Draft Notes: Hayes, Mannion, Warriors, Mamukelashvili
Killian Hayes, who skipped college basketball to play professionally in Germany, might be the answer the Knicks are looking for at point guard, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Hayes was born in Florida, but has spent much of his life in France, where his father was a pro.
“He’s got good size for a young point guard, close to 6’5″, and he’s got a feel for the game,’’ said former Sixers general manager Brad Greenberg, who has spent several years coaching in Europe. “He’s used to having the ball in his hands and playing in a ball-screen offense. A very nice feel.’’
Hayes, who turns 19 in July, is ranked 10th in ESPN’s latest list of draft prospects and is the third point guard on the board behind LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton. Under the current standings, the Knicks’ pick could be as high as No. 1 and as low as No. 10.
There’s more draft news to pass along:
- Arizona’s Nico Mannion makes sense for the Suns if they opt for a point guard in the draft, contends Jeremy Cluff of The Arizona Republic. Cluff rounds up draft projections for Phoenix, which is currently slotted at No. 10. Ricky Rubio is under contract for two more years, but he’s 29 and the Suns may be looking for his long-term replacement.
- Despite an adjusted pre-draft schedule that has already resulted in the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament and the Nike Hoop Summit, the Warriors believe they will be prepared whenever the draft arrives, according to Wes Goldberg of The San Jose Mercury News. Assistant general manager Larry Harris said the team was about 90% done with its evaluations when the sports world was shut down last week, adding that everything else would have been “finishing touches.”
- Seton Hall forward Sandro Mamukelashvili plans to declare for the draft without hiring an agent, reports Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. The 6’11” junior averaged 11.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game this season. “It’s a great opportunity to see where he is at and where we go from here,” Pirates coach Kevin Willard said. “The draft process now helps kids make educated decisions and we are looking forward to going through the process with him.”
International Notes: Lin, Germany, Turkey, Powell
Jeremy Lin posted a message to fans on Instagram as he returned to China for the resumption of the CBA season, relays Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Overseas players have come back to the nation and are undergoing a two-week quarantine before play resumes in the Chinese Basketball Association.
“Safely landed back in Beijing to finish out the CBA season,” Lin wrote. “Excited to hoop again, but leaving the bay worried and with a heavy heart for the sick, the jobless and all those fighting fear, anxiety and stress over the unknown future. Shoutout to our medical staff in the 50 states for working tirelessly and everyone keep doing your part in slowing the virus!
“It’s been an awesome 2 months camped out in the gym…basketball has never been more meaningful. The world needs basketball now more than ever. I still remember when I went through my toughest moments and worst injuries, you guys were there for me. I hope to return the favor. As all you beloved fans told me the day after my knee injury, keep fighting bc we’re #NeverDone.”
There’s more international news this morning:
- Brose Bamberg in Germany is the latest team to permit its American players to return home, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Former NBA guard Jordan Crawford is the most recognizable name on the roster.
- All players from the Fenerbahce team in Turkey, along with coaches and staff members, have been tested for the coronavirus and a team manager in under observation in the hospital, writes Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. The roster includes former NBA players James Nunnally, Nando De Colo, Derrick Williams, Malcolm Thomas, Jan Vesely, Luigi Datome and Joffrey Lauvergne.
- New Iona coach Rick Pitino, who had been coaching Panathinaikos in Greece since 2018 before recently leaving the team, tells Lupo that Seton Hall’s Myles Powell could have a bright future in the EuroLeague. He compares Powell to former Suns and Pelicans guard Mike James, who has become a star in Europe. “Myles Powell reminds me of Mike a little bit,” Pitino said. “Do I think he’ll be in the NBA? I think he’ll try out with a team, but I think he’ll be a terrific player over in Europe and make a lot of money and be very successful. Could he play in the NBA? I’m sure he could, but I don’t think he’s somebody you’re gonna say he’s definitely gonna make it, but he’s a very talented young man and I think he’ll get a good shot at the NBA.”
Pelicans Ready To Match Any Offer To Brandon Ingram
The Pelicans plan to match any offer for restricted free agent Brandon Ingram, multiple sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. He shares that item as part of a response to a reader’s question on whether the Cavaliers will try to clear cap room for the offseason.
Ingram, who is coming off his first All-Star appearance, is a strong candidate for Most Improved Player. His scoring average has risen from 18.3 to 24.3 PPG and his numbers are up virtually across the board. He also seems to have overcome the Deep Venous Thrombosis issue that forced him to have season-ending surgery last March.
Health concerns factored into the Pelicans’ decision to not give Ingram a rookie scale extension in October, but he has proven his value in his first season in New Orleans. He will be among the top names this offseason in a relatively weak free agent class and should attract plenty of attention from the few teams with cap space.
Coronavirus Update: Griffin, Smart, Greece, Olympics
Although the coronavirus continues to spread through the league, the NBA hasn’t given any thought to canceling its season, according to Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin (Twitter link from Will Guillory of The Athletic). Griffin made the comment tonight on the team’s Twitter feed during a rebroadcast of a game from earlier this season.
The number of NBA players testing positive for the virus grew from two to 10 over the past week. Three members of the Sixers organization and a member of the Nuggets organization have also tested positive.
Griffin’s comment meshes with a statement by NBA commissioner Adam Silver earlier this week that he remains optimistic that the season will be concluded in some form.
There’s more basketball-related coronavirus news:
- Celtics guard Marcus Smart, one of the players who tested positive, appeared on CNN yesterday to urge people to take the virus seriously, writes Ryan Young of Yahoo Sports. Smart said he and his teammates were tested after returning from their last road trip and they have all remained quarantined. “Be alert to what’s going on and take the precautions to not only protect yourself,” he said. “By protecting yourself, you protect others.”
- Panathinaikos is allowing American players to return home because of the virus outbreak in Greece, according to Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. Jimmer Fredette, the most recognizable name on the roster, came back to the United States several days ago. Former NBA forward Wesley Johnson is also part of the team.
- USA Track and Field is calling for the Summer Olympics to be postponed because of the pandemic, reports CNN. “Unfortunately, while our world class athletes are willing to push themselves to their athletic limits in pursuit of Olympic success, the likelihood that they will be able to properly train in a safe and adequate environment, and replicate the excellence we have all come to expect, does not appear likely in the midst of this global crisis,” USATF chief executive Max Siegel wrote. “As we have learned our athletes are under tremendous pressure, stress and anxiety, and their mental health and wellness is among our highest priorities.”
Five Key Stories: 3/15/20 – 3/21/20
If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
The number of NBA players testing positive for the coronavirus grew significantly in the past week. The Pistons’ Christian Wood joined the list Saturday night, followed by four Nets players, including Kevin Durant, on Tuesday. Celtics guard Marcus Smart also tested positive, along with two unidentified Lakers. In addition, three members of the Sixers organization and a member of the Nuggets organization registered positive tests.
The NBA closed team facilities to staff and players starting Friday to help contain the spread of the virus. Several teams had already made the move on their own.
After learning he had the coronavirus, Jazz star Donovan Mitchell admitted to being frustrated with teammate Rudy Gobert. In an appearance on “Good Morning America,” Mitchell said it took him some time to “cool off.”
Players aren’t guaranteed to continue receiving salary checks after April 1. The NBA sent out a memo this week saying it will provide “additional guidance” on the next round of payments, which are scheduled for April 15.
In an ESPN interview, commissioner Adam Silver said he remains “optimistic” that the season can be saved. He discussed several options for resuming play, including a charity game involving players who have been quarantined to make sure they aren’t carrying the virus.
Here are 10 more noteworthy headlines from around the basketball world this week:
- The BIG3 is hoping to stage a “quarantined, reality show-style” tournament in April. The league wants to find 16 to 22 players who test negative for the coronavirus and keep them isolated in a house in Los Angeles.
- Australia called off its best-of-five championship series after three games because of virus concerns.
- Georgia guard Anthony Edwards, who is in the running for the first pick, declared for the NBA draft this week. He tops the latest draft projections by ESPN and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.
- Auburn’s Isaac Okoro, also projected as a possible top-five pick, declared for the draft as well. The freshman forward has been rising up draft boards all season.
- Also entering the draft this week was Duke’s Tre Jones. The sophomore point guard was named ACC Player of the Year.
- The Knicks are reportedly interested in pursuing Pistons’ big man Christian Wood in free agency whenever the offseason arrives.
- Isaiah Thomas expressed confidence that he’ll be able to find another NBA job when the league resumes play. Thomas is a free agent after being waived by the Clippers, who acquired him at the trade deadline.
- It’s “not very realistic” to expect Kevin Durant to return this season, even if play gets extended into late summer, according to business partner Rich Kleiman.
- Clippers guard Terance Mann had hand surgery this week to fix a torn ligament.
- The NBA and the players union agreed to halt drug testing while the league is on hiatus.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Elijah Hughes Declares For NBA Draft
Elijah Hughes of Syracuse announced on Twitter that he will be entering the NBA draft.
The small forward averaged 19.0 points and 4.9 rebounds this year as a redshirt junior and earned first-team All-ACC honors.
“I want to thank my family, close friends, teammates throughout the years, and coaching staff for supporting me throughout my basketball career,” Hughes wrote. “I cannot thank the Syracuse community and fans enough for embracing me and making me feel welcomed and comfortable. You guys believed in me from the jump and I will be forever thankful for that. I plan to enter the NBA Draft process and try and fulfill my childhood dream.”
Hughes, who transferred from East Carolina after his freshman season, is ranked 57th on ESPN’s latest list of the best available prospects.
Celtics Notes: Walker, Tatum, Playoff Seeding
The Celtics may get a hidden benefit from the league-wide shutdown because it gives Kemba Walker more time to recover from his left knee issue, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Walker played in the last three games before the hiatus, but was limited to about 30-32 minutes per night. He had missed six of the previous seven games due to persistent knee soreness.
Bulpett talked to president of basketball operations Danny Ainge about the importance of having Walker fully healthy for the rest of the season.
“I think managing all of our players is important, but, yeah, managing Kemba is very important because Kemba has the ability, as we saw in November and December, to be very, very special,” Ainge said. “And he was doing a lot of the same things that we see Jayson (Tatum) doing now. It’s important that we have those guys playing their best to give us the best chance in the playoffs.”
Ainge admits the “wear and tear” of playing for Team USA during the World Cup last summer may be having an effect on Walker, but he doesn’t believe the organization should have handled the situation any differently.
Ainge addresses a few other topics in the interview:
- Without mentioning Kyrie Irving by name, Ainge acknowledges that the switch from Irving to Walker has been good for team morale. The reports of locker room turmoil that surfaced frequently last season have virtually disappeared. “I think that all of the guys’ attitudes this year have been pleasant, great, and there’s been more on the same page,” he said. “Last year, we just had more mouths to feed, and it just didn’t work. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. And this year we have less mouths to feed, so to speak, and it’s been better. But it would be nice to have everybody healthy, because I think we’re going to need everybody in order to reach where we want to be.”
- Ainge is optimistic about the young core the team has in place, led by Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. “I think (Tatum’s) getting a lot of opportunities, a lot of chances,” Ainge said of the third-year forward, who is coming off his first All-Star appearance. “He’s been playing really well. I don’t want to jinx any of that. I’m excited about his development and Jaylen’s development and Marcus’. I think that they’re all getting better right before our eyes.”
- The second seed in the East may be out of reach if the NBA only plays a few games before the playoffs begin, but Ainge doesn’t believe seeding is the most important factor heading into the postseason. “It’s something that we would like, of course, but it’s not more important than being healthy,” he said. “And it never is. Listen, I think home court is important in the playoffs. I don’t think it’s an end all-be all, but I do think it’s important.”
And-Ones: Ayres, NBA Together, Olympics, Season
The Japanese B League has announced it will once again postpone its season after recently attempting to resume play, Jonathon Givony of ESPN writes.
The league will be postponed until after April 1 following a “chaotic weekend” of games which revealed that multiple safety issues still remain for its players, coaches and teams, Givony notes. The league was originally postponed on Feb. 26.
“I decided not to practice or play due to concern regarding how the league, and my team specifically, was doing to keep players safe,” said former NBA player Jeff Ayres, a member of the Ryukyu Golden Kings. “I felt we were putting ourselves at risk. It was a reckless environment.”
Ayres joins a number of international players who chose to return home amidst the global coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. State Department recently issued an advisory that suggests all U.S. citizens traveling overseas return home unless they plan to live outside the country indefinitely.
“Being able to come home was a big deal for me,” Ayres said. “What if they declared a state of emergency and closed the borders? I wasn’t going to miss the birth of my child. The league wasn’t doing anything to prevent us from getting sick and had no procedures in place for what would happen if someone contracted the virus. My team in particular was not taking any of the measures that were recommended, such as taking players’ temperatures daily, until it was already too late. The league was pressuring players to play in games due to pressure from sponsors, and my team was being dismissive of our concerns.”
Ayres also mentioned that the team threatened to terminate his contract over his decision to leave, claiming that it has the situation under control.
Here are some other odds and ends from the basketball world:
- The NBA has launched a global ‘NBA Together’ campaign in response to the coronavirus pandemic, aiming to support, engage, educate and inspire youth, families and fans during the league’s unprecedented hiatus. As part of the campaign, the NBA has committed to help raise more than $50MM to support people impacted by COVID-19 around the world. The league will have a member of the NBA family participate in a live interview every weekday at 3:00pm ET, stream classic games on NBA TV and other social platforms, and offer a free preview of League Pass to fans until April 22.
- Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated examines why he believes the Olympics will be postponed, with COVID-19 likely to force organizers to push the dates of each event back. The Olympics are currently set to take place from July 24 to August 9 in Tokyo, Japan.
- The NBA’s worst off-court season in recent memory took another hit with the coronavirus pandemic, Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY writes. The season started with off-court troubles between the league and China that stemmed from a controversial tweet by Daryl Morey, progressed to the tragic deaths of former NBA commissioner David Stern and legendary Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, and culminated in a suspended season due to COVID-19.
Hiatus Notes: Dudley, Blazers, Ballmer, Booker, Mavs
Veteran forward Jared Dudley is pessimistic that the NBA will resume its season after this indefinite hiatus, he explained on FOX Sports Radio this week.
Dudley joins a growing list of NBA players and officials who are skeptical about whether the league can resume its regular season. The overall concern, he explains, is focused around limiting injuries.
“Once I heard the news of no more practice facilities, if that goes for a month or month-and-a-half to two months, I find it almost impossible to then have a season because now you’re telling a professional athlete, ‘For 60-to-80 days you’ve done no training,'” Dudley said.
League officials know that resuming the regular season after several weeks of limited training would be risky unless each team is awarded ample time of preparation, much like what’s already being offered in the fall with training camps. Dudley estimates that 70% of athletes don’t have a personal gym inside their home to utilize during this break.
“I’m not optimistic right now at all for a season to be honest with you,” Dudley said. “Unless something happens here in the next 30 days where they open back up the facilities. But how do they do that? Once everyone starts getting tested you’re going to hear more and more cases because it’s a very common thing to get.”
The NBA is discussing a plethora of different avenues to take as this unprecedented hiatus continues, with commissioner Adam Silver open to receiving suggestions from the league’s players, coaches, agents, executives and fans for the time being.
Here are some other notes related to the NBA’s hiatus:
- The Trail Blazers and owner Jody Allen have committed more than $4MM towards COVID-19 relief efforts, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). The money will assist game night employees impacted by the league’s postponement.
- The Ballmer Group, founded by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie, have donated $1MM to community groups in Los Angeles to help during the coronavirus epidemic, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times writes.
- Suns guard Devin Booker is pledging $100L through Twitch livestreaming to support non-profits that best serve the needs of the most vulnerable in the community, the team announced in a press release. Phoenix Suns Charities will match Booker’s initial donation, the release adds.
- Mark Cuban, Luka Doncic and Dwight Powell have teamed up with the Mavericks Foundation to donate $500,000 to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Hospital, the team announced (Twitter link). The funds will support childcare for healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 3/15/20 – 3/21/20
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team publishes original content to complement our news feed. Listed below are our original segments and features from the past seven days:
- We explored what the lottery odds for the 2020 NBA draft look like if the season doesn’t resume.
- We also explored which traded 2020 picks would and wouldn’t change hands based on the current league-wide standings.
- Luke Adams explained everything you need to know about luxury tax penalties in the latest Hoops Rumors Glossary post.
- He also examined the minimum salary exception, one of the NBA’s most commonly used cap exceptions.
- Our Community Shootaround this week focused on the best NBA games to re-watch during the league’s hiatus.
- Our poll question relates to whether the NBA should change its calendar in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Would you be in favor of shifting the entire NBA calendar back by roughly six-to-eight weeks on a permanent basis?
- NFL free agency is continuing to push forward in the midst of this hiatus. Be sure to check out Pro Football Rumors to stay in the loop on all NFL-related updates.