Eastern Notes: Pistons, Wizards, Carroll
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy had the opportunity to veto the team’s hire of Arn Tellem as the vice chairman of Palace Sports and Entertainment, David Aldridge of NBA.com writes. “[Team owner] Tom [Gores] told me, if you’re not comfortable with this, you can veto this,” Van Gundy said. “And I had no intention of doing that. I have 100 percent confidence in Tom. I respect his intellect. I respect his integrity.”
Van Gundy will still make the final calls on personnel in Detroit, but he plans to use Tellem’s experience and knowledge in determining player values, Aldridge adds. “Clearly he has a lot of contacts and people that have a loyalty to him,” Van Gundy said. “And that’s what most people will focus on. But the other side that will help us even when it’s with people that Arn doesn’t have a relationship with is, Arn’s been through this so many times with so many clients, he knows what pushes players’ buttons in the recruiting process. He’s been on the other side of it to know what works and what doesn’t. He can bring to us the other side and educate us on the other side of things.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Wizards have workouts scheduled on Wednesday for Traevon Jackson (Wisconsin), Antoine Mason (Auburn), Gabriel Olaseni (Iowa), M.J. Rhett (Mississippi), Satnam Singh (India), and Maurice Walker (Minnesota), the team announced.
- Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker and Wisconsin forward Sam Dekker will work out for the Hornets on Wednesday, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer tweets.
- DeMarre Carroll reiterated past comments indicating that the Hawks will be his first choice in free agency this summer, adding that he’ll nonetheless keep his options open as he spoke in a radio interview on Paul Gant’s “Go For It” show (audio link; transcription via Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Northwest Notes: Jokic, Tomic, Winslow
Nikola Jokic has been making it known he’s on his way to the Nuggets for next season, as David Pick of Eurobasket.com hears (Twitter link). The Serbian whom Denver took 41st overall last year intends to join the Nuggets, as Pick reported earlier, after spending this past season as a draft-and-stash prospect. It’s unclear just what sort of terms it’ll take to make that happen, as Pick reported last month that Jokic was insistent upon a long-term deal. There’s more on another draft-and-stash big man amid the latest from around the Northwest Division:
- Ante Tomic is apparently once more leaning toward a multiyear extension with Barcelona of Spain, sources tell Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia. Utah’s draft-and-stash center was reportedly set to ink a three-year extension with Barcelona as of April, but he’s yet to do so, and earlier he wouldn’t rule out signing with the Jazz. Last week, he appeared thoroughly undecided on his future.
- The Nuggets are indeed working out Justise Winslow on Wednesday, the team announced, confirming a report from Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, who said that the team was expected to audition the Duke small forward.
- The Blazers brought in Virginia small forward Justin Anderson, Connecticut point guard Ryan Boatright, French center Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Arizona point guard T.J. McConnell, and Maryland shooting guard Dez Wells for a predraft workout today, the team announced (Twitter link). Arizona small forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, as Jabari Young of CSNNW.com previously reported, is also a part of the workout.
- The Jazz will hire Hawks strength and conditioning coach Jeff Watkinson as an assistant coach, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed Watkinson is leaving the team to rejoin Jazz head coach Quin Snyder, whom Watkinson used to work with on the Hawks and at the University of Missouri, as Vivlamore details.
And-Ones: Okafor, Mickey, Stiggers, Lottery
The Lakers will work out Jahlil Okafor on Tuesday, the team announced (Twitter link), in what will be the first predraft workout that the center from Duke will have with an NBA team. Okafor recently dismissed rumors that he preferred to play for the Lakers, who draft No. 2 overall, instead of the Timberwolves, who have the top pick, but it seems he’s no certainty for either the first or second picks, so Tuesday’s audition carries no small consequence. Okafor won’t have to travel far, as he’s been working out independently in Southern California of late, as he tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors recently broke down the big man’s game as part of our Prospect Profile Series. Here’s more from around the NBA:
- The Pacers, Hawks and Thunder will work out LSU power forward Jordan Mickey, as he told reporters, including Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
- University of Houston guard Jherrod Stiggers will work out this week for the Hawks and Nets, his agent tells Shlomo Sprung of SheridanHoops (Twitter link). Dan Curtin is the representative for Stiggers, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
- Serbian point guard Nikola Radicevic will have predraft workouts with the Wizards and Thunder, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (on Twitter).
- Commissioner Adam Silver made it clear last week that while he supports lottery reform, he’d like to wait to see the league’s economics after the salary cap jumps next summer before making a renewed push for change, as RealGM transcribes.
Q&A With First-Round Prospect Kevon Looney
Leading up to the draft, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s class. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with UCLA forward Kevon Looney, who is ranked No. 19 in this year’s class by Chad Ford of ESPN.com and No. 20 by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
Coming out of high school, scouting services collectively had Kevon Looney as the No. 11 player in the nation and he had offers from just about every elite program under the sun. Now, after one year at UCLA, Looney is making the jump to the pros and is widely projected to be a first-round selection.
Looney is blessed with great size for the power forward position at the next level. Standing at a shade over 6’9″ in shoes, Looney boasts an almost freakish wingspan of 7’3.5″. With that length, Looney can grab loose rebounds with the best of ’em and has the potential to grow by leaps and bounds on the defensive end. On offense, Looney showed last season that he’s getting more and more comfortable with his jump shot, a skill that helped to spread out the floor for the Bruins.
On Saturday, Hoops Rumors caught up with the very busy 19-year-old between flights to talk about his stock heading into June 25th, and his NBA future.
Zach Links: What was it like coming to UCLA as a freshman and immediately jumping into a starring role?
Kevon Looney: It was a great experience for me and a great learning experience for me. I think I got better as both a player and as a person. I made a lot of strides and I made a lot of friends while I was there.
ZL: What were some of the strides you made on the court?
KL: I would say my biggest improvement was probably my shooting. As the year went on, I shot better and it continued to get better. I don’t know if I got better at rebounding, but I showed that I could do it for sure. I proved that I could do it in high school but to show that to the world in college was important to me. That was probably my greatest strength this year.
ZL: Did you consider staying for another year?
KL: Yes, a little bit. I figured I could stay at UCLA for another year and get better. I mean, everyone wants to win a college National Championship and I felt like if I came back, we could have won even more as a team. But, at the end of the day, I wanted to pursue my dream and become a first-round draft pick.
ZL: You’ve shown that you can rebound over bigger and stronger opponents. What’s your secret?
KL: It’s just something I always had a knack for. I’m really long and I have good timing for it. I’ve always been good at it and I’ve always wanted to be the best at it.
ZL: Are you looking to add muscle to your frame? How much weight are you looking to put on?
KL: I’m not sure what my goal weight is. Right now I’m playing so much that it’s hard to get in the weight room. But, as soon as I’m done with the draft, I’ll talk to whatever team drafts me and get a plan for my body. I’ve never had a problem putting on weight before, so I think I’ll be able to put on weight pretty fast.
ZL: What workouts have you had so far and what workouts are coming up?
KL: So far, I’ve worked out for the Thunder, Suns, Jazz, and Pistons. Coming up, I’ve got the Hawks, Heat, Bucks, Raptors, Hornets, Celtics, and Knicks.
ZL: Do you have an idea of where you might get drafted?
KL: My agent tells me anywhere from No. 7 to No. 20. That’s my range right now.
ZL: What NBA player would you compare yourself to?
KL: I don’t know if I’m all that similar to anyone but I can tell you that I try to play like Anthony Davis and LaMarcus Aldridge. I don’t know if I’m exactly like them but I’m trying to be [laughs].
ZL: You shot the ball well from three-point range (41.5%) last season, but you only attempted 53 three pointers in total. Could you see yourself shooting from outside more at the next level?
KL: Yeah, I think I’m comfortable shooting from NBA range and I think I’ll be called upon to spread the floor out. That’s one of my strong suits, and I really zoned in on that this offseason.
ZL: It seems like there’s a perception that you have a good amount of upside but that you’re still a little green and won’t make a big impact right away. Do you disagree with that assessment?
KL: I think so. I don’t think I’m that far away from making an impact at all. I know I have a lot of work to do, but once I get stronger, I’ll be much better. I know I can gain weight fast and once I get stronger, I know that I can make an instant impact.
ZL: What kind of things are you doing day to day to get ready for what’s ahead?
KL: Before I got busy with all these team workouts, I was doing yoga in the morning and then going to the track to do sprints. Then I would run a couple miles and come back and play some basketball.
ZL: How long have you been doing yoga?
KL: I did yoga in high school, I did some at UCLA, and I’ve been doing it every day ever since the season ended. It helps me a lot. I do hot yoga all the time and that helps me to keep my core strong and helps my breathing for some reason. I learned how to breathe and get rid of tension pent up my lungs.
ZL: What led you to choose Aaron Goodwin and Todd Ramasar to represent you?
KL: I let my parents pick out a few people that would be the best for me and I met with the people that they picked. Those two guys were the best fit for me. … When you look at someone like Aaron, he has some big-name people there but he also has time for me. He’s a great guy with vision and I really feel like I’m going to benefit from his experience.
ZL: What are your plans for draft night?
KL: Hopefully I’ll get an invite to the green room! Even if I don’t, I’ll probably end up going to New York to get the full experience.
Draft Notes: Looney, Payne, Workouts
UCLA Product Kevon Looney told Zach Links of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link) that his agents hear that he could be drafted anywhere from No. 7 to No. 20 in the draft. The forward is represented by both Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management and Todd Ramasar of Stealth Sports, as our Agency Database shows. Looney also tells Links (Twitter link) that he has scheduled workouts with the Hawks, Heat, Bucks, Raptors, Hornets, Celtics and Knicks.
Here are some notes from Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times on the upcoming draft:
- Woelfel is hearing that Looney won’t be taken until late in the first round due to concerns about his asthma. Scouts that have monitored his career since he was in high school believe it has adversely affected his play. Woelfel notes that other scouts are not overly concerned because there were several NBA players with asthma who’ve had productive careers with the proper medication.
- In a poll of four longtime NBA scouts, Looney was ranked as the 10th best prospect in the draft.
- Cameron Payne was expected to work out for the Bucks, but his agent informed the team that the point guard won’t be coming to Milwaukee because he believes Payne will be drafted before that.
- Payne is still expected to work out for the Kings, who own the No. 6 selection. Payne has previously worked out for the Pacers and the Thunder.
Eastern Notes: Hawks, Wade, Woods
With the sale of the Hawks nearly completed, the situation regarding embattled GM Danny Ferry is still waiting a definitive resolution, Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. Schultz predicts the most likely outcome is that Ferry simply resigns and Atlanta gives coach Mike Budenholzer a new contract and more autonomy, and places assistant GM Wes Wilcox in charge of the basketball operations department, at least for the 2015/16 campaign.
Here’s the latest from the Eastern Conference:
- The Cavaliers announced that point guard Kyrie Irving suffered a fractured left kneecap during the first game of the NBA Finals, and he will require surgery to repair the damage that will keep him out of action for a minimum of three to four months.
- In his weekly mailbag, a reader asked Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel if he felt that the Heat‘s personnel mistakes have fueled Dwyane Wade‘s concern moving forward. Winderman believes that Wade has lost a good amount of trust in the front office and if the team was winning now, salary might not be such a sticking point for him. The question is whether the Heat are “all in” for 2015/16 and, at present, Winderman isn’t sure that’s the case.
- The Magic have expressed interest in Butler big man Kameron Woods, who is not projected to be picked in the upcoming NBA Draft, David Woods of The Indianapolis Star writes. The team interviewed Woods last week, and could be looking to sign the forward as a free agent after the draft, the Indy Star scribe adds.
- The Pistons are holding workouts today for Bobby Portis (Arkansas), Kevon Looney (UCLA), Sir’Dominic Pointer (St. John’s), D.J. Newbill (Penn State), Will Cummings (Temple), and Juwan Howard Jr. (Detroit), Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Dragic, Butler
The sale of the Hawks is slated to become official on June 24th, a source tells Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Tony Ressler will become the majority owner of the franchise, which sold for a price of $730MM, down from the estimated $750MM to $1 billion figure that had previously been reported, as Vivlamore notes. The purchasing group additionally consists of Grant Hill, Rick Schnall, Sara Blakely, and Jesse Itzler. Hopefully, the sale will help turn a new page on the inner workings of an otherwise successful franchise that was marred by scandal last summer. Here’s more from the Southeast Division, who for the first time in four seasons won’t have a representative in the NBA Finals..
- One of Goran Dragic’s two agents, Rade Filipovich, believes that his client wants Dwyane Wade to stay in Miami, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. “We are monitoring closely what’s going on; Wade is a very important piece for Miami’s future; he’s a superstar,” said Filipovich, who also expressed optimism that the Heat will retain Wade. “Goran wants Wade to stay. But it’s my opinion. I can’t answer for Goran. It’s not the focus for Goran.”
- If Dragic is not re-signed, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post wonders if the Heat might chase free agent Rajon Rondo. Miami would be in scramble mode for a new point guard if Dragic flees, but Rondo still doesn’t seem like a good fit given all his baggage and his decline at this stage in his career. As Lieser notes, Rondo could wind up with the Lakers, who have also been heavily connected to Dragic for some time.
- Rasual Butler wants to return to the Wizards and he’s not making a secret of it. Brandon Parker of The Washington Post looked back at the season that Butler had in D.C. and looked at how he might fit in with the team in 2015/16. Butler, 36, averaged 7.7 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 20.1 minutes per contest last season.
Charlie Adams contributed to this post.
Q&A With Harvard Guard Wesley Saunders
Throughout the spring and summer, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with Harvard point guard Wesley Saunders.
Many notable figures in U.S. history have cut their teeth at Harvard, but there haven’t been a ton of high-level professional athletes to come out of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Point guard Wesley Saunders, however, could be an exception. After leading the Crimson to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and two memorable upsets, Saunders is now looking to continue his career at the highest level. Saunders, who is racking up serious frequent flyer miles as he auditions for teams all across the country, spoke with Hoops Rumors at the airport before heading to Atlanta to work out for the Hawks.
Zach Links: What workouts do you have scheduled?
Wesley Saunders: When all is said and done I’ll have worked out for the 76ers, Hawks, Mavericks, Clippers, Bulls, Magic, Bucks, and Knicks. 
ZL: Do you think it’ll be tough bouncing around from city to city so quickly and giving 100% for each of these?
WS: I don’t necessarily think it’s too much pressure, really. In the Ivy League we used to play games back-to-back on the weekends, so I have a bit of an advantage over some of the other guys from different conferences because I’m used to it. I’m used to going out there one night and giving my all on the court and doing it all over again the next night.
ZL: How did the 76ers workout go?
WS: It went well. It was my first one so I was a little bit nervous. I didn’t know what to expect going in but I think that those guys have a really great workout plan laid out. It was fast-paced, quick, and efficient. I did a lot of shooting drills, some 1-on-1, some 3-on-3. This is fun for me, we’ve been working out and getting ready for these workouts so I’m well prepared.
ZL: Where are you working out of? Are you working out with other players?
WS: I’ve been in the Los Angeles area, mostly at USC and Westchester High School. I’ve mostly been doing it solo but I’ve also worked out a bit with Dwayne Polee since we’re in the same agency.
ZL: If you had to compare yourself to an NBA player, who would it be?
WS: I’d say Wesley Matthews. I think that coming out of college we have some similar skill sets. We’re around 6’5″ and 220 pounds. A lot of people say we’re not super athletic, but we’re certainly athletic enough. [Matthews] was by no means a lights-out shooter like he is now. He developed that later on and I think I can develop in the same way that he did. He created a great career for himself and he’s one of the best shooting guards in the league right now.
ZL: What do you think makes you stand out over other point guards in this class?
WS: I think it’s my versatility. I have the ability to make plays for myself or for others and I have a high basketball IQ. I’m good at playing out of the pick-and-roll and that’s like 80 or 90% of the game in the NBA right now. I can defend against 1s, 2s, or 3s on defense and I just think that I have that jack-of-all-trades quality. I can fit into a lot of different roles.
ZL: What do you want to work on?
WS: I definitely want to work on my shooting consistency from three-point range. I shot about 42% from outside this year, but that’s the college three. The NBA three is a whole different animal. I also want to improve my lateral quickness and my explosiveness so that I can really stay in front of those quick 1s.
ZL: In the last three years your Harvard teams have wound up on the national stage in the NCAA tournament. What was your anxiety level like going into each tourney?
WS: I was the most nervous for the first one against New Mexico. I think that was because we had never been there before, so everything was kind of brand new. We were playing against a really good team and people said they were a possible FInal Four team. They were a really popular tournament pick. We were an underdog. Nobody really knew about us. We just got into a rhythm and we were able to pull out the win.
The next year against Cincinnati was a little bit different. Going into it we were really confident. We felt like with the type of team they were, we could definitely have some success against them. We went in, we executed our game plan and came out with a victory.
This year against North Carolina, that was another one where we had a lot of nerves. That’s obviously a program with a storied history and so many great players have come through there. Obviously we were all familiar with Roy Williams and all the great players they had; at the same time, we’ve been there before. We’ve been the underdogs, so we knew we could get it done. Unfortunately, we couldn’t pull it out, but we gave them a good battle.
ZL: I imagine that the academic pressures of playing at Harvard can be pretty overwhelming for some guys.
WS: Honestly, it really wasn’t for me because I went to a great high school and that prepared me for the academic load at Harvard. It all just came down to time management.
ZL: Was that a concern for you before you committed to Harvard?
WS: I don’t think I had any hesitations about Harvard from that standpoint. The real hesitation for me was from a basketball standpoint: Was Harvard good enough athletically for me to really achieve my dream in the NBA? But, after talking to Coach [Tommy] Amaker and getting a feel for his vision of the program and where I would fit in, I felt comfortable that if I worked hard and believed in his system that I would be able to achieve my dream.
ZL: What led you to choose Tandem Sports and Entertainment to represent you?
WS: I just felt like I really fell in line with the players that they have already in their agency. They have some really high character guys and I really felt like they do things the right way.
Everybody in the agency is honest and trustworthy and they’re people that really want to help me with my career going forward. I think they’re very professional and, at the same time, they really have a vested interest in my success. They’re helping me to have not only a great basketball career, but a great life just moving forward, so I definitely felt comfortable with them.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
2015/16 Roster Counts: Atlanta Hawks
During the offseason it’s OK for teams to carry as many as 20 players, but clubs must trim their rosters down to a maximum of 15 by opening night. In the meantime, some teams will hang around that 15-man line, while others will max out their roster counts. Some clubs may actually have more than 15 contracts that are at least partially guaranteed on the books. That means they’ll end up paying players who won’t be on the regular season roster, unless they can find trade partners.
With plenty more movement still to come, here’s the latest look at the Hawks’ roster size, the contract guarantee status of each player, and how each player came to be on Atlanta’s roster.
(Last Updated 2-29-16, 5:00pm)
Fully Guaranteed (15)
- Kent Bazemore (G) — 6’5″/25 years old. Free agent signing.
- Tim Hardaway Jr.(G/F) — 6’6″/23 years old. Acquired via trade from Knicks.
- Kirk Hinrich (G) — 6’4″/34 years old. Acquired via trade from Bulls.
- Al Horford (C) — 6’10″/28 years old. Drafted with No. 3 overall pick in 2007.
- Kris Humphries (F) — 6’9″/30 years old. Free agent signing.
- Kyle Korver (G/F) — 6’7″/34 years old. Acquired via trade from Hawks.
- Paul Millsap (F) — 6’8″/30 years old. Free agent signing.
- Mike Muscala (F/C) — 6’11″/23 years old. Draft rights acquired from Mavericks.
- Lamar Patterson (G) — 6’5″/23 years old. Draft rights acquired via Bucks.
- Dennis Schröder (G) — 6’1″/21 years old. Drafted with No. 17 overall pick in 2013.
- Mike Scott (F) — 6’8″/26 years old. Drafted with No. 43 overall pick in 2012.
- Thabo Sefolosha (G/F) — 6’7″/31 years old. Acquired from Thunder via sign-and-trade.
- Tiago Splitter (C) — 6’11″/30 years old. Acquired via trade from Spurs.
- Edy Tavares (C) — 7’3″/23 years old. Drafted with No. 43 overall pick in 2014.
- Jeff Teague (G) — 6’2″/26 years old. Drafted with No. 19 overall pick in 2009.
10-Day Contracts (0)
- None
TOTAL ROSTER COUNT (15)
And-Ones: Okafor, Towns, Carmelo, Coaches
Timberwolves coach/executive Flip Saunders likes Jahlil Okafor better than Karl-Anthony Towns, but most of the rest of the team’s staff prefers Towns, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com hears for his latest Insider-only mock draft. Ford believes those those pro-Towns staffers will ultimately win Saunders over and lists Towns atop his mock, also passing along word from sources that the Magic are zeroing in on Kristaps Porzingis at No. 5. There’s plenty more on the draft and other NBA issues amid the latest from around the league:
- Zach Links of Hoops Rumors adds the Hawks, Clippers, Bulls, Magic, Bucks and Knicks to the list of teams working out Harvard point guard Wesley Saunders (Twitter link).
- The Mavericks were willing to bring Chris Smith, the brother of J.R. Smith, onto their summer league team as part of their effort to woo Carmelo Anthony, a former teammate of the brothers, this past summer, a source told Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling. Anthony instead re-signed with the Knicks and Chris didn’t end up with the summer Mavs, but Chris is aiming for a return to the league after a period in which he was hospitalized with anxiety attacks. Those episodes stemmed in part from his exasperation with the notion that the Knicks signed him only because his brother was on the team, and the criticism he endured because of it, as Zwerling explains.
- College coaches who jumped directly into NBA head coaching jobs haven’t had much success in the NBA of late, aside from Brad Stevens, but NBA GMs are open to them, and with Billy Donovan and Fred Hoiberg on winning teams, there’s ground for a new trend, as Dana O’Neil of ESPN.com examines. Still, that depends on how well Donovan’s Thunder and Hoiberg’s Bulls fare, O’Neil cautions.
- Longtime NBA front office executive Joel Litvin is stepping down from his post as the NBA’s president of league operations and will assume a role as a consultant, effective September 1st, as the league announced and as a source originally told Grantland’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link). Litvin, whose wide-ranging duties included work on the collective bargaining agreement, was an innovative force in his 27 years with the NBA, Lowe tweets.