Southeast Notes: Howard, McRoberts, NBA Draft Workouts
Dwight Howard‘s lack of versatility on offense cost him playing time with the Hawks last season and the eight-time All-Star wants to remedy that this offseason. Speaking on ESPN’s The Jump, Howard revealed that he is working to expand his three-point shooting in preparation for the 2017/18 season (via Andrew Joseph of USA Today’s For The Win).
“So, I have this guy in Atlanta that I’ve been working with, and I’ve been working on my threes,” Howard said. “Really trying to add some range to my game, which is gonna be weird for people to see, I guess. They’re used to seeing me in the paint, battling. But in order for me to play longer, I have to expand my game.”
Howard, 31, has never been a prolific shooter in the NBA; his main draw has been scoring in the paint and overpowering opposition in the low post. For his career, Howard has made just five of his 56 three-point attempts (8.9%). Howard’s last trey came during the 2014/15 season.
As Joseph writes, players such as Paul Millsap and Al Horford developed three-pointers in Atlanta. If Howard is looking for a blueprint, Nets center Brook Lopez is a good example; he shot 3-for-31 from long range the first eight seasons of his career before going 134-for-387 (34.6%) from deep during the 2016/17 campaign. Either way, an aging Howard — who the Hawks signed to a three-year, $70MM last season — will need to evolve to maximize his usefulness to a younger Hawks team.
Here are additional notes from the Southeast division:
- Josh McRoberts could be a viable option as the Heat’s backup center, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes in his latest Ask Ira. McRoberts exercised his option to remain with the Heat for 2017/18, but the team could use the stretch provision to utilize the roster spot on else. Since joining the Heat during the 2014 offseason, McRoberts has appeared in 81 out of a possible 246 games.
- Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports that Kentucky’s Bam Adebayo next scheduled visit is with the Heat (via Twitter).
- The Hornets announced their scheduled pre-draft workout attendees for tomorrow. The list includes Arizona guard Kadeem Allen, Wake Forest forward Austin Arians, Notre Dame forward V.J. Beachem, Davidson guard Jack Gibbs and big men Przemek Karnowski (Gonzaga) and Mangok Mathiang (Louisville).
Northwest Notes: Kanter, Rubio, Nuggets, Jazz, Blazers
Enes Kanter remains hopeful that he will be able to reunite with his family in the United States someday, reports Erik Horne of NewsOK.com. Currently, Kanter’s father sits in a Turkey jail, awaiting interrogation on Monday. Two and a half weeks ago, the Thunder big man’s passport was canceled by the Turkish government and he could not gain access to Romania. Homeland Security, a team of lawyers, and the NBA teamed up to arrange his speedy return to the United States, but now Kanter’s father is in trouble. Kanter’s mother, younger sister, and brother also currently remain in Turkey.
“If you’re a kid, woman or child, if you’re speaking out against them, they’ll arrest you,” Kanter said.
Here’s more from the Northwest division:
- Ricky Rubio wants the Timberwolves front office to value his input more heavily going forward, reports Michael Rand of The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Rubio made his comments to a Spanish website in the language of Catalan.
- The Nuggets held a pre-draft workout on Monday that included John Collins (Wake Forest), JeQuan Lewis (VCU), Landen Lucas (Kansas), Hassan Martin (Rhode Island), Caleb Swanigan (Purdue), and T.J. Williams (Northeastern), per the team’s official website.
- The Jazz will hold a pre-draft workout Wednesday, featuring Leo Cizmic (Croatia), Chance Comanche (Arizona), Youssoupha Fall (Senegal) Semi Ojeleye (SMU), Obinna Oleka (Arizona State), and JaCorey Williams (Middle Tennessee State), per the team’s official Twitter page.
- Harry Giles‘ next workout will be with the Trail Blazers, reports Sean Cunningham of ABC10 (KXTV) Sacramento (link via Twitter).
Atlantic Notes: Fultz, Horford, Celtics, 76ers
Celtics GM Danny Ainge was impressed by Markelle Fultz after the point guard spent two days in Boston, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Boston owns the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft and is strongly considering using the pick on Fultz.
“It went well. I had dinner with him last night. He had a physical yesterday and he had a workout this morning with Brad [Stevens]. Everything went well. He’s very talented,” Ainge told Himmelsbach by phone Tuesday.
But that is not all going on in the Atlantic division:
- Fresh off the first season of his sizable contract with the Celtics, Al Horford opens up about the high expectations and immense pressures he faces in an article from Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Horford explains how he copes: “My biggest thing, and I learned this at an early stage in my career, was to not read any of that information or see anything, good or bad…One day people love you, the next they hate you, it’s really up and down, and my focus was making sure the team kept getting better as a group, and not worry about anything outside. One thing that helped me was not paying attention to a lot of things.”
- 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo is not speeding up the team’s rebuild and instead appears to be patiently and strategically building a contender a la Sam Hinkie‘s “The Process,” writes Bob Cooney of Philly.com.
- The 76ers will hold a pre-draft workout on Wednesday, reports Keith Pompey of Philly.com (link via Twitter). The scheduled participants are Jordan Bell (Oregon), Thomas Bryant (Indiana), Tyler Dorsey (Oregon), Elie Okobo (Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez), L.J. Peak (Georgetown), and Steve Vasturia (Notre Dame).
Pacific Notes: Fox, Kings, Suns, Lakers, Warriors
The Kings may be willing to trade both their No. 5 and No. 10 picks to move up in the draft so that they can move up to select De’Aaron Fox, according to Chad Ford of ESPN (link via Sporting News’ Joe Rodgers). Sacramento has apparently become infatuated with Fox and does not believe that he will be available at No. 5, prompting internal discussions about the possibility of trading up.
Here is more from the Pacific division:
- On Wednesday, the Kings will host their fifth pre-draft workout, per the team’s official website. Attendees will be Donovan Mitchell (Louisville), Dominique Hawkins (Kentucky), Caleb Swanigan (Purdue), Cameron Oliver (Nevada), Erik McCree (Louisiana Tech), and Jabari Bird (California).
- Beyond bringing back the Warriors‘ core, “every non-core player might end up elsewhere if the price is too high,” writes Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News. As Kawakami states, the Dubs have shown in the past “they can be fairly cut-throat in evaluating the middle-to-bottom of their roster.” The Kawakami piece also includes +/- statistics for the Warriors and Cavaliers this postseason, this year’s NBA Finals, and the Finals from a year ago.
- Malik Monk worked out for the Suns on Tuesday, per the team’s official Twitter account.
- Yoan Granvorka will work out for the Suns on Wednesday, according to Sportando (link via Twitter).
- The Lakers worked out point guard Jawun Evans and are considering him at No. 28, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com reports (link via Twitter). Howard-Cooper adds that Evans is “getting interest in the 20s, including from the Blazers with two in that range.”
Five Key Offseason Questions: Sacramento Kings
The Kings entered the 2016/17 season with playoff aspirations, and flirted with the No. 8 spot for much of the first half, with new head coach Dave Joerger opting to lean on his veterans at the expense of regular minutes for many of the team’s young players. After Rudy Gay went down with an Achilles injury and DeMarcus Cousins was traded to the Pelicans, Sacramento’s rebuild began in earnest, and Joerger will likely make sure his youngsters see more action in 2017/18.
The Cousins trade was widely viewed as a mistake by the Kings at the time, with many pundits arguing that the club dumped the All-NBA center for 25 cents on the dollar. However, Buddy Hield looked good down the stretch, and the Pelicans’ inability to make a late-season run ensured that Sacramento landed a second top-10 pick as a result of the deal. Even if neither Hield nor this year’s No. 10 pick develop into the sort of impact player that Cousins has become, they can be solid building blocks for the new-look Kings.
With the rebuild underway, here are five key questions facing the Kings this offseason:
1. Is the front office stable?
Reports on the Kings’ front office in recent years have suggested that there are too many cooks in the kitchen, with rival teams uncertain of who to call to discuss trades and who has the authority to sign off on moves.
The team’s handling of the Cousins situation reflected that front office uncertainty — the move came shortly after Cousins’ camp was assured he wouldn’t be going anywhere, and reports indicated that Hield was acquired because of owner Vivek Ranadive‘s fondness for him, despite the fact that GM Vlade Divac ostensibly has the final say on basketball decisions.
The Kings solidified their front office a little in April by adding respected veteran exec Scott Perry to the mix as an executive VP of basketball operations. Perry is believed to be taking over some day-to-day duties from Divac, and it’s worth wondering if his presence has contributed to the Kings getting a few more first-round prospects in for workouts this spring than they have in past years.
2. What will the Kings do with their two top-10 picks?
Pelicans Hire Chris Finch As Assistant Coach
JUNE 6: The Pelicans have officially hired Finch as an assistant, the team announced today in a press release.
“I’m very excited to welcome Chris to the Pelicans organization,” Gentry said in a statement. “He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our coaching staff, and will be an integral part of our program as we move forward.”
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter), New Orleans has also offered a front office role to former assistant coach Phil Weber.
MAY 19: The Pelicans confirmed earlier this week that they won’t replace head coach Alvin Gentry, but it appears some changes are coming to Gentry’s coaching staff. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, New Orleans is close to hiring Nuggets associate head coach Chris Finch as an assistant.
Sources tell Stein that the Pelicans have gone after Finch in the hopes of adding his “offensive brainpower” to their bench. As Stein observes, Finch was partly responsible for Denver’s offensive improvement centered around big man Nikola Jokic, so the Pelicans are hoping adding the veteran coach will allow the club to take full advantage of Anthony Davis‘ and DeMarcus Cousins‘ talents.
Before he joined the Nuggets in 2016, Finch coached Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics in London and worked for the Rockets organization for the better part of a decade. He was hired as the head coach of Houston’s D-League team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, in 2009, and then joined the Rockets as an assistant in 2011.
Finch was promoted to associate head coach by the Rockets in 2014, and retained that title when he was hired by the Nuggets last year. I would guess he’ll have a similar role in New Orleans if and when he and the Pelicans finalize his new deal.
And-Ones: Oden, Casspi, One-And-Done, Loyd
Sixty teams have been announced for this summer’s The Basketball Tournament, a 64-team, $2MM, winner-take-all competition, writes Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. While no NBA players will play in the tournament, several ex-NBAers – including Sundiata Gaines, Donte Greene, and former No. 1 pick Greg Oden – will participate, and some current NBA players will be coaches.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the basketball world…
- Omri Casspi, who was formerly represented by Dan Fegan, has changed agents and signed with CAA Sports, per Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter link). Casspi, whose change in representation was reported last month in the wake of Fegan’s legal troubles, will be a free agent this offseason.
- Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer takes a deep dive into the changes the NBA may eventually make to the current one-and-done system for players coming out of high school, noting that many team execs don’t necessarily agree with commissioner Adam Silver on the matter.
- D-League guard Jordan Loyd is drawing some NBA interest, according to international reporter David Pick, who tweets that Loyd will attend a Nets free agent mini-camp, then will audition for the Clippers and play in Summer League with the Pacers. The 23-year-old averaged 15.1 PPG in 49 games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in 2016/17.
- In a pair of pieces for Basketball Insiders, James Blancarte and Spencer Davies identify several potential trade candidates in both the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference.
Poll: Will Warriors Go 16-0 In Postseason?
Two games into last year’s NBA Finals, the Warriors held a 2-0 lead over the Cavaliers and were coming off a dominant Game 2 victory. Even though the series was heading back to Cleveland, the 73-win Warriors were in the driver’s seat to finish off the series and win their second consecutive championship.
Of course, the Cavs had other ideas, and ultimately came back to win the Finals in seven. But last year’s Warriors team, even after setting the league’s all-time record for wins in a season, didn’t look as strong as this year’s version. With Kevin Durant filling Harrison Barnes‘ old role, the 2017 Dubs can beat teams in a variety of different ways, and their talent and versatility has been on full display en route to an incredible 14-0 postseason record.
Last spring’s Finals are a reminder that it’s never safe to count out LeBron James, even when his club is facing a two-game deficit. However, this year’s Warriors look capable of continuing to win as the series heads to Cleveland, and are two games away from becoming the first NBA team to ever go 16-0 in the playoffs. Golden State has already swept Portland, Utah, and San Antonio.
What do you think? Can the Cavs still win a game or two, and perhaps make this series interesting, or will the Warriors cap off another amazing season by making history and posting a 16-0 playoff record?
Place your vote below, and jump into the comments section to share your thoughts!
Will the Warriors go 16-0 in the postseason?
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Yes 53% (655)
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No 47% (577)
Total votes: 1,232
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Mavs Notes: Nowitzki, Draft, Liggins, Powell
Last summer, Dirk Nowitzki signed a two-year deal with the Mavericks that included a team option for 2017/18. The Mavs are due to make a decision on that option before the end of June, but Nowitzki told local reporters today, including Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (Twitter video link), that he doesn’t know yet what the club plans to do.
According to Nowitzki, team owner Mark Cuban is on vacation, and the two sides will likely sit down and discuss the big man’s contract situation when Cuban returns. While Dallas will certainly keep Nowitzki on the roster, his option is worth $25MM, so the team may be interested in lowering that number.
Here’s more from out of Dallas:
- Nowitzki was also asked today about the Mavericks’ draft plans, and acknowledged that it’s “not a secret” the club would “love” to add a point guard (Twitter link via Sneed).
- After claiming DeAndre Liggins off waivers late in the 2016/17 season, the Mavericks intend to use the summer to get more familiar with the former Cavalier and to evaluate whether he has a spot on the roster going forward. Sneed has the story at Mavs.com, with some quotes from Cuban and head coach Rick Carlisle.
- Given Dwight Powell‘s contract situation, he’s unlikely to draw a whole lot of trade interest anytime soon, which means it makes sense for Dallas to be patient and eventually hope for a payoff on the team’s four-year contract investment, says Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.
- Former Iowa State wing Deonte Burton is participating in a group workout for the Mavs today, league sources tell Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
Ford’s Latest: Celtics, Lakers, Sixers, Suns
ESPN’s Chad Ford has updated his mock draft, publishing the sixth version of 2017’s mock on ESPN.com today (Insider link). According to Ford, Markelle Fultz is the top player on the Celtics‘ board, as expected, but he’s not the only player the team is considering. Sources tell Ford that Lonzo Ball, De’Aaron Fox, Josh Jackson, and Jayson Tatum are also on Boston’s radar, though a strong workout and interview with the C’s will likely seal the deal for Fultz.
Here are several more tidbits of note from Ford’s mock:
- The Lakers are “going out of their way” to downplay the idea that they’ve landed on Lonzo Ball. While that’s partly about controlling the narrative, the team’s front office is also somewhat split on the pick, according to Ford, who says L.A. hasn’t ruled out De’Aaron Fox or Josh Jackson.
- There’s an ongoing debate between the Sixers front office and coaching staff about which player they should take at No. 3, says Ford. If the team opts for the best player available, that probably means selecting Jackson or Fox, despite the fact that Malik Monk or Dennis Smith Jr. would be a better fit.
- The Suns are hoping Ball falls to them at No. 4, but will likely end up picking between Josh Jackson, De’Aaron Fox, and Jayson Tatum, per Ford.
- There’s some talk within the Kings‘ organization about packaging the 5th and 10th overall picks to move up and land Fox, who is viewed as a strong complement to Buddy Hield. However, that would be a steep price to pay, as Ford notes.
- Although the Mavericks have scouted French point guard Frank Ntilikina more than any other team in the NBA, Ford believes it would be hard for Dallas to pass up Dennis Smith Jr. if he’s available at No. 9.
- Former Duke sharpshooter Luke Kennard is drawing interest from teams picking as high as No. 8 (Knicks), and is a strong candidate for Detroit at No. 12, since the Pistons will likely target a shooter if they keep the pick.