Draft Notes: Okoro, Hayes, Adams, Hunter
Auburn star Isaac Okoro has confirmed, in an interview with Jason Jordan of Sports Illustrated, that he will remain in the NBA draft.
“I’ll be officially in the draft,” Okoro said. “I haven’t posted it on social media, but I feel like it will be the best move for me. It’s always been a dream of mine since I was a little kid to have a chance to make it to the NBA. It feels so surreal right now, but I also know once draft day comes, I’m just gonna be ready for the moment.”
Okoro is projected as a high lottery pick after averaging 12.8 points and 4.4 rebounds for the Tigers as a freshman. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has him rated fourth overall and as the No. 1 small forward on the board in his list of the top 100 prospects. Early entrants have until June 3 to withdraw, but Okoro has already signed with an agency and said his decision is final.
There’s more draft news to pass along:
- Potential top 10 pick Killian Hayes will skip a three-week tournament that the German league is planning for June, according to Givony. Some teams are permitting players to decide whether they want to participate in the proposed 10-team, 36-game event, which will determine the league champion and an automatic berth in the EuroLeague next season.
- Jordyn Adams has withdrawn from the draft and will return to Austin Peay, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Adams averaged 17.4 points per game this year as a freshman.
- Chance Hunter will return to Long Beach State after withdrawing from the draft, Rothstein adds (via Twitter).
Northwest Notes: Collins, Millsap, Hernangomez, Jazz
Trail Blazers big man Zach Collins is optimistic about finishing the season after participating in Friday’s conference call with commissioner Adam Silver, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic.
“I feel confident after hearing him talk that we will play again — it just might not be for a while,” Collins said. “The way he was talking, there will be some kind of regular season — whether it’s a tournament or not as many games — there’s going to be something. There’s too many teams, especially in the West, that can make (the playoffs). And he was speaking like there is a lot of time to finish everything, so that was encouraging to hear.”
Collins, who was among the players that worked out at the Blazers’ facility when it reopened yesterday, was left in a unique situation by the hiatus. He had shoulder surgery in November and hoped to return to action by the end of March, but the ban on competition leaves his status uncertain until full practices resume.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Nuggets will face a difficult decision when Paul Millsap becomes a free agent this offseason, notes Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. They picked up a team option on Millsap last summer, but that was before they were able to acquire Jerami Grant from the Thunder. Grant is expected to opt out of a $9MM salary for next season and seek a multi-year deal. Millsap is Denver’s oldest player by far at age 35, and the Nuggets will have to determine if they can afford to keep both him and Grant.
- The Timberwolves have resources available to upgrade at power forward, but they may decide they don’t need to now that they have Juan Hernangomez, suggests Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune. Minnesota acquired Hernangomez in a four-team deal in February and he was productive in 14 games, improving his 3-point shooting to 42% after hitting 25% in Denver. Minnesota expects to have two first-round picks this year and could be in position to target Aaron Gordon if the Magic decide to shake up their roster.
- The Jazz will be affected by furloughs announced Friday by the Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment group, writes Art Raymond of The Deseret News. There will be a 40% reduction in staff throughout the organization, but a spokesman said all employees are expected to return to work when coronavirus restrictions are lifted.
Kevin Love Discusses Getting Back To Basketball
It was an unusual workout, but for Kevin Love and a few of his Cavaliers teammates, Friday’s session was the closest thing to normal in the past two months, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The Cavs and Trail Blazers were the first two teams to reopen their facilities Friday after getting clearance from the league.
Love was joined by teammates Larry Nance Jr., Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic, who each worked on one of the main hoops at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Under the NBA’s new guidelines, only four players at a time can be in the team facility and they must remain at least 12 feet apart.
“I played 25-ish years of organized basketball, and this is the longest I’ve ever gone without touching (a basketball). And it’s something I really, really enjoy doing,” Love said. “So for me, it definitely was a big dopamine hit, and it just felt great to get in there and sweat outside of doing my workouts at home or getting on a treadmill. Going out there and having some sense of normalcy and getting on the court and actually shooting was pretty uplifting.”
Before they could enter the building, the players had their temperatures taken and were required to answer questions about their health. Each player was assigned an assistant coach who rebounded and passed while wearing a face mask and gloves.
Every basket had a nearby table with disinfectants, towels and water. The players weren’t permitted to shower afterward and their access was limited to the practice court, weight room and training room.
While Love enjoyed the return to basketball, he said the new conditions will take some getting used to.
“It’s just going to change the way — at least for the foreseeable future — of not only how we interact but how we live in our daily lives. So for me, was it weird? Yeah,” Love said. “I had (assistant coach) Dan Geriot at my basket and having him rebound and pass me the ball with a mask and gloves on. It’s just odd. It’s just weird.”
International Notes: Micic, Campazzo, EuroLeague, Italy
Vasilije Micic, whose draft rights are owned by the Sixers, believes he can become an impact player in the NBA, relays Dario Skerletic of Sportando. In an interview with 15min.lt., the Serbian point guard, who currently plays for Anadolu Efes in Turkey, said he improved this season, even though it has been placed on hold because of coronavirus concerns.
“This year I feel I climbed one or two steps higher, because this season was even more successful for me,” Micic said. “My team played even better and I was an important part of that. I don’t want to just play in the NBA. I don’t want to be proud of just an NBA record. I want to be part of an NBA team, get the chance to play. Playing in the NBA alone won’t make me happy if I can’t be significant there.
“I like to play a lot. I like to control the game. This is my style of play. I could play fewer minutes, play a smaller role, but I think that during my career in Europe I have already gained the status of a player, which shows that I could play a role longer than 20 minutes, which might be waiting for me in the NBA.”
Philadelphia selected the 26-year-old with the 52nd pick in the 2014 draft. Several NBA teams have been monitoring his situation in the event of a possible trade.
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Recent reports indicated the Spurs and Mavericks have interest in Real Madrid guard Facundo Campazzo, but his agent, Claudio Villanueva, says they aren’t the only ones, Skerletic writes in a separate piece. “In the past two years, during the season, NBA scouts have spoken to me a thousand times,” Villanueva said. “… If the NBA does not keep an eye on one of the best, it would be crazy. But there is nothing concrete, there is nothing spoken.”
- There’s “constrained optimism” that the EuroLeague will have an announcement on the resumption of its season before the end of the month, according to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net. Leagues in Germany and Israel both announced plans this week to return to action.
- The encouraging news also extends to Italy, which was once the hardest-hit spot for COVID-19, adds Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Individual workouts resumed today for AX Armani Exchange Milano, although there are no plans in place to resume formal team activities.
2020/21 Salary Cap Preview: New York Knicks
Hoops Rumors is looking ahead at the 2020/21 salary cap situations for all 30 NBA teams. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the NBA calendar, it’s impossible to know yet where the cap for 2020/21 will land. Given the league’s lost revenue, we’re assuming for now that it will stay the same as the ’19/20 cap, but it’s entirely possible it will end up higher or lower than that.
It was another dismal season for the Knicks, who were on track to miss the playoffs for a seventh consecutive year when the season was suspended in March. And while RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson look like potential long-term building blocks, former top-10 picks Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina still aren’t producing consistently for the club.
The good news? The Knicks have a new president of basketball operations (Leon Rose) who will likely bring in a new head coach and some new voices in the front office. Plus, with plenty of cap flexibility going forward, the team isn’t locked into the current roster.
Here’s where things stand for the Knicks financially in 2020/21, as we launch our Salary Cap Preview series:
Guaranteed Salary
- Julius Randle ($18,900,000)
- RJ Barrett ($8,231,760)
- Joakim Noah ($6,431,667) — Waived via stretch provision.
- Frank Ntilikina ($6,176,578)
- Dennis Smith Jr. ($5,686,677)
- Kevin Knox ($4,588,680)
- Ignas Brazdeikis ($1,517,981)
- Taj Gibson ($1,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below. 1
- Wayne Ellington ($1,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below. 2
- Elfrid Payton ($1,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below. 3
- Reggie Bullock ($1,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below. 4
- Total: $55,533,343
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- Bobby Portis ($15,750,000)
- Theo Pinson ($1,701,593)
- Total: $17,451,593
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Taj Gibson ($8,450,000) 1
- Wayne Ellington ($7,000,000) 2
- Elfrid Payton ($7,000,000) 3
- Reggie Bullock ($3,200,000) 4
- Mitchell Robinson ($1,663,861) 5
- Kenny Wooten (two-way)
- Total: $27,313,861
Restricted Free Agents
- Damyean Dotson ($2,023,150 qualifying offer / $2,023,150 cap hold): Bird rights
- Jared Harper (two-way qualifying offer / $1,445,697 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $3,468,847
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Maurice Harkless ($16,516,851): Bird rights
- No. 8 overall pick ($4,862,040)
- No. 27 overall pick ($1,977,000)
- Total: $23,355,891
Offseason Cap Outlook
In theory, the Knicks could operate as an over-the-cap team if they retain all of their veterans with team options or non-guaranteed salaries. In reality, I’d expect only two or three of those players to be back. Besides Robinson, who will obviously be retained, Bullock looks like a solid value, and Gibson and/or Payton are candidates to stick around.
Even if they retain all of those players, plus their guys on guaranteed deals and their two first-round picks, the Knicks project to open up more than $25MM in cap space, assuming the cap doesn’t drop from its 2019/20 level. Moving on from Gibson, Payton, and/or Bullock would push that number even higher and could result in New York having the second- or third-most room of any NBA team this offseason.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Room exception: $4,767,000 6
- Trade exception: $3,988,766 (expires 2/8/21) 7
Footnotes
- Gibson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 17.
- Ellington’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 17.
- Payton’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 17.
- Bullock’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 17.
- Robinson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 17.
- This is a projected value.
- The Knicks will have to renounce this exception in order to use cap room.
Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are based on the salary cap and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA Will Likely Need To Restructure CBA Amid Pandemic
During Adam Silver‘s call with NBA players on Friday, many near-term questions were presented, but there was a shortage of definitive answers as the league aims to resume its 2019/20 season. Silver stressed the need for testing and how it will expand as players return to practice facilities. Additionally, more information was provided in terms of travel, training camp and the 2020/21 season.
All of that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the financial impact the league will endure. With the season suspended in March, there have been no NBA games for two months and if they do resume, there is no guarantee fans will be allowed, potentially for all of 2020.
Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the NBA was projecting $8 billion in revenue for the current season and $8.4 billion in 2020/21. However, those projections were in place before the coronavirus outbreak. As Silver noted, having fans in the stands for all games equates to 40% of the NBA’s revenue.
If the league moves forward with fan-less arenas, which may be limited to one or two locations at least for the rest of 2019/20, the loss of revenue will essentially force the league to restructure the current collective bargaining agreement. The league has already cut back salaries of employees, including players, while teams evaluate paying non-laid off or furloughed employees on a month to month basis.
Pau Gasol Interested In Finishing Career With Lakers
As Pau Gasol‘s professional career winds down, the legendary Spaniard says he would have interest in finishing his NBA career in the Lakers purple and gold, as Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints writes.
Gasol tells the outlet that while there have not been many opportunities to return to the team where he enjoyed his greatest successes, he would welcome the chance.
“It’s something that has been on my mind,” Gasol said. “Kind of like the potential of maybe finishing or playing my last year with the Lakers would be great. It’s appealing if you will, but the opportunity never really kind of presented itself in a serious official manner.
“I have a great relationship and love for (Lakers owner) Jeanie (Buss) and the Lakers organization and the city of Los Angeles, which is always going to remain extremely meaningful to me no matter what, but we’ll see…”
Gasol, 39, has not appeared in an NBA game since he appeared in 30 contests with the Spurs and Bucks during the 2018/19 campaign. The six-time All-Star signed with the Trail Blazers last July but was waived by the team before appearing in a regular-season game as a left foot injury hampered him.
After not latching on with another team, Gasol indicated in February that he hoped to suit up for Spain in the Olympics and was aiming for an NBA return. Given the coronavirus pandemic, Gasol will not get to suit up for Spain this summer, but would still like to play in the Olympics in 2021 if possible and hasn’t given up on a potential NBA comeback, even as he acknowledges that retirement isn’t out of the question.
Adam Silver On Player Travel, Testing, 2020/21 Season
During Friday’s call with NBA players, league commissioner Adam Silver addressed several topics regarding future plans to potentially resume the 2019/20 season. It remains unclear if or when that could happen but Silver discussed coronavirus testing, locations to play and the length of a possible training camp.
Silver also addressed other topics on the call, including other players that had been tested for coronavirus, potential travel alternatives for players should the season resume, and a potential start date for next season.
Check out some of those notes below:
- Silver mentioned that the NBA would not allow teams to use privates jets to shuttle players concerned with commercial travel to workouts, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported (Twitter link). One of the reasons for that decision is to manage a competitive advantage amongst teams, per Wojnarowski.
- While Jazz center Rudy Gobert was the first NBA player to test positive for coronavirus, he was not the first player to be tested for the disease, Silver told players, per Yahoo’s Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Silver added that before the crisis shuttered the season, the league was ahead of the curve in terms of testing.
- Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, a Christmas Day start to the 2020/21 season is “gaining momentum.” Obviously, if the current reason were to pick up, the ending could go well into August or September, when training camps typically begin. Therefore, a later beginning to the following season would be needed. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer suggested on Friday that even a January start isn’t out of the question.
Three-Week Minimum Anticipated For Training Camp
Commissioner Adam Silver believes a three-to-six week ramp-up period would be needed in order to resume the season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Silver was asked about the length of training camp during a conference call with players on Friday. A minimum of three weeks has been discussed around the league, Silver replied, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
With Silver indicating that no decision regarding the resumption of the season needed to made this month, that would suggest that play would resume no earlier than July.
The league is taking baby steps toward getting players back into training facilities. The NBA has given the go-ahead for teams to allow players back into their usual facilities under heavy restrictions. Only the Cavaliers and the Trail Blazers were able or willing to unlock their facilities on Friday, displaying the cautious approach many franchises and players have adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Marc Stein of the New York Times reports.
Larry Nance Jr., Kevin Love, Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic showed up at the Cavaliers’ practice facility. Nance spent approximately 90 minutes taking shots and doing weight work, while the others spend their time at separate baskets. All the players were subject to temperature checks before being allowed in the facility.
“They did a really good job of making sure we all felt great about being there,” Nance told Stein. “They could make it at 4 in the morning and I would be there.”
Other players around the league don’t share Nance’s enthusiasm. During the conference call with Silver, Thunder guard and Players Association president Chris Paul expressed the concerns of some players that they felt pressure to work out at their teams’ facilities, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Silver reiterated that the workouts are optional and advised Paul to follow up with the league if any players had issues with their respective teams during the reopening of the facilities.
Western Notes: Warriors, Hill, Doncic, Pelicans
Warriors head of basketball operations Bob Myers offered assurances that his team will be in a competitive mode if play resumes this season, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports. Coach Steve Kerr raised some eyebrows last week when he said the franchise was already in “offseason mode.” But Myers indicated his team will give its best. “The truth is we have the worst record in the league. … It’s hard to motivate in our unique position,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean players don’t have pride and won’t come back and play and care about the league as a whole. We want to be good partners and we will be good partners.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- The Clippers won’t allow assistant Armond Hill to coach when the team reopens its practice facility, according to The Athletic’s David Aldridge. Hill is the team’s oldest coach at 67 and head coach Doc Rivers doesn’t want to put him at immediate risk. “He wants to go work,” Rivers said. “And I said, ‘Well, I understand that. But we’re not going to let you do it. We just can’t. I can’t live with that.’”
- Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic flew home to Slovenia on a private jet shortly after the NBA suspended the season, Shelburne reveals in a separate story. Doncic will have to go into quarantine once he returns to the U.S., though domestic players who flew out of state during the shutdown will also have to quarantine.
- Meyers Leonard, JaMychal Green and Alex Len are some of the free agent targets the Pelicans could explore to fortify their frontcourt, William Guillory of The Athletic opines. New Orleans could also pursue a deal for the Nets’ Jarrett Allen if Brooklyn decides to make DeAndre Jordan its starting center, Guillory adds.