2017 May | Hoops Rumors

Bucks Receive Permission To Interview GM Candidates

May 31st, 2017 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

12:06pm: ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter links) provides an additional update on the Bucks’ GM search, noting that there’s still one GM candidate that the team hasn’t been given permission to interview. As was the case when Atlanta and Orlando expressed interest, the Cavs still aren’t granting permission to speak to David Griffin during the playoffs.

We heard last week that Cavaliers GM David Griffin, a popular target this spring for teams seeking a top basketball exec, is among the names on Milwaukee’s wish list.

11:35am: With John Hammond headed to Orlando, the Bucks’ search for a new general manager is underway. And according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Milwaukee has requested and received permission to speak to a handful of candidates about the open position.

The Bucks are eyeing Pacers president of basketball operations Peter Dinwiddie, Nuggets assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas, Grizzlies VP of player personnel Ed Stefanski, and Hawks advisor Wes Wilcox, league sources inform Wojnarowski. Each of those four clubs has given Milwaukee permission to interview their respective execs.

According to Wojnarowski, Dinwiddie and Karnisovas have become two of the NBA’s “most respected” young executives. Wilcox and Stefanski are veteran execs — Wilcox was recently removed from Atlanta’s GM role, while Stefanski has a history with Bucks consultant Rod Thorn, having worked with him in New Jersey.

Although assistant GM Justin Zanik is currently running day-to-day operations for the Bucks, and is said to be a strong candidate to replace Hammond in the permanent GM role, the team is reportedly conducting a “broad” search for its new head of basketball operations.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Kanter, Wolves, Nuggets

May 31st, 2017 at 10:21am CST by Joshua Fischman

In previewing the Jazz‘s offseason, Bobby Marks of The Vertical points out that three of the team’s starters are free agents: Gordon Hayward, George Hill, and Joe Ingles. Marks also observes that the Jazz possess the 24th and 30th overall picks in the draft, and two of the team’s key players, Rudy Gobert and Rodney Hood, were drafted by Utah in the 20s. The Jazz have cast a wide net in the draft in recent years, often bringing in more than 100 players for workouts, and they figure to do the same this year.

Here’s more from around the Northwest division:

The “can’t play [Enes] Kanter” narrative is not entirely true, writes Erik Horne of NewsOK.com. Kanter provides value for the Thunder, particularly during the regular season, according to Horne, who notes that the big man can thrive in specific matchups and roles.
The Timberwolves announced on Tuesday that their new NBA D-League affiliate in Des Moines will be known as the Iowa Wolves, per the team’s official website. The T-Wolves finalized the purchase of the NBADL organization, formerly known as the Iowa Energy, on May 3.
Michael Rand of the Star Tribune examines the Timberwolves‘ options at point guard in light of recent reports from Ian Begley centering on Ricky Rubio and Derrick Rose.
The Nuggets are well positioned for both the present and the future, Keith Smith of RealGM argues in his offseason preview for the franchise. While Denver may lose Danilo Gallinari and could use another point guard, the club has avoided bad contracts and has the cap flexibility necessary to continue improving its roster.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Blazers Open To Attaching First-Rounder To Move Salary?

May 31st, 2017 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers currently hold three first-round picks in next month’s draft, and according to Keith Smith of RealGM.com (via Twitter), the team is willing to discuss attaching one of those picks to a big contract in order to cut costs.

No NBA team has more money on its 2017/18 cap than the Blazers, who have an astounding $133MM+ tied up in guaranteed salaries. That figure doesn’t include cap holds for their three first-round picks, which would take team salary up over $139MM. Considering the NBA’s latest salary cap projections call for a $101MM cap and a tax line around $121MM, Portland will need to dump a good chunk of salary in order to avoid a significant tax bill.

The fact that the Blazers are willing to discuss moving one of their first-rounders to a team willing to eat some salary isn’t surprising. I alluded to that possibility in my offseason preview on the club, noting that many of Portland’s higher-paid players – with the exception of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum – wouldn’t have much trade value on their own without attaching them to a more valuable asset, like a first-round pick.

If the Blazers were to make such a deal, players like Allen Crabbe ($19.33MM salary for 2017/18), Evan Turner ($17.13MM), and Meyers Leonard ($9.9MM) would be trade candidates. Teams with an excess of cap room and without immediate aspirations of contending, such as the Kings, the Nets, and perhaps the Sixers and Suns, would be among the logical trade partners for Portland.

Pacific Notes: J. Jackson, Isaac, Tatum, Thompson

May 30th, 2017 at 9:47pm CST by Joshua Fischman

The Suns potentially have a difficult decision to make when they find themselves on the clock with the fourth overall pick, writes Doug Haller of AZCentral Sports. Three talented freshman small forwards could be available: Josh Jackson, Jonathan Isaac, and Jayson Tatum. Defense and three-point shooting are likely the Suns’ two most glaring weaknesses, and one of these athletes could certainly help.

Haller writes that Jackson’s real impact could come defensively. The scribe adds that, while Tatum is nowhere near the defender that Jackson is, the Duke freshman may be the most polished scorer in the draft. As for Isaac, he can play both forward positions, with many believing that he will also be able to man the center position when his body fills out. Furthermore, the departing Seminole would contribute defensive versatility, having defended all over the floor for Florida State.

Here are some more pertinent notes from the Pacific division:

On Tuesday, the Suns were set to host two pre-draft workouts, per the club’s official Twitter page. The announced participants were Zak Irvin, Wesley Iwundu, Luke Kornet, Kennedy Meeks, Semi Ojeleye, Devin Robinson, and Jarrett Allen.
The Kings will hold two pre-draft workouts on Wednesday, reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. The first group is full of big names: Justin Jackson, Jordan Bell, Frank Mason, Kyle Kuzma, London Perrantes, and Devin Robinson. Jones points out that, prior to last year’s draft, the Kings convinced just once first-round pick to visit the team, even though Sacramento held the eighth overall selection. To find out which players are part of the second group that is working out for the Kings on Wednesday, check out Jones’ full story.
Ivan Rabb does not regret returning for his sophomore season at Cal despite falling from a likely lottery pick in the last draft to an expected low first-round selection this time around, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. On the contrary, Rabb believes that staying in school an additional season will help him at the next level. Rabb was one of six players to work out for the Lakers on Tuesday. The others were Jaron Blossomgame, Sterling Brown, Tyler Dorsey, Cameron Oliver, and Xavier Rathan-Mayes.
Klay Thompson‘s historic Game 6 against the Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals had a transformative effect on basketball history, chronicles Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News. Although Thompson’s performance that night did not lead to a second-straight Warriors championship, without it, Kevin Durant very well may not have joined Golden State during the ensuing offseason.

Lonzo Ball Lakers Workout Set

May 30th, 2017 at 8:07pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Lonzo Ball will have an individual workout and meeting with the Lakers on June 7th, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical. Confirming the news is Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times (link via Twitter), adding that Ball does not have any other team workouts planned yet, but he is considering working out for the 76ers and Suns.

The workout was originally planned for June 9th before being moved to the 7th due to a scheduling conflict for Magic Johnson, per Ganguli (link via Twitter). The Lakers own the second pick in the upcoming draft, while the 76ers are set to pick third, followed by the Suns at four.

Heat Notes: Millsap, Griffin, Hayward, J. Johnson, Waiters

May 30th, 2017 at 7:44pm CST by Joshua Fischman

In another rousing edition of Ask Ira, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel discusses whether Pat Riley might pursue bigger names than Dion Waiters and James Johnson this offseason. In particular, might the Heat go after Paul Millsap and/or Gordon Hayward? Winderman concludes that, while he would not understate the likelihood of Riley and company engaging both Millsap and Hayward in free agency, the Heat may not have enough cap room to nab two elite free agents. If the team were to prioritize big-name free agents at the expense of Waiters and/or Johnson, it would likely raise its chances of signing a star player or two, but it may lose either or both of its key free agents from last season, depending on the timing of the decisions being made. Winderman also brings up the possibility, though a long shot, of augmenting Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside with “something far more potent.” Here are some more relevant team-specific notes:

In the same installment of Ask Ira, Winderman doubts Lauri Markkanen falling to the Heat at No. 14, but speculates that the team would pounce if he did. Winderman contends that his excellent outside shooting would fit a key need for the Heat and asserts that the Heat’s developmental program could adequately address the Arizona product’s defensive question marks.
Suns forward Jared Dudley sees the Heat as a Plan B for Blake Griffin in free agency this offseason, reports Ira Winderman. Dudley, Griffin’s former teammate with the Clippers, believes that Griffin’s top choice is to remain with the Clippers and that that is likely where he will end up. Miami is a “good city” in a place with no state tax and “the only case scenario” where Griffin will be able “to be the man on the team,” according to Dudley. Dudley made his comments on an ESPN podcast.
In a separate iteration of Ask Ira, Ira Winderman discusses Waiters’ proper pricing point, which he admits is “speculation” at this point. NBA insiders have told Winderman that Waiters’ hype may be exaggerated “considering the limited market last summer and the small sample size this past season due to injury.” Regardless, it takes just one suitor to set the market, and there is plenty of available cap space around the league.

Danilo Gallinari To Become Unrestricted Free Agent

May 30th, 2017 at 5:46pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Danilo Gallinari of the Nuggets intends to decline his $16.1 MM player option for 2017/18 and become a free agent, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.

According to Woj’s report, league sources state that the Italian-born forward remains open to the possibility of rejoining the Nuggets. Furthermore, Nuggets GM Tim Connelly has expressed a strong desire to keep Gallo as key contributor on the team. Gallinari is coming off a strong season, in which he averaged 18.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 2.1 APG.

Emeka Okafor Determined To Return To NBA

May 30th, 2017 at 5:24pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Emeka Okafor has been medically cleared to return, is working out, and is poised to play in the NBA again, reports Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press (link via Twitter).

Okafor played nine seasons with three different organizations, last suiting up for the Wizards during the 2012/13 campaign. As a member of the Bobcats, the center was named Rookie of the Year in 2005. Okafor has averaged 12.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 1.7 BPG in his career. The former Connecticut Huskies star started an impressive 584 of the 590 NBA games in which he played. A herniated disc in the neck caused the veteran’s NBA career to be interrupted.The former NCAA champion will turn 35 years old in just under four months.

Krawczynski also tweets that Okafor has already been in touch with some teams.

Emeka Okafor

Draft Notes: J. Jackson, Ball, Fultz, Strategies To Avoid

May 30th, 2017 at 5:04pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Is Josh Jackson a better prospect than Lonzo Ball? In a fascinating detail-rich piece, Rob Dauster of NBC Sports tackles this question. The column focuses on Jackson, outlining his strengths and weaknesses. The Kansas product’s most prominent strengths include his length, superior athleticism, competitiveness, and versatility. Dauster considers the forward’s main weaknesses to be his jump shot and his tendency to make defensive lapses.

After a careful and extensive consideration of Jackson’s game, Dauster concludes that he is a better prospect than Ball and the second-best prospect in the draft. In fact, the writer contends that the gap between Markelle Fultz and Jackson is smaller than the gap between Jackson and Ball.

Here are a couple more draft-related items:

Speaking of Fultz, the point guard said Tuesday that he has had multiple conversations with Danny Ainge since the draft combine, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN. Fultz told ESPN: “I want to be the No. 1 pick really bad. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid, and I feel like I would fit well in Boston.” The Washington freshman elaborated on his fit with the Celtics and star Isaiah Thomas: “We can both play on or off the ball. We can both score and also pass. I think we’d be great together. When we’ve talked since the lottery, we haven’t really talked about basketball much. He’s been through a lot lately.”
What are the most dangerous mistakes that NBA teams make during the draft? Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders describes the seven most common flawed strategies that can lead to “egregious error” in the draft. We strongly encourage you to read the full piece on the topic, as it includes juicy details, such as which players from this year’s draft class are potential busts based on each blunder from the list. Check out the piece to see Brigham’s full list.

Southwest Notes: Barea, Dedmon, Spurs, Mavs

May 30th, 2017 at 4:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks guard J.J. Barea aspires to be a basketball coach when his playing career over, and this summer he’ll get a shot to coach a team even before he retires a player. As Tim MacMahon of ESPN details, Barea has been hired as the head coach of Indios de Mayaguez in the Puerto Rican league for the rest of the season, which runs about another month. Barea received clearance from Mark Cuban, Rick Carlisle, and the Mavs, and is excited about the opportunity.

“This is my hometown team, where I played when I was getting started,” Barea said. “I think it’s going to be a great experience for myself and see if I really like this and see what I learn and if it can help me out for the future.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Now that Dewayne Dedmon has opted out of his contract with the Spurs, what sort of offers may he be looking at as a free agent? According to Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link), he’s hearing from NBA GMs that Dedmon could land something in the range of three to four years at $8-10MM annually.
In the wake of last week’s Chris Paul rumors and speculation, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders takes a closer look at the Spurs‘ salary cap situation for this summer, explaining why it will be hard to create a big chunk of space, and identifying alternate targets.
A report from French outlet L’Equipe suggests that the Mavericks are exploring the possibility of adding SIG Strasbourg head coach Vincent Collet to their Summer League coaching staff. As Emiliano Carchia of Sportando observes, such a union would make a lot of sense if Dallas drafts point guard Frank Ntilikina ninth overall in June’s draft — Ntilikina has played under Collet in France for the last two seasons.
The Grizzlies announced today in a press release that director basketball operations Chris Makris will act as the GM for the team’s new D-League club, which will play in Southaven, Mississippi. Glynn Cyprien will coach the squad.

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