practice purposes. By rejoining the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Wiltjer will get a chance to play in the team’s playoff game tonight against the L.A. D-Fenders.
- According to RealGM’s transactions log, the Celtics have assigned Jordan Mickey to the Maine Red Claws, the Lakers have assigned David Nwaba to the L.A. D-Fenders, and the Pelicans have sent Axel Toupane to the Raptors 905. Mickey and Nwaba will be in action tonight, while Toupane’s team is awaiting the winner of the Maine/Fort Wayne series.
1:25pm:
- The Cavaliers have recalled rookie guard Kay Felder from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. The Canton Charge’s season came to an end over the weekend, so Felder would’ve likely been back with the Cavs either way, but it’s worth noting that he could see some action for Cleveland tonight, with Kyrie Irving and LeBron James among the regulars expected to rest.
- The Rockets have recalled forward Kyle Wiltjer from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to the team (Twitter link). Houston has the No. 3 seed in the West locked up, so Wiltjer could get some playing time this week if regulars rest. However, if he remains with the Rockets through tonight, the rookie sharpshooter would miss the Vipers’ deciding first-round game against the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the D-League playoffs.
Johnathan Motley Declares For 2017 NBA Draft
Baylor power forward Johnathan Motley has decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft to test the waters, the school announced today in a press release. Motley won’t hire an agent, which will allow him to withdraw his name by the May 24 deadline if he wants to retain his NCAA eligibility.
“Johnathan had a tremendous junior season, and he became one of the all-time Baylor greats,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew said in a statement. “Entering his name into the draft without hiring an agent gives him a chance to get feedback from NBA teams and make an informed decision for his future. We want what’s best for him and his family, and Baylor Nation will fully support him along the way.”
Motley, who will turn 22 next month, is coming off a breakout junior year in which he averaged 17.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 1.1 BPG. According to ESPN’s Chad Ford, NBA scouts would like to see him shoot and make a few more three-pointers — if he were able to consistently make outside shots, he could be a first-round pick, though he’s more likely to come off the board in the second round, assuming he remains in the draft.
Ford ranks Motley 46th overall on his big board at ESPN.com, while Jonathan Givony has the 6’9″ junior at No. 39 on his top-100 list at DraftExpress.com.
Spurs Assistant Turns Down NCAA Job, Open To NBA Head Coaching Opportunities
1:35pm: New Mexico attempted to re-engage Borrego with a head coaching offer today, but the Spurs assistant will stay in San Antonio, as expected, reports Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
12:59pm: According to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link), two of New Mexico’s top head coaching candidates are now out of the mix, and Borrego is “back in the fray,” so perhaps the school is making a renewed push to hire the Spurs assistant away from San Antonio.
12:22pm: Spurs assistant James Borrego had been considered a potential frontrunner for the University of New Mexico’s head coaching vacancy, but Borrego has decided to withdraw from the school’s search and remain in San Antonio, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Although Borrego will stick with the Spurs for now, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll remain in San Antonio for years to come. The 39-year-old assistant was interviewed by the Rockets and Grizzlies for their head coaching jobs last spring before those teams hired Mike D’Antoni and David Fizdale, respectively. Borrego made a good impression on both clubs and will likely remain a top coaching candidate going forward, according to Wojnarowski, who suggests that the veteran assistant will continue to explore head coaching opportunities as they arise.
After joining the Spurs in 2003 and spending seven seasons with the franchise, Borrego spent time with the Hornets and Magic between 2010 and 2015. In Orlando, he was Jacque Vaughn‘s top assistant and even served as the Magic’s interim head coach in 2015 after Vaughn was dismissed. The Magic had a 10-20 record in Borrego’s 30 games as head coach.
Borrego returned to the Spurs as an assistant on Gregg Popovich‘s staff in 2015 and has spent the last two seasons with the team.
While the NBA’s head coaching carousel this offseason likely won’t be as active as it was a year ago, when one-third of the league’s teams made changes, I’d still expect at least a couple teams to be in the market for a new coach in the coming weeks, so Borrego may draw interest once again.