Abdul-Malik Abu

Draft Workouts: Brown, Lakers, Grizzlies, Alkins

Oregon shooting guard Troy Brown worked out for the Spurs on Sunday, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets. The Spurs hold the No. 18 pick and Brown is ranked No. 19 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Brown then worked out for the Wizards Monday and is headed to Milwaukee for an evaluation by the Bucks, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets. Washington owns the No. 15 selection with the Bucks at No. 17.

We have plenty of other workouts to pass along:

And-Ones: Lakers, Shaw, Brown

The Lakers were able to keep their 2016 first-rounder when they landed the No.2 overall pick in Tuesday’s lottery. The team still owes Philadelphia and Orlando a first round pick each and Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders breaks down the possible pick exchanges in a series of tweets. Los Angeles sends its 2017 first-rounder to Philly if it falls outside the top-3. If the Sixers get the 2017 pick, then the Magic receive the Lakers’ unprotected 2019 selection. If it doesn’t convey in 2017, then the Lakers send their 2018 unprotected pick to Philly and they wouldn’t owe Orlando a first-rounder at all. Instead, the Magic would receive a 2017 second-rounder and a 2018 second-rounder. Los Angeles is in this predicament because of its 2012 trade for Dwight Howard and its 2012 trade for Steve Nash.

Here are some notes on the upcoming draft:

  • The Lakers have offered Brian Shaw a spot on their coaching staff, but the former Nuggets coach is still weighing his options, reports Bill Oram of The Los Angeles Daily News.
  • Jaylen Brown, who’s a projected top-10 pick, won’t sign an agent. Instead, he will use the NBPA to advise him on his rookie deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets.
  • Memphis’ Dedric Lawson has withdrawn from the draft, as his father tells Gary Parrish of CBS Sports (Twitter link).
  • Abdul-Malik Abu will withdraw from the draft and return to NC State, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • Jalen Moore will withdraw from the draft and return to Utah State, Goodman tweets.
  • The Bucks have worked out Tim Quarterman, Anthony Barber, Melo Trimble, Ron Baker, Anthony Gill and Devin Williams, per the team’s website.

Celtics Notes: Ainge, Olynyk, Draft Workouts

The Celtics were unable to jump ahead of the Sixers and Lakers to snag the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday night’s NBA draft lottery and the team will draft third as a result. With Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram likely to be off the board when Boston picks, team executive Danny Ainge indicated that he doesn’t know who the team will look to select, Mike Petraglia of WEEI 93.7 FM relays. We don’t know that yet. We’ll obviously explore that,” Ainge said. “We’re in the middle of that process right now of figuring out who’s in the draft and who’s the best fit for us. We’ll also probably get some calls for that pick I’m guessing, so there’ll be discussion of that too. But right now we’re really in the mode of preparing for the draft.

Regarding the talent level of the second-tier of players in this year’s draft, Ainge told reporters, “Last year at this time I think everybody saw that [talent drop-off] and it sort of changed between what everybody thought at this time and what happened in the draft. So it’s still too early. There’s still a lot of evaluation. When you’re looking and evaluating in some cases 18 and 19-year-old kids there’s a lot that changes between the end of their college careers and the draft, so I wouldn’t say anything is in stone in how the draft order is gonna go. We’ll just evaluate them all and see how it falls.

Here’s more out of Boston:

  • Center Kelly Olynyk underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair damage to his right shoulder, and though the Celtics didn’t announce a timetable for the big man to return to action, Ainge estimates Olynyk will be out for approximately five months, Petraglia relays in a separate article. A recovery time of that duration would mean Olynyk could return during the preseason and potentially be available to start the 2016/17 campaign.
  • The Celtics are hosting two group workouts today that will include 12 players, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link). Displaying their wares for Boston will be Abdul-Malik Abu (NC State), Trevon Bluiett (Xavier), Nigel Hayes (Wisconsin), Malik Pope (San Diego State), Zhou Qi (China), James Webb III (Boise State), DeAndre Bembry (St. Joseph’s), Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia), Josh Hart (Villanova), Jake Layman (Maryland), Abdel Nader (Iowas State) and Taurean Prince (Baylor), Forsberg notes.
  • Former Louisiana-Lafayette center Shawn Long has a workout scheduled with the Celtics on June 9th, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe tweets.

Draft Notes: Richardson, Jackson, Hield

Shooting guard Malachi Richardson, who saw his stock rise higher than any other player during the combine, will not return to Syracuse. He will remain in the draft after hiring Andy Miller of ASM Sports, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Though, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Richardson will sign with Stephen Pina of ASM Sports.

“Deciding to stay in the draft was a family decision and [I] thought it was a great one. Doing what was best for me was the most important thing,” Richardson said to Goodman (ESPN Now link).

Richardson entered the draft last month, but had not hired an agent at that time. Chad Ford of ESPN.com has Richardson at No. 13 in his rankings. He’s the 37th best prospect, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

  • Justin Jackson has withdrawn his name from the NBA draft and he will return to North Carolina for his junior season, Goodman passes along (Twitter link).
  • Ian Baker tells Goodwin (Twitter link) that he has decided to withdraw from the draft and return to New Mexico State.
  • The Celtics are expected to address the backcourt should they fall outside the top-2 in the lottery and sources tell Chad Ford of ESPN.com that they are tempted by Buddy Hield. Ford adds that Hield would be ready to step in and play right away.
  • The Celtics are expected to workout power forward Abdul-Malik Abu on Wednesday, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets. Abu is expected to withdraw from the draft before the deadline and return to NC State.

Atlantic Notes: Jackson, Poeltl, Selden, Ellenson

With the annual NBA Draft Combine in full swing this week, here are the latest updates regarding the teams of the Atlantic Division:

  • Knicks team president Phil Jackson is still not among those representing New York at the combine, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv tweets. Assistant GM Allan Houston and interim coach Kurt Rambis have been observing workouts and speaking with players in Jackson’s absence.
  • LSU junior combo guard Tim Quarterman has a workout set for May 20th with the Nets, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders relays (Twitter links). The team interviewed former Oregon small forward Elgin Cook, Hamilton adds.
  • Former Gonzaga power forward Kyle Wiltjer has a workout scheduled next week with the Sixers, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly tweets.
  • The Knicks interviewed Kansas junior shooting guard Wayne Selden, Zagoria tweets. The interview was conducted by Houston, the scribe notes.
  • The Celtics have a workout scheduled on Wednesday with North Carolina State sophomore power forward Abdul Malik-Abu, Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald tweets.
  • Utah sophomore center Jakob Poeltl met with representatives from the Sixers today, Derek Bodner of Philadelphia magazine relays (on Twitter).
  • Former Baylor small forward Taurean Prince has a workout set with the Sixers for May 20th, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays (Twitter links). The scribe also notes that the team interviewed Marquette freshman big man Henry Ellenson.

Northwest Notes: Stotts, Brown, Poeltl

Mason Plumlee said Thursday that he’ll be “shocked” if the Trail Blazers don’t give Terry Stotts an extension, and Damian Lillard said a renewed deal for the coach “would mean everything to me,” notes Jay Allen of WPOJ-AM (Twitter links). Portland and representatives for the coach will reportedly explore the idea of an extension, and every Blazers player at exit interviews Thursday said they think Stotts is deserving of an extension and a raise, as KFXX-AM relays via Twitter.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

  • Gerald Henderson confirmed hints that he’d like to re-sign with the Blazers, Allen tweets“I can’t imagine a better place,” Henderson said. Maurice Harkless, headed for restricted free agency, also wants to return to Portland, KFXX-AM notes (Twitter link).
  • The Timberwolves interviewed Utah sophomore center Jakob Poeltl and UNLV freshman big man Stephen Zimmerman, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune relays (Twitter links).
  • The Jazz have scheduled a workout with Memphis small forward Dedric Lawson and are expected to set up one with Purdue freshman forward Caleb Swanigan, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune relays (Twitter links).
  • The Jazz interviewed Jaylen Brown (California) and Troy Williams (Indiana) today, and the team has scheduled meetings for Saturday with Malachi Richardson (Syracuse) and Isaiah Whitehead (Seton Hall), Jones relays in a series of tweets. The scribe also notes that Utah really likes freshman power forward Marquese Chriss (Washington), a potential lottery pick, and that the 18-year-old impressed the team during his interview.
  • The Wolves held a workout earlier this week that included Ben Bentil (Providence), Abdul Malik-Abu (North Carolina State), Abdel Nader (Iowa State), Trevon Bluiett (Xavier) and James Robinson (Pittsburgh), Zgoda tweets.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Williams, Abu, Pope

The Mavericks are pleased with the production they received this season from point guard Deron Williams, despite the veteran struggling with nagging injuries throughout the campaign, and they would like to see him remain with the team next season, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com relays. “I thought his year was extremely productive, you know, other than some of the health issues he had to work through,” coach Rick Carlisle said of Williams. “We most likely wouldn’t have won a game in the playoff series had he not played in Game 2 and come out and gotten 11 points in the first four minutes, or whatever it was. I mean, that was the only time we had a lead in the entire series, and his game in Utah was the one that got us in the playoffs. You know, he was a 20-plus point scorer that night, and it was his second game back from being out two weeks. So, I want to see him healthy. You know, when players get healthy, they’re happy, they compete better and they’re going to play better. But I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. He’s a pro and his family are terrific people. And of course, we’d like to see him back.” Williams reportedly plans to turn down his player option worth more than $5.621MM and hit free agency to seek a multiyear contract this summer.

Here’s more from out West:

  • The Spurs‘ success has made their personnel in high demand around the league, and while the team is happy for the success of its personnel, it does create more offseason work since the franchise needs to replace those it has lost, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “Like right now we have a couple of guys we have got to replace,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “[GM] R.C. [Buford] and I will think about that at the end of the season. But it does cause some disruption and work to try to get it back.” San Antonio has lost front office staffers Sean Marks to the Nets and Scott Layden to the Wolves since February, with both men being named GM of their respective teams.
  • North Carolina State sophomore power forward Abdul-Malik Abu will work out for the Timberwolves this weekend, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reports (via Twitter). Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks him as the No. 25 overall sophomore after a campaign that saw him average 12.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 28.3 minutes per contest to accompany a shooting line of .490/.000/.630.
  • San Diego State sophomore small forward Malik Pope has a workout scheduled with the Clippers for this weekend, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). Pope is the No. 25 overall sophomore according to Givony and the No. 46 player overall according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com.

Western Notes: Malik-Abu, Catanella, Ollie

N.C. State power forward Abdul Malik-Abu has a predraft workout scheduled for May 7th with the Timberwolves, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The 20-year-old is a potential second-round pick this June, with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranking him as the No. 26 sophomore overall. Malik-Abu appeared in 33 games for the Wolfpack and averaged 12.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 28.3 minutes per outing. His shooting line on the campaign was .490/.000/.630.

Here’s more from out West:

  • Ken Catanella, who was named the Kings‘ assistant GM on Thursday, will be Sacramento’s salary cap specialist in addition to assisting with personnel decisions and day-to-day operations, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Catanella said he’s excited to work with executive Vlade Divac and assist in his vision for the franchise, Jones adds. “For me it’s all a part of wanting to be bigger part of something bigger than ourselves,” Catanella said.
  • Despite the competition between franchises for available head coaches, the Rockets don’t intend to rush their search, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “We’re going to get the coach search right. We’re not going to do something quickly,” GM Daryl Morey told reporters.
  • Morey also told the media that unnamed NBA teams have put out negative information about the Rockets in order to hurt them in free agency, while downplaying the chemistry issues Houston has reportedly had this season, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link).
  • UConn coach Kevin Ollie, who is reportedly interested in the Lakers’ vacant coaching post, told Christian Vital, a player he is recruiting, that he intends to remain at the university next season, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays. “Basically [Ollie], he’s texted me before 9 every day this week,” Vital told Scout.com. “Just letting me know about he Lakers situation and that he loves me and he’s staying at UConn. That really means something to me, to have that kind of relationship with the head coach, knowing he has a million things to do.

Abdul-Malik Abu To Enter Draft

North Carolina State sophomore Abdul-Malik Abu intends to test the waters and enter the 2016 NBA draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Abu won’t hire an agent right away, Goodman notes, so he’ll retain his college eligibility if he pulls out in advance of the May 25th withdrawal deadline.

The power forward has demonstrated some raw potential as a post player during his two seasons with the Wolfpack, who ended the 2015/16 campaign with a mark of 16-17. Abu appeared in 33 games this season and averaged 12.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 28.3 minutes per contest to accompany a shooting line of .490/.000/.630.

It’s probably a wise decision for Abu to delay hiring an agent since he’s not a surefire draft pick this season. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks him as the No. 25 overall sophomore, and he doesn’t even appear on Chad Ford of ESPN.com‘s list of his top 100 players.