2020 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Raptors’ Home, Hornets, Hayes, Maxey

October 23rd, 2020 at 7:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Despite travel restriction and protocols due to the pandemic, the Raptors remain hopeful they’ll play in Toronto next season, Josh Lewenberg of TSN tweets. The organization has discussed several contingency options but it is not interested in moving games to Louisville, refuting a report earlier this week.

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:

The league’s Board of Governors is pondering a Christmas-time start to next season and that could benefit the Hornets, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. The free agency period would be sped up and Charlotte, which will be significantly below the cap, could make bargain signings and acquire future assets while providing trade partners relief by taking on cumbersome contracts. The Hornets, who weren’t invited to the restart, would also like to get next season started sooner rather than later, Bonnell adds.
Killian Hayes might be a great fit for the Pistons with their lottery pick, Matt Babcock of BabcockHoops.com tells Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. The overseas prospect is ranked No. 9 by ESPN and Detroit has the No. 7 pick but Hayes would fill a need at the point. “I think he’s a guy that could end up being sort of a lead playmaker, primary ball-handler and somewhat of a dynamic player,” Babcock told Sankofa.
The Sixers own the No. 21 pick and Kentucky combo guard Tyrese Maxey could develop into a rotation player if he slips to that spot, according to Derek Bodner of The Athletic. Maxey projects as a jack-of-all-trades type of player but needs to develop his shot to be a factor. The shooting guard is currently ranked No. 15 by ESPN.

Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman Work Out For Warriors

October 23rd, 2020 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors may prefer to trade down, but they got a close look at two players who will be high on their draft board if they keep the No. 2 pick, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. During a recent trip to Atlanta and Miami, Golden State officials got to work out Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman, who were both described as “beasts.”

Wiseman showed off exceptional skills for a big man and his interview also impressed the delegation, which was made up of owner Joe Lacob, general manager Bob Myers, head coach Steve Kerr and director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini. Edwards’ athleticism and “freakishness” stood out during his session.

Golden State seems content with either player, regardless of what Minnesota does with the No. 1 pick. If the Wolves opt for LaMelo Ball, the Warriors would be faced with a difficult choice. They plan to be back in title contention next season and need someone who can contribute right away.

Edwards doesn’t seem like a perfect fit with most of the perimeter minutes ticketed for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, and Thompson isn’t convinced that Edwards’ offensive game is refined enough to handle coming off the bench. Golden State has expressed a desire to add size this offseason, and Kerr is reluctant to use a three-guard lineup.

Wiseman has a chance to be a starter right away at center and may have the skills to develop into a perimeter big man like Anthony Davis. Wiseman could instantly be the shot blocker that Kerr is looking for, plus he can set screens, catch lobs and run the floor — basic skills that don’t take long to learn. However, there are questions about Wiseman after his short stint at Memphis, such as whether he is coachable and how quickly he can adapt to the read-and-react system that Golden State uses.

The Warriors also worked out Deni Avdija this week and are expected to meet with other prospects in case they move down in the draft. If they keep the No. 2 pick, Thompson believes it will come down to a choice of Edwards, Wiseman or Ball.

Warriors Work Out Deni Avdija

October 22nd, 2020 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and other members of the organization traveled to Atlanta to work out Israeli draft prospect Deni Avdija on Thursday morning, sources tell Ethan Strauss of The Athletic.

According to Strauss, Avdija performed well in the workouts and Warriors officials were “blown away” after meeting with him. The club was impressed with the 19-year-old’s work ethic, Strauss adds.

For the past few months, NBA teams haven’t been permitted to work out prospects as part of this year’s pre-draft process, but the league recently loosened restrictions on those in-person meetings. Clubs are now allowed to conduct 10 in-person workouts with draft-eligible players by November 16.

Not every team has been enthusiastic about taking advantage of the opportunity to meet with prospects in person, as we detailed last weekend. However, the expectation has been that teams with high lottery picks will be active in lining up meetings with top prospects, so it makes sense that the Warriors – who own the No. 2 selection – would be one of the clubs to take advantage.

As Strauss notes, the Warriors’ workout with Avdija doesn’t necessarily mean that the team is zeroing in on the former Maccabi Tel Aviv star. However, the fact that members of the organization were willing to travel to Atlanta to get a closer look at the young forward is at least a signal that Golden State hasn’t committed to the idea of trading out of the No. 2 spot in a win-now deal.

NBA Confirms 2020 Draft Will Be Conducted Virtually

October 22nd, 2020 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the 2020 NBA draft will be conducted virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic that upended the ’19/20 season and continues to prevent large-scale gatherings. The NBA and ESPN issued a joint press release today confirming that this year’s draft broadcast will air on Wednesday, November 18 at 7:00 pm eastern time.

The plan is for NBA commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum to appear live at ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Connecticut, where they’ll reveal this year’s draft picks. As usual, Silver will announce the first-round selections, while Tatum will handle the second round.

Although there won’t be a traditional “green room” for top prospects, a number of draftees will appear virtually, according to today’s announcement

The NBA also conducted its August draft lottery virtually, while other leagues – including the WNBA and NFL – have completed virtual drafts already this year. So while this format is unusual for the NBA, it’s not entirely without precedent.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Sixers, Barrett, Temple

October 22nd, 2020 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors are among the teams trying to make the most of what has been an unusual and unprecedented pre-draft process, as assistant general manager Dan Tolzman explained to reporters on Wednesday. Tolzman estimated that there are about 50 players Toronto likes in this draft, adding that he believes the club can land a rotation-caliber player at No. 29 and potentially at No. 59 too.

“Usually there’s a lot of risers and fallers based on the draft combine, individual workouts, 3-on-3 workouts, all that kind of stuff, that isn’t happening,” Tolzman said, according to Blake Murphy of The Athletic. “I’d say the best way to describe it is very balanced. There’s going to be a lot of rotation-level players that come out of this draft, kind of all across the board.”

Tolzman also suggested that the lack of pre-draft workouts and other activities for prospects this year may result in some rising players being overlooked until after the draft.

“I think probably more than usual, the undrafted market is going to be huge because normally, players that maybe early on were expected to go undrafted, they worked their way into the draft picture, and those workouts and those opportunities for them to do so just didn’t happen this year,” Tolzman said. “… You’re going to see guys come out of nowhere and be contributors next year.”

A strong undrafted free agent market may benefit the Raptors, who have done very well in that area in recent years, most notably with their signing of Fred VanVleet in 2016. Toronto’s top 2019 UDFA signing, Terence Davis, earned a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team this year.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

New Sixers head coach Doc Rivers is interested in adding former Bulls assistant Roy Rogers to his staff, a league source tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Rogers spent the 2019/20 season on Jim Boylen‘s staff in Chicago, but isn’t returning to the Bulls following the hiring of Billy Donovan.
Multiple people in touch with Knicks decision-makers tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv that they expect New York to take a player’s fit with RJ Barrett into account when considering potential roster moves this offseason.
Reacting to a pair of recent tidbits from John Hollinger of The Athletic, Net Income of NetsDaily considers whether the emergence of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot might dissuade the Nets from picking up Garrett Temple‘s $5MM team option for the 2020/21 campaign. Temple was a regular part of Brooklyn’s rotation last season, but struggled with his shot (.378/.329/.805) and may be expendable for tax reasons.

Wolves’ Rosas Acknowledges No Obvious Choice At No. 1

October 21st, 2020 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

As we’ve heard for months, the general perception of the 2020 draft class is that it’s relatively deep, but lacks a clear-cut star prospect at the top. Speaking today to reporters, including Eric Woodyard of ESPN, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, who controls the No. 1 pick, admitted that analysis is “fair.”

“There’s no guy that has separated himself from the pack from public or external view,” Rosas said. “But I’m very confident that as we go through this process, the talent will rise to the top and we’ll be confident about identifying one guy as the best guy, the best talented player with the most upside and most ability for our organization.”

As Woodyard writes, Rosas said today that he and the Timberwolves feel good about the talent at the top of this draft class. However, it’s worth noting that many executives around the NBA believe Minnesota would prefer to trade down or out of that No. 1 overall pick rather than keep it. It remains to be seen whether the Wolves will get an offer that they feel represents fair value for this year’s top pick, but Rosas acknowledged that the club is exploring all its options.

“For us, we typically study the draft from No. 1 to whatever number we feel like is a draftable player,” Rosas said. “And we’ll evaluate those guys for trade scenarios, trade back, trade out, for undrafted free-agent opportunities, for minor league opportunities, so we really beat up the draft board as much as can all the way up until the draft.”

Assuming the Wolves do hang onto the top pick, guards LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards are viewed as their most likely selections, despite the fact that neither player projects to improve the club’s already-shaky defense.

Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report wrote today that most executives and scouts believe Ball would have the edge over Edwards if Minnesota remains at No. 1. Wasserman added that the Wolves are also high on Obi Toppin, though it’s not clear if the team would take the Dayton forward first overall or if he’d only be an option in a trade-down scenario.

Heat Notes: J. Grant, J. Smith, Offseason

October 20th, 2020 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat are expected to be among the teams with interest in free agent forward Jerami Grant this offseason, says Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. If Miami operates as an over-the-cap team, landing Grant would be tricky, since he’s expected to receive offers worth more than the mid-level exception.

Grant could be a more viable option for the Heat if the team loses some of its top free agents and has the opportunity to open up cap space. Even if Miami remains over the cap, we saw a year ago with the acquisition of Jimmy Butler that the front office is willing to get creative with sign-and-trades when cap room is unavailable.

However, Grant will almost certainly require a long-term investment, so presumably he’d only become a realistic target for the Heat if the club decides it no longer needs to preserve max-salary space for 2021.

Here’s more on the Heat:

The Heat requested a Zoom interview with former Maryland forward Jalen Smith, Jackson reports in the same Miami Herald story. Smith is currently the No. 20 prospect on ESPN’s big board, while the Heat hold the No. 20 overall pick in this year’s draft.
Several aspects of the Heat offseason will be out of the team’s control, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, who writes that the team will have to adjust to the new salary cap projection, wait to see if free agents like Goran Dragic and Jae Crowder get aggressive multiyear offers from rival suitors, and potentially modify their plans for both 2020 and 2021 if Giannis Antetokounmpo signs an extension with Milwaukee.
Miami assistants Dan Craig and Chris Quinn reportedly had strong interviews with Indiana, but the Pacers went in another direction, hiring Nate Bjorkgren as their new head coach. That’s good news for the Heat, who should retain Craig and Quinn for 2020/21.

Nuggets Notes: Porter, Beal, Oladipo, Grant, Pokusevski

October 19th, 2020 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets might have to do something bold to land a third star to join Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, but they won’t deal Michael Porter Jr. to make that happen. Brian Windhorst of ESPN said in a recent podcast that Denver has zero interest in trading the young forward.

“In talking to teams around the league, the Nuggets have made it clear Michael Porter Jr. is not available,” Windhorst said.

Porter, who averaged 11.4 PPG and 6.7 RPG in 23.7 MPG during the postseason, can become a restricted free agent during the summer of 2022.

We have more on the Nuggets:

Without including Porter in a blockbuster, the Nuggets have no chance to acquire Bradley Beal if the Wizards make the All-Star guard available, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post. A trade for Victor Oladipo is also unlikely, given Oladipo’s injury issues and his impending free agency next year, Singer continues. A deal for the Pacers guard would be more realistic at the trade deadline if he’s healthy and productive, Singer adds.
It’s a near lock that Jerami Grant will decline his player option but it would be mutually beneficial for both parties if he re-signs, according to Joel Rush of Forbes.com. Grant will essentially assure himself of a starting job if he stays put, Rush continues. Other contenders don’t have the financial means to outspend Denver for Grant’s services and lottery teams with cap space are less likely now to overspend for a role player like Grant, Rush adds.
Several mock drafts have projected 18-year-old international prospect Aleksej Pokusevski going to the Nuggets with the No. 22 pick, Eric Spyropoulos of Nuggets.com notes. Currently slotted as the 19th-best prospect by ESPN, Pokusevski played limited minutes in Greek’s second division last season due to an injury, but the seven-footer has intriguing offensive skills and length.

Pacific Notes: Chriss, Bogdanovic, Kings Draft, Lue

October 19th, 2020 at 6:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors big man Marquese Chriss could see his role expand offensively as a passer, Anthony Slater of The Athletic speculates. Chriss showed off his versatility and vision during a recent intrasquad scrimmage. Alen Smailagić doesn’t seem ready to break into the team’s rotation and he’s destined to spend another season in the G League, Slater adds.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Hawks, Bucks, Suns and Heat are among the teams that could be interested in Kings free agent swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, in the view of James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area. All but Milwaukee have the cap space to hand Bodganovic an attractive offer sheet. With the recent changes in the front office, it’s more uncertain whether Sacramento will match an offer sheet or whether it would rather pursue a sign-and-trade.
While the Kings have a quality young point guard in De’Aaron Fox, it’s not out of the question they’ll draft another one with their lottery pick, Jason Jones of The Athletic writes. RJ Hampton, Kira Lewis and Cole Anthony are some of the point guard prospects Sacramento might consider with the No. 12 overall pick.
Tyronn Lue has the right track record for a championship contender like the Clippers, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register opines. After winning a title in Cleveland, the new Clippers head coach has already established a track record of cultivating chemistry by holding stars accountable, maximizing role players and making smart strategic moves, Swanson adds.

Draft Notes: Haliburton, T. Jones, Flynn, Riller

October 19th, 2020 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Iowa State point guard Tyrese Haliburton could be a perfect fit for the Warriors, especially if they trade down from the No. 2 slot, writes Mike Schmitz of ESPN. Scouts have been raving about Haliburton during the pre-draft process, and there’s a chance he comes off the board even earlier than expected. Schmitz notes that other teams have found success with three-guard lineups, and putting Haliburton alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson removes the the expectations of having to run a team right away.

“I think I’m a really good fit there,” Haliburton said when asked about the possibility of going to Golden State. “I think I can obviously come in and make shots as well and be in the first unit or lead the second unit.”

Schmitz believes the 6’5″ Haliburton could become one of the best players in this year’s draft class if he lands in the right situation. He’s a favorite in the analytics community because of his efficiency and his steal and block rates. He also shoots 43.5% from 3-point range, even though his shot is unconventional, and he posted a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio with the Cyclones.

Schmitz has more observations on this year’s draft class:

Duke’s Tre Jones is finally at full strength after having surgery on both hips in the past two years. The reigning ACC Defensive Player of The Year appeared more explosive when Schmitz watched him in a 1-on-0 workout and he set a record in P3 Sports Science’s five-yard slide test. “I could tell (how limiting it was) in all areas really,” Jones said of his injury. “If it was on defense and I was shuffling, I could feel it there. Running straight forward I could feel it. Jumping, obviously, I could feel it. All movements I was doing I could feel some limitations there. Just being able to be 100%, being able to have my full range of motion, being able to work on everything without any pain day to day is just amazing.”
Malachi Flynn of San Diego State is becoming a popular sleeper pick. Schmitz observed that Flynn displayed great footwork and shooting range on pick-and-rolls during 3-on-3 scrimmages in Las Vegas. “Just the style of play in the NBA, it’s definitely different from college,” Flynn said. “I think there’s a lot more space. I feel like I’ll be able to do well in that with a lot more space. You look in the playoffs, Tyler Herro having great games just by shooting the ball. Duncan Robinson has been huge for the Heat. Just guys like that, it shows that it’s a skilled league.”
Grant Riller was a dynamic scorer at Charleston and may have an offensive game that transfers well to the NBA, Schmitz writes. He averaged more than 21 PPG as a senior and had the highest player efficiency rating among college guards. Riller said he has been studying Thunder guard Dennis Schroder. “I think we share a lot of qualities,” he said. “A quick guard that gets downhill, can score at all three levels, is good in the pick-and-roll. Pretty savvy defender. More importantly he plays both guard spots.”