Mikal Bridges Entering 2018 NBA Draft
Villanova forward Mikal Bridges has decided to forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility and enter this year’s draft, he tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
As Wojnarowski notes, Bridges is considered a probable lottery pick this year, and is viewed as one of the most talented two-way players in the 2018 class. A 6’7″ small forward, Bridges has the ability to defend multiple positions and to knock down three-pointers, making him an ideal NBA prospect on the wing.
“There’s space in the NBA on the floor, and there’s this move toward position-less basketball that I fit into,” Bridges told Wojnarowski. “I can shoot the ball. I can defend. I can move without the ball. I’m progressing in my game, getting better through work every day.”
Bridges took a major step forward during his junior year at Villanova, increasing his PPG from 9.8 in 2016/17 to 17.7 in 2017/18, en route to a second championship in three years. He also contributed 5.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG, and 1.1 BPG for the Wildcats this season, with a very efficient shooting line of .514/.435/.851.
In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Bridges coming off the board at No. 10 to the Sixers, though Givony observes that the 21-year-old’s versatility makes him “an easy player to slot on almost any NBA roster.”
Pat Riley Fumed, Then Realized LeBron ‘Did Right Thing’
Heat president Pat Riley was furious when LeBron James bolted Miami and returned to the Cavaliers in 2014 but now feels James ‘did the right thing.’ That’s one of the revelations by Riley to author Ian Thomsen in his new book “The Soul of Basketball: The Epic Showdown between LeBron, Kobe, Doc and Dirk that Saved the NBA” which was excerpted in a Jackie MacMullen story for ESPN.
Riley came to that conclusion slowly, as he fumed for months over James’ decision to go back to Cleveland. He ultimately understood that James would never be truly accepted in his home state again unless he won a championship there.
“My beautiful plan all of a sudden came crashing down,” Riley told Thomsen. “That team in ten years could have won five or six championships. But I get it. I get the whole chronicle of [LeBron’s] life. While there may have been some carnage always left behind when he made these kinds of moves, in Cleveland and also in Miami, he did the right thing.”
Other notable revelations in the interview included:
- James hinted early in his first Heat season during a meeting among Riley and the Big Three of Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and James that he wanted Riley to return to coaching and replace Erik Spoelstra. “I remember LeBron looking at me, and he said, ‘Don’t you ever get the itch?’ I said, ‘The itch for what?’ He said, ‘The itch to coach again?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t have the itch.’ He didn’t ask any more questions, and I didn’t offer any more answers. But I know what it meant, and I always go back and wonder about what he was thinking at that time. “
- The public outcry after James’ announcement that he would be “taking my talents to South Beach” shook up James when he headed to Miami. “That night at three in the morning we met him at the airport. … They got off the plane, and I remember walking right up to LeBron. He was worn-out. He was just worn-out. He almost had tears in his eyes.”
- Riley had no contact with James until Game 7 the 2016 NBA Finals, when Riley texted him. “As soon as he hit the floor, I sent a text to him. I said, ‘Win this and be free.’ He never got back to me with a response.” Riley and James continue to be at odds, according to MacMullen.
Pistons Owner Still Mulling Van Gundy’s Status
Pistons owner Tom Gores is still undecided whether he’ll retain coach and team president Stan Van Gundy for the final year of his contract, Rod Beard of the Detroit News reports.
Gores met with the media during the team’s home finale on Monday night. The team has failed to make the playoffs in three of four seasons with Van Gundy running the show. Gores reiterated he would make the final decision after a postseason meeting with Van Gundy.
“We’re going to meet next week and discuss what’s going on. At the same time, he’s dedicated the last four years and Stan and I are partners,” Gores told Beard and other media members. “There’s no way I would make a decision without talking to Stan and he’s been really busy with the season. That’s a decision Stan and I make.”
Gores vowed to make some changes, even if Van Gundy is retained. But Gores still likes the idea of having a coach with personnel power.
“We’re not winning. It’s just that simple,” he said. “Whatever mistakes we’ve made or why we haven’t won, we have to evaluate that. I see value in the front office and the coach being connected.”
Kings Plan To Move G League Team To Stockton
The Kings plan to relocate their G League team, the Reno Bighorns, to Stockton, California next season, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
The move, which must be approved by the NBA, would facilitate the team’s ability to shuttle players between the franchises, since Stockton is less than an hour’s drive away from Sacramento. The Kings have been affiliated with Reno since 2008 but have run into some weather-related issues during those seasons.
Kings G League GM Anthony McClish and his staff will use the former Kings training facility in Natomas, with access to the Golden 1 Center, Jones adds.
The Lakers, Clippers and Warriors all have affiliates in close proximity to their home base, so Sacramento is putting itself on equal footing with the other California teams.
“With the addition of NBA G League Basketball in the Central Valley, each of California’s NBA franchises have a powerful asset within an hour of their headquarters to help develop their players and expand their fan bases with elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere,” NBA G League President Malcolm Turner said in a statement.
The Kings have sent a handful of players on their regular roster to Reno this season, along with Jack Cooley and JaKarr Sampson, who are on two-way contracts.
Stockton Arena opened in 2005 and holds up to 12,000.
Kentucky Guard Gilgeous-Alexander Declares For Draft
Kentucky freshman point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will enter the draft and sign with an agent, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s decision certainly comes as no surprise, given that he’s a projected lottery pick and could be the first college point guard off the board. He’s currently ranked No. 12 overall by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
That’s a few notches below the two other top college point guards, Oklahoma’s Trae Young (No. 8) and Alabama’s Collin Sexton (No. 9). But his stock could certainly rise during predraft workouts and he also has the versatile to swing over to the shooting guard spot.
At 6’6”, Gilgeous-Alexander has exceptional size for a point man.
In his lone college season, he averaged 14.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.1 APG and 1.6 SPG in 33.7 MPG. He shot a solid 48.5% from the field and 40.4% from long range, though he only attempted 57 3-pointers.
Gilgeous-Alexander posted 27 points, six rebounds and six assists in Kentucky’s opening-round NCAA Tournament win over Buffalo but was held to 15 points by Kansas State when the Wildcats were eliminated.
Hawks Guard Delaney Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Hawks guard Malcolm Delaney underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle and will require 6-8 weeks of recovery, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The surgery could impact Delaney’s status as a free agent this summer. Atlanta could make him a restricted free agent by extending a $3.125MM qualifying offer. Otherwise, he’ll enter the market as an unrestricted free agent.
Under the second scenario, Delaney might have difficulty finding a suitor. Delaney, who averaged 6.3 PPG and 3.0 APG in 18.8 MPG this month, turned 29 last month. He appeared in 54 games this season but has been sidelined since March 4th.
He spent a handful of seasons in Europe before signing with the Hawks prior to the 2016/17 season. He appeared in 73 games during his rookie NBA campaign, averaging 5.4 PPG and 2.6 APG.
The 6’3” Delaney played his college ball at Virginia Tech.
Marcus Smart Eyes Late April Return
Celtics guard Marcus Smart is expected to receive clearance to return to game action in late April, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.
This is some much-needed good news for the snakebit Celtics, who will be without stars Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving during their playoff run. Hayward was lost during the first game of the season while Irving recently opted to have season-ending knee surgery.
Smart underwent surgery March 16th to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb. He had the thumb reevaluated on Monday by specialists in New York and was given a timetable of six weeks from the surgery for a projected return to action, which would target his comeback around April 27th, Charania adds. That would mean he’d miss a few playoff games but might return later in the first round or early in the second round.
Smart has been cleared to begin light non-contact shooting. A good playoff showing by Smart could help his long-term prospects. The Celtics could make him a restricted free agent by extending a qualifying offer of $6MM this summer. Otherwise, he’ll be unrestricted.
Smart has appeared in 54 games this season, his fourth in the league. He’s averaging 10.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 4.8 APG in 29.9 MPG.
Khyri Thomas To Test 2018 NBA Draft Waters
Creighton shooting guard Khyri Thomas will enter the 2018 NBA draft, he confirmed to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman (Twitter link). However, for the time being, Thomas won’t hire an agent, maintaining the ability to withdraw his name later in the process and return to school.
Thomas is coming off a successful junior year with the Bluejays in which he averaged 15.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 2.8 APG. He also had the best shooting year of his college career, posting a .538/.411/.788 line.
Currently ranked the 23rd overall prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com, Thomas also came off the board at No. 23 in Givony’s newest mock draft. ESPN’s draft expert refers to Thomas as “one of the better defenders in college basketball” who is also a “willing ball mover and a promising spot-up shooter.” If he stays in the draft, the youngster figures to be coveted by teams looking for a two-way wing prospect.
Thomas will have until May 30 to withdraw his name from the draft and retain his NCAA eligibility if he decides he wants to head back to Creighton for his senior year.
Gary Harris Poised To Return For Nuggets
Injured Nuggets guard Gary Harris has been upgraded to questionable for Monday night’s game against Portland, according to Chris Dempsey of Nuggets.com (Twitter link). League sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that Harris is likely to return for that crucial contest.
Harris has been a key part of the Nuggets’ lineup this season, averaging a team-high 34.8 minutes per contest in 65 games (all starts). He has been Denver’s second-best scorer (17.7 PPG) and the team’s most effective three-point shooter (.399 3PT%), but has missed the last 11 games with a knee injury.
According to Dempsey, the Nuggets’ medical staff will monitor Harris’ pregame workout and will make a decision before the game begins on his availability. If the veteran guard is able to return to the court tonight for Denver, it would be great timing for a team that could badly use a win.
While there are still a ton of scenarios in play when it comes to the Western Conference playoff picture, the Nuggets control their own destiny — if they can beat the Trail Blazers tonight and the Timberwolves on Wednesday, they’d earn a postseason berth.
Lakers Sign Andre Ingram
3:32pm: The Lakers have officially signed Ingram, the team announced today in a press release.
2:42pm: The Lakers are signing veteran G-Leaguer Andre Ingram to a rest-of-season contract that will cover the last two games of the 2017/18 campaign, reports Bill Oram of The Orange County Register (Twitter link). L.A. currently has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding roster move will be required.
Ingram, a 6’3″ guard, has played in the G League for 10 seasons, appearing in 384 games for the Utah Flash (now known as the Delaware Blue Coats) and the South Bay Lakers (formerly the Los Angeles D-Fenders).
In 2017/18, Ingram averaged 9.1 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 47 games (22.8 MPG) for South Bay. He’s a three-point specialist, having converted 47.5% of his long-distance attempts this season, and an NBAGL-record 713 over the course of his career (46.1%).
Despite his extensive G League experience, Ingram has never played in an NBA game. At age 32, he’s unlikely to be part of the Lakers’ long-term plans, and his contract won’t extend until next season, given L.A.’s desire to maximize its 2018 cap room. As such, the move looks like an opportunity to give Ingram a chance to play in the NBA for a couple games, and to get him two or three days’ worth of an NBA salary.
A three-day minimum salary for Ingram would be worth just shy of $14K.