And-Ones: Cuban, Draft, Maledon, 2K League
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban doesn’t mind lowering the minimum draft age from 19 to 18, but points out that it creates another set of issues, as he explained to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
Cuban notes that most players out of high school don’t have general life skills, such as writing a check or signing a lease. He also sees the influence of AAU coaches and teams becoming even more pervasive if the age minimum drops.
“The really bad unintended consequence is you’re going to see AAU programs and parents push harder to get kids featured, maybe at the expense of their education, maybe at the expense of really learning how to play basketball because they’ve got coaches that are telling him, ‘Yeah, he’s got a chance to be a ‘none-and-done,'” Cuban said.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- League executives are already dreading the extra time, money, and analysis it will take to scout high school prospects, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer writes in a lengthy piece on the pros and cons of reducing the draft age minimum to 18. Eliminating the one-and-done prospects could make it tougher for lottery teams to land a marquee player, since there will likely be more steals and more busts in the draft. A system that would allow players to be selected in the draft without losing college eligibility could help the process, O’Connor adds.
- French point guard Theo Maledon, a Tony Parker protege, could be the top international prospect in the 2020 draft. ESPN’s Mike Schmitz takes a closer look at next year’s international group and notes that the 17-year-old Maledon is now the starting point guard for ASVEL, the club Parker oversees as president. ASVEL is the first-place team among 18 in France’s top league. Maledon could become the second-ever 18-year-old EuroLeague starter, following in the footsteps of Luka Doncic, when ASVEL moves up to the prestigious league next season, Schmitz adds.
- The NBA 2K League will begin its 18-week season on April 2 and conclude with the Finals on August 3, according to a league press release. All regular-season games will take place at the NBA 2K League Studio in Long Island City, New York, and will be live-streamed on Twitch.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/25/19
Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:
- The Jazz assigned rookie first-round pick Grayson Allen to the Salt Lake City Stars, the team’s PR department tweets. Allen has appeared in six Stars games, averaging 15.7 PPG in 30.6 MPG. The former Duke star is averaging 4.1 PPG in 9.9 MPG with Utah.
- The Pacers recalled forward Alize Johnson from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a team press release. Johnson is averaging 19.2 PPG and 13.6 RPG in 36.9 MPG through 25 games with the Mad Ants.
- The Grizzlies assigned rookie guard Jevon Carter to the Memphis Hustle to get in a practice but recalled him prior to their game against the Lakers on Monday, the team’s PR department tweets. The second-round pick is averaging 2.8 PPG and 1.7 APG in 14.8 MPG over 26 games with the Grizzlies.
- The Nets recalled rookie forward Dzanan Musa from the Long Island Nets in time for their game against the Spurs on Monday, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Musa is averaging 19.3 PPG and 6.6 RPG in 31.3 MPG through 25 games with the G League affiliate.
- The Rockets recalled guard Chris Chiozza from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Chiozza signed a 10-day contract with the team last week.
- The Hornets recalled forward Dwayne Bacon and guard Devonte’ Graham from the Greensboro Swarm, according to a team press release. Bacon has appeared in 14 games for the Swarm, averaging 20.6 PPG and 6.9 RPG in 31.7 MPG. Graham has appeared in 10 games for the Swarm, averaging 23.8 PPG and 4.8 APG in 33.8 MPG.
- The Warriors assigned rookie guard Jacob Evans III to Santa Cruz, according to a team press release. The first-round pick has appeared in 23 games with Golden State this season and 16 games (11 starts) with Santa Cruz. He’s averaging 11.8 PPG and 2.4 APG in 26.5 minutes per game.
Bucks Sign Isaiah Canaan To 10-Day Deal
The Bucks have signed guard Isaiah Canaan to a 10-day contract, according to a team press release.
Canaan, has played in a combined 26 games with the Suns and Timberwolves this season, averaging 6.7 PPG and 3.1 APG in 23.0 MPG. Minnesota inked to a pair of 10-day deals to combat backcourt injuries but decided not to offer him a standard contract once those guards got healthy.
The Suns waived him in late November even though he had started 15 games. Canaan was working with a non-guaranteed contract after re-signing with them during the offseason.
Milwaukee was in the market for veteran help with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Sterling Brown, Donte DiVincenzo and George Hill dealing with short-term injuries.
Poll: How Many Max FAs Will Knicks Sign In 2019?
While it’s not necessarily having a major impact on the court for either team, the seven-player trade completed by the Knicks and Mavericks in advance of the trade deadline was perhaps the biggest deal of 2019 so far due to its long-term implications.
For Dallas, the move meant securing Kristaps Porzingis, a potential franchise frontcourt player whom the team envisions complementing young star Luka Doncic for the next decade.
For New York, there were a handful of motivating factors — the club got to take a chance on a 2017 lottery pick in Dennis Smith Jr., and secured a couple future first-round picks too. But perhaps the most important aspect of the trade from the Knicks’ perspective was that it allowed the team to create not just one, but two maximum-salary contracts slots in free agency this summer.
Since the Knicks made the deal, speculation has run wild about their potential offseason targets. Do they know something we don’t about Kevin Durant‘s plans? Or Kyrie Irving‘s? Is New York native Kemba Walker in their crosshairs?
Before their trade with the Mavs, the Knicks were already close to having enough space for one maximum-salary free agent, and wouldn’t have had to attach Porzingis to a larger package to create that extra room. Instead, the team chose to make a blockbuster deal that opened a pair of those slots.
What, exactly, does that tell us about their summer plans? If they’re not sure about Durant or Irving coming, would they offer a maximum-salary deal to another free agent? Will Kawhi Leonard be a target? Knicks fans would be a little less thrilled about the prospect of the club using that space to give max deals to two players from a group that includes Walker, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, and Khris Middleton, but maybe those players will be on the team’s wish list as well.
On the other hand, if the Knicks can’t land both Durant and Irving, the prudent move might be to use their leftover cap room to absorb an unwanted contract or two to accumulate more assets — or to sign players to one-term contracts, rolling over their cap room to next summer.
When a panel of ESPN.com experts made offseason predictions last week, one question asked how many maximum-salary free agents the Knicks would sign this summer. The top answer was two (47.2%), followed by one (41.7%), and zero (11.1%). In other words, there’s a strong belief that the Knicks will invest huge money in at least one star this offseason, and likely two.
What do you think? Are you bullish on the Knicks’ chances of landing two stars? Do you believe they’ll hand out two max contracts even if they don’t necessarily get their top two choices? Or do you think they’ll end up being a little more patient with their newfound flexibility?
Vote in our poll, then head below to the comment section to share your thoughts!
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
NBA Revamping G League Elite Camp
The NBA announced today that it will revamp its G League Elite Camp, which occurs just before the annual draft combine in Chicago. According to an official press release, the event will replace the G League Elite Mini Camp and will give NBA teams an additional opportunity to scout draft-eligible prospects. It will take place between May 12-14 this spring.
In previous years, the NBA’s G League Elite Mini Camp, which began in 2010, simply showcased several of the top performers from the NBAGL. That aspect of the event will still exist, but G League players will only participate in the first two days of the event.
The second half of the event will feature 40 draft-eligible prospects who aren’t among the 60 prospects invited to the actual draft combine. The list of participants will be determined by an NBA team vote, and those prospects will work out and scrimmage during the final two days of the event — there will be no overlap with the G League portion of the event.
According to the NBA’s announcement, some of the top performers among those 40 draft-eligible prospects in the G League Elite Camp will be invited to participate in the combine itself.
As Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com notes in his report, the number of players testing the draft waters has increased significantly in recent years, and most of those prospects don’t receive invitations to the combine. Revamping the G League Elite Camp will give teams the chance to take a closer look at 40 additional draft-eligible prospects, and will also provide those players with an opportunity to get more feedback from NBA evaluators.
“We’re thrilled to introduce the NBA G League Elite Camp as an essential addition to our comprehensive evaluation process of potential NBA and NBA G League talent,” new NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim said in a statement. “This event will provide more players with exposure as they enter the next phase of their careers.”
Community Shootaround: Most Fun Lottery Outcome
As a group, the Suns, Knicks, Cavaliers, and Bulls have established themselves in recent weeks and months as the NBA’s bottom tier for 2018/19. Lengthy losing streaks by the Suns (11-50) and the Knicks (12-48) have put them at the “top” of our reverse standings, and even after a little recent success, the Cavaliers (14-46) and Bulls (16-44) are right there with them.
Given how much separation those four teams have had from the NBA’s other 26 clubs for much of the season, speculation about the No. 1 overall pick for 2019 has centered mostly on them. It’s easy to imagine top prospect Zion Williamson ending up in Phoenix, New York, Cleveland, or Chicago.
However, the NBA’s new lottery system could shake things up this spring for the 2019 draft. In past seasons, the league’s worst team had a 25% shot at the No. 1 overall pick, and there was a 72.4% chance that one of those bottom four clubs would end up in the top slot. Under the new system, the odds for the worst team have been reduced just to 14%, and there’s only a 54.5% chance that a bottom-four club gets the first overall pick.
In other words, some scenarios that would have previously been considered long shots are a little more realistic this season. Could the Grizzlies jumpstart their rebuild and put together one of them most athletic young frontcourts in the NBA by pairing Williamson with Jaren Jackson? Could the Mavericks add Williamson to a core that already features Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis? How about the Wizards salvaging an otherwise lost season by landing the top pick and giving Bradley Beal and John Wall the frontcourt star they’ve long sought?
Whichever teams lose the playoff races in each conference won’t have a great chance to secure the No. 1 pick, but those odds will still be more favorable than in the past. Maybe the Heat could get lucky and land a young star after failing to secure any in free agency in recent years. If the Hornets lucked into the top pick, that could cement Kemba Walker‘s decision to stay in Charlotte.
If the Lakers were to miss the postseason and somehow scored the No. 1 selection, it could be the key to finally getting the Pelicans to accept their offer for Anthony Davis — assuming they wouldn’t want to keep Williamson themselves.
And then there’s the nightmare scenario for every Eastern Conference team outside of Philadelphia: What if the Kings miss the postseason and land the first overall pick? In that scenario, the pick would go to the Sixers (if it’s not No. 1, the Celtics will get it).
The lottery is still a few months away, but Williamson looks like the kind of prospect who could transform a franchise, so it’s not too early to speculate about which landing spot would represent the most fun outcome. What do you think? Putting aside your fandom, what draft lottery scenario would be the most enjoyable, or would make the best story?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in!
Towns Says He’s “Lucky To Be Alive” After Car Accident
Karl-Anthony Towns, who was involved in a car accident last Thursday that sidelined him for the Timberwolves‘ last two games, has passed all the necessary tests and been removed from the concussion protocol, the team announced today (via Twitter). As a result, he’s expected to play in Minnesota’s game against Sacramento on Monday night.
Speaking today to reporters, Towns said the accident could have been a lot worse than it was, suggesting that he was “lucky to be alive” (link via ESPN.com). In KAT’s estimation, he beat long odds to survive the crash.
“The accident could have went — I’d say I had a five percent chance of making it out alive,” Towns said. “I hit the five percent mark. I’d say four percent was to be seriously injured, and one percent was to be minorly injured — and I came out in the one percent.”
As Towns explained, the car he was traveling in had to suddenly come to a full stop to avoid a separate accident in front of them. His car was then hit by a semi-truck, which Towns estimated was traveling at about 35-45 miles per hour.
“It could have been much worse,” Towns said. “In all honesty, I probably should not have made it out like I did.”
At 28-31, the Timberwolves are probably a long shot to make the postseason this year, but the team has to be relieved that its franchise player didn’t suffer a more serious injury as a result of Thursday’s accident. The two-time All-Star signed a maximum-salary contract extension last fall that will go into effect this July and keep him under contract for five more years.
Atlantic Notes: Meeks, Baynes, Nets, Jenkins
Jodie Meeks played in an NBA game on Sunday for the first time in approximately 10 months, making his first appearance as a member of the Raptors. The veteran shooting guard was hit with a 25-game suspension at the end of last season for violating the league’s anti-drug program, was traded from the Wizards to the Bucks in the offseason, and was ultimately cut by Milwaukee. Meeks didn’t get another NBA offer until last week, when the Raptors signed him to a 10-day contract.
“When I got the call this past week, I was really excited and knew that I was ready for the opportunity,” Meeks said, per Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca. “I’m just looking at it as a chance to prove myself again. I’m trying not to look at it as a 10-day. Don’t put any pressure on yourself — just go out there and play hard. Just come in ready when your number’s called, like any other player on this team. (The Raptors) have treated me very well here. I know I’ve only been here a few days, but it’s a first-class organization. I hope to stay.”
Meeks made a good first impression with the Raptors on Sunday, scoring 10 points and making a pair of three-pointers in 17 minutes off the bench. His 10-day deal will expire this Friday night, but if he keeps knocking down shots, he should get another opportunity in Toronto or elsewhere.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- It has been a frustrating season for Celtics center Aron Baynes, who has been slowed by foot and hand injuries over the course of the year, as ESPN’s Kevin Pelton details. While Baynes will face a decision this offseason on his $5.45MM player option for 2019/20, his focus for now is on getting healthy and helping the C’s make a deep playoff run.
- An agreement between Mikhail Prokhorov and Joseph Tsai, which will allow Tsai to eventually assume controlling ownership of the Nets, had significant potential for disharmony, but has been a success so far, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “That’s probably one of the greatest things about [them], and a credit to Mikhail and Joe. I haven’t noticed a differing of opinions. Both collaborate,” Nets GM Sean Marks said of the ownership situation. “I collaborate with them a lot. There’s no surprises.”
- John Jenkins, who inked a rest-of-season contract with the Knicks last week, is thrilled that he was able to parlay a 10-day deal into a longer-term commitment, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. “It’s all I could ask for coming in on a 10-day and getting an opportunity to succeed,” Jenkins said. “I’m thankful, grateful, extremely happy. All the hard work I’ve put in, and sacrifice, all paying off at the perfect time.”
Wade Baldwin, Devon Hall Sign NBAGL Contracts
Veteran NBA guard Wade Baldwin is headed to the G League, according to Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days, who reports (via Twitter) that Baldwin has signed an NBAGL contract and been claimed off waivers by the Raptors 905.
Baldwin, who will turn 23 next month, was the 17th overall pick in the 2016 draft and has spent most of the last three seasons in the NBA, but hasn’t developed into a reliable rotation player. In 56 career contests, he has averaged 3.1 PPG and 1.4 APG in just 10.3 minutes per game.
Baldwin played for the Trail Blazers for the last season and a half before being traded to Cleveland in a deal for Rodney Hood several weeks ago. Baldwin was subsequently flipped to the Rockets and then the Pacers before being waived. Now, he’ll look to earn another shot in the NBA by suiting up for Toronto’s G League affiliate.
Meanwhile, another notable name will join the G League ranks, according to Johnson, who tweets that 2018 second-round pick Devon Hall has signed an NBAGL contract. The Thunder used the 53rd overall pick in last year’s draft to select Hall and still hold both his NBA and G League rights.
Hall’s professional career began when he signed with the Cairns Taipans of the Australian National Basketball League last August. At the time, there was an expectation that he’d join the Thunder for the 2019/20 season, which still looks like a viable possibility — Oklahoma City only has nine players on guaranteed contracts for next season, and will likely be looking to fill out the roster with inexpensive contracts.
Mo Bamba Continues To Progress On The Sidelines
Mohamed Bamba’s rookie season took a rough turn when tests revealed that he suffered a stress fracture in his left leg. However, the 7’0″ center sees a silver lining in the injury. Bamba tells Hoops Rumors that he believes his time off the court has given him a perspective that he may not have gotten otherwise.
[RELATED: Mohamed Bamba to miss significant time with stress fracture]
“It gives you kind of a third eye,” Bamba explained. “Being out and having to watch your teammates perform and you see things that you wouldn’t see [if you were on the court].”
Orlando cannot afford to waste any time with Bamba’s development. Starting center Nikola Vucevic is a free agent at the end of the season and while the team wants to bring him back, the 28-year-old center will likely have many suitors. A Vucevic departure would thrust 2018’s No. 6 overall pick into a critical role.
Bamba, who remains in a walking boot, is optimistic that he will be able to play again this season. However, Orlando is taking a cautious, patient approach to managing his injury. Despite his inability to suit up, Bamba continues to stay engaged with the team in preparation for the next time he’s able to play.
Bamba’s rookie year hasn’t been a typical NBA freshman season. While he’s progressed on the court through his first 47 games in the league, he also saw off-court opportunities that most rookies don’t get to experience, including his appearance on HBO’s The Shop alongside LeBron James, rapper Drake, and other sports stars.
“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that not many people get to do. When I got word that they were thinking about me being there, I couldn’t believe it,” Bamba said of the chance to appear on the show. “…We talked about a lot [during the episode]. We talked about the game, the evolution of it and what we all attribute to that.”
The big man is also the subject of the successful rap anthem “Mo Bamba” by his childhood friend Sheck Wes. Wes, who only needed about 20 minutes to make the Bamba-inspired song, sent the audio track to the big man once his final version was complete, the 20-year-old tells Hoops Rumors. Despite the unique exposure, Bamba remains humble. Bamba added that he doesn’t feel any resentment from his teammates concerning his rap fame.
“I’m pretty sure if all the veterans on the team wanted their own song, they could do it,” Bamba said. “It’s nice to have something that a lot of people my age enjoy listening to.”