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2018 NBA Draft News & Rumors

Draft Updates: Porter, Doncic, Bagley, Bamba

By | at June 14, 2018 9:06 am

Teams that had planned to attend Michael Porter Jr.‘s workout tomorrow are being told it will be held at another time, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Porter’s representatives canceled the session late Wednesday night without providing an explanation.

The move has led to speculation that Porter’s surgically repaired back may be bothering him, but it’s also possible he has received a guarantee that would make a group workout unnecessary. Porter’s camp may be rethinking his status and devoting time just to teams at the top of the draft, according to Tom Ziller of SB Nation, who adds that they now believe he will be taken in the top four.

There’s “a very real chance” that the Kings will use their No. 2 pick on Porter, Amick adds, but it’s not certain at this point whether last night’s news will impact their decision. The organization may request more medical information and take another look at Porter in action before making a commitment.

There’s more draft-related news this morning:

6 comments 2018 NBA Draft Atlanta Hawks Detroit Pistons Milwaukee Bucks New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers Sacramento Kings San Antonio Spurs Toronto Raptors Uncategorized Washington Wizards

Michael Porter Jr. Cancels Workout

By | at June 13, 2018 10:10 pm

Representatives for Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr. have called off a workout that was scheduled for Friday, tweets Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Several lottery teams had planned to attend the event in Chicago, including the Knicks, Suns and Kings.

No reason has been given for the action, although Porter’s physical condition will always be a concern after back surgery that limited him to just three games during his freshman season.

Porter has reportedly been rising up draft boards and checks in at No. 4 on The Ringer’s latest mock draft. The Knicks have been rumored to have strong interest, and several teams picking above them have contacted them about a potential trade.

22 comments 2018 NBA Draft Newsstand

Draft Updates: Z. Smith, Huerter, Allen, Brunson

By | at June 13, 2018 6:25 pm

The Lakers are “super infatuated” with Zhaire Smith and have held several meetings with the Texas Tech guard, tweets Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype. Smith has worked out for a number of teams, but L.A. is excited about his potential fit in its backcourt.

The Lakers, who don’t pick until No. 25, will have to trade up to have a shot at Smith. The 19-year-old averaged 11.3 points per game as a freshman with the Red Raiders and is projected to go to the Suns with the 16th selection in the latest mock draft compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

There’s more draft-related news to pass along:

  • Maryland’s Kevin Huerter, a potential first-round pick, is expected to miss two months after having surgery to fix torn ligaments in his right hand, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Projected at No. 21 in Givony’s mock draft, Huerter has been rising on draft boards since an impressive performance at the combine. He averaged 14.8 points per game for the Terrapins and shot 41.7% from 3-point range.
  • Duke’s Grayson Allen will work out for the Timberwolves Thursday, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Allen has already auditioned for the Sixers, Celtics, Lakers and Jazz, among others, and made a strong impression at the combine and his pro day.
  • Donte Ingram of Loyola-Chicago will also take part in a session Thursday with the Wolves, Wolfson adds (Twitter link). Ingram had a recent workout with the Grizzlies.
  • Oklahoma’s Trae Young will work out for the Bulls on Thursday, tweets ESPN’s Nick Friedell.
  • Villanova’s Jalen Brunson will have an individual workout for the Pacers Thursday, the team announced on its website.
  • Six players will work out for the Nuggets Thursday, tweets Gina Mizell of The Denver Post. Scheduled to attend are UCLA’s Thomas Welsh, Idaho’s Victor Sanders and Iowa State’s Donovan Jackson, along with Dayon Goodman of Westminster (Utah), Todd Withers of Queens (North Carolina) and Tryggvi Hlinason of Valencia Basket.
  • European sources are confident that Serbian center Dusan Ristic will be taken as a draft-and-stash player, according to Orazio Cauchi of Sportando (Twitter link).
9 comments 2018 NBA Draft Boston Celtics Chicago Bulls Denver Nuggets Indiana Pacers Los Angeles Lakers Memphis Grizzlies Minnesota Timberwolves Philadelphia 76ers Utah Jazz

Draft Workouts: Sexton, Hornets, Lakers, Wizards

By | at June 13, 2018 2:43 pm

Alabama point guard Collin Sexton will headline the Hornets‘ pre-draft workouts on Thursday, according to a press release from the team. Sexton’s stock is high enough that he’s a decent bet to come off the board within the first 10 picks of next week’s draft, but if he slips to No. 11, Charlotte would face an interesting decision — drafting Sexton would almost certainly increase the trade buzz surrounding the team’s current standout point guard Kemba Walker.

In addition to Sexton and previously-reported participant Zhaire Smith, Josh Newkirk (Indiana), Matt Mobley (St. Bonaventure), Deng Adel (Louisville), Gary Clark (Cincinnati), and Devon Hall (Virginia) will also get a look from the Hornets on Thursday.

Here are more updates on pre-draft workouts from around the NBA:

1 comment 2018 NBA Draft Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets Charlotte Hornets Indiana Pacers Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Milwaukee Bucks Phoenix Suns Portland Trail Blazers Utah Jazz Washington Wizards

Draft Notes: R. Williams, Nuggets, Clips, Wizards

By | at June 13, 2018 11:18 am

Texas A&M center Robert Williams, who previously worked out for the Bulls, Hornets, and Knicks, continues to earn looks from teams picking in the top half of the first round. According to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link), Williams still has workouts on tap with the Clippers, Nuggets, Wizards, who hold the picks from 12 through 15.

Williams’ session with the Nuggets will take place today, according to a press release from the club. In addition to scheduling an individual session with Williams, Denver has also lined up a group workout which will feature Hayden Dalton (Wyoming), Jacob Evans (Cincinnati), Arnoldas Kulboka (Capo d’Orlando), Dzanan Musa (Cedevita), Ajdin Penava (Marshall), and Johnathan Williams (Gonzaga).

Meanwhile, the Bucks – who hold the No. 17 selection – also wanted to bring in Williams for a workout, but he expects to be off the board before Milwaukee picks and has passed on the team’s invitation, per Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times. According to Woelfel, Texas Tech’s Zhaire Smith, another good bet to be drafted in the top 16, also won’t work out for the Bucks.

Here’s more on the 2018 NBA draft:

1 comment 2018 NBA Draft Brooklyn Nets Denver Nuggets Los Angeles Clippers Milwaukee Bucks Portland Trail Blazers Washington Wizards

Official Early Entrants List For 2018 NBA Draft

By | at June 13, 2018 10:27 am

The NBA has officially announced that 91 early entrant prospects will be eligible to be selected in the 2018 NBA draft next week. Although the number of early entrants is much higher than the number of picks in the draft (60), the list of early entrants is still significantly smaller than it was at the entry deadline in April. At that point, 236 early entrants had declared for the draft. Nearly 150 have withdrawn since then after testing the waters.

Here’s the complete list of early entrant prospects eligible for the 2018 NBA draft:

College Underclassmen:

International Early Entrants:

The NBA’s final list of early entrants doesn’t include Brian Bowen (South Carolina), Micah Seaborn (Monmouth), and Tavarius Shine (Oklahoma State), despite the fact that they had remained in the draft past the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline last month. Because those players pulled out of the draft between the NCAA and NBA deadlines, they won’t be draft-eligible yet, but also won’t be able to continue their college careers. They can begin their professional careers in the G League or in an international league.

For details on which prospects originally declared for the draft, then withdrew their names, be sure to check out our previous unofficial early entrant list.

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Eastern Notes: Hood, Ellington, Knicks, Sixers

By | at June 12, 2018 10:51 pm

The consensus among NBA insiders is that Rodney Hood cost himself a significant amount of future earnings in free agency after struggling to find his way in the playoffs, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. Hood made slightly under $3.39M this past season and is set to become a restricted free agent once the league’s new year begins July 1.

Sources tell Vardon that the Cavaliers still like Hood and can envision a future with him on the team. The shooting guard fell out of the rotation during the latter half of the team’s postseason run before playing 52 minutes over the team’s last two NBA Finals contests. He finished the postseason with a plus/minus of -92 in a total of 260 minutes.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

16 comments 2018 NBA Draft Cleveland Cavaliers Miami Heat New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers

Latest On Michael Porter Jr.

By | at June 12, 2018 6:59 pm

As previously reported this weekend, the Knicks, who have long been noted to have significant interest in Michael Porter Jr. and hold the No. 9 overall selection in this month’s NBA Draft, will send “top-level” officials to Chicago this upcoming Friday for a workout with Porter.

Now, according to Ian Begley of ESPN, several teams with picks ahead of the Knicks (Suns, Kings, Hawks, Grizzlies, Mavericks, Magic, Bulls, and Cavaliers) have reached out to members of the Knicks’ organization to gauge the team’s interest in possibly trading up to draft Porter.

Per Begley, there is no indication that the Knicks have reached a consensus as to who they would pick at No. 9, but opposing teams are aware that certain members of the Knicks’ organization are big fans of Porter’s game.

In other Porter Jr. news, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer noted in his story that we reported on earlier today that the Clippers, who hold both the No. 12 and No. 13 picks in this month’s draft, are interested in possibly trading up for the chance to draft Porter or Luka Doncic.

12 comments 2018 NBA Draft Los Angeles Clippers New York Knicks Newsstand

Draft Notes: Sixers, Z. Smith, Pacers, Suns, Wolves

By | at June 12, 2018 2:47 pm

The Sixers‘ previously-reported workout with Villanova wing Mikal Bridges is taking place today, but Bridges isn’t the only prospect in town to get a look from the club. According to a press release, the 76ers also hosted a group workout today, with Marcus Derrickson (Georgetown), Marcus Foster (Creighton), Donte Ingram (Loyola Chicago), Nick King (Middle Tennessee State), MiKyle McIntosh), and Zhaire Smith (Texas Tech) taking part.

Speaking of Smith, his busy workout schedule will continue, with an audition for the Hornets still on tap, as Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia tweets. We previously heard that Smith also has a workout lined up with Phoenix.

Let’s round up a few more draft-related notes…

0 comments 2018 NBA Draft Charlotte Hornets Indiana Pacers Minnesota Timberwolves Philadelphia 76ers Phoenix Suns

Kings, Mavs Open To Trading Down In Draft?

By | at June 12, 2018 1:16 pm

The Kings and Mavericks are open to the possibility of moving down in the draft, multiple NBA front-office executives tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Sacramento holds the No. 2 pick, while Dallas owns the No. 5 overall selection.

As O’Connor observes, the Kings are in the “asset-stacking business,” so if they can still nab a player they like with a later pick and acquire an extra asset or two in the process, that could appeal to them. Sacramento has shown a willingness to move down in each of the last two drafts, trading the No. 8 pick in 2016 and the No. 10 pick in 2017. The Kings have also reportedly shown “significant interest” in Michael Porter Jr. over the past year, and Porter isn’t expected to go as high as No. 2.

As for the Mavericks, they’ll be trying to compete for the playoffs next season, according to O’Connor. I get the sense that Dallas would be happy to keep that No. 5 pick to pair Dennis Smith Jr. with another potential franchise cornerstone, and GM Donnie Nelson has suggested as much. However, it sounds like the Mavs wouldn’t rule out trading down if the right offer came along.

We’ve now heard rumors that all five teams picking in the top five might be open to moving down. A May report indicated that the Grizzlies would listen to offers for the No. 4 pick, and the general managers in Phoenix and Atlanta have both left the door open to potential deals for No. 1 and No. 3, respectively.

As ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz wrote today, while Deandre Ayton is the strong frontrunner to be picked first overall, there are several prospects at the top of this year’s draft class that certain teams are very high on. Givony notes that some clubs love Luka Doncic, for instance, while others only have him sixth and seventh on their boards. “You hear similar things about [Mohamed] Bamba, [Jaren] Jackson, [Marvin] Bagley, Porter and even Ayton at times,” Givony writes.

[RELATED: Teams angling to move up, grab Jaren Jackson]

In other words, the possibility that a team picking in the top five might view a top prospect much differently than a team outside the top five could create some interesting trade opportunities next week.

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