Cavs Rumors: Deng, Draft, Warren
Let’s dive in and round up of all the latest notes and rumors coming out of Cleveland this Saturday:
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer expects a “major push” from the Cavs to upgrade at small forward this summer, and he doesn’t believe that the team will re-sign Luol Deng. Pluto wouldn’t be surprised if Cleveland swings a draft-day trade that lands them a new forward.
- Pluto also notes that the Cavs are concerned with Deng’s back, legs, and general health. Deng is considered by many around the league to be an “old” 29-year-old, having played many grueling minutes throughout his career.
- The Plain Dealer scribe reports that the Cavs are prioritizing scouting small forwards who could be available where Cleveland will likely be picking. T.J. Warren is one such prospect the Cavs have paid special attention to.
- Earlier today, we heard that the Cavs had yet to reach a decision on whether or not they’d bring back acting GM David Griffin next season.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Lawrence On D’Antoni, Gasol, Calipari, Sterling
Mike D’Antoni walked away from the Lakers due in part because the team is likely to attempt to re-sign Pau Gasol this summer, reports Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. A source tells Lawrence that D’Antoni knew that Gasol and Kobe Bryant didn’t want to play for him, so he made the decision to resign from the team on Wednesday. Let’s have a look at some more interesting notes from Lawrence’s piece:
- Kurt Rambis and Byron Scott are two of the most viable candidates for the Lakers’ coaching job, hears Lawrence. We reported on Thursday that both Rambis and Scott are set to interview with the team.
- Despite rumored interest, Lawrence says there’s no chance John Calipari will become the next head coach for the Lakers. The team reportedly has “zero interest” in hiring Calipari.
- Stan Van Gundy was contacted about taking over the head coaching role for the Pistons, but talks didn’t get far because he wanted some level of control over the team’s personnel decisions, writes Lawrence.
- Lawrence hears that once Adam Silver meets with Donald Sterling, Silver is expected to tell Sterling that the league will battle him in court to see that the franchise is sold, no matter the resistance Sterling puts up.
- Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston and director of player personnel Mark Warkentien aren’t worried about their jobs, since the duo has contracts with owner Jim Dolan and not the Knicks specifically, says Lawrence. As a result, the pair will be able to retain their positions, even if Phil Jackson doesn’t want them around.
- The Cavs and Bucks still haven’t decided whether or not they’ll keep their general managers beyond this season, reveals Lawrence. Both Central Division teams failed to meet preseason expectations and finished well below .500.
- It’s likely Mark Jackson will be fired by the Warriors, suggests Lawrence, who adds the coach might have a hard time landing another job with an NBA team because of the perceived dysfunction in Golden State’s organization during his tenure.
- The Thunder could potentially see a first-round playoff exit tonight, but Lawrence says Scott Brooks‘ position is safe in Oklahoma City.
Atlantic Notes: Jackson, ‘Melo, Bayless
Phil Jackson recently spoke to members of the media about Tim Duncan‘s legacy with Spurs, noting Duncan has stuck around in San Antonio long enough for the club to build a roster Jackson described as a “great force.” Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders thinks the Zen Master’s comments are clearly a message to Carmelo Anthony, who can choose to walk away in free agency in this offseason. Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Amar’e Stoudemire has a $23MM player option for 2014/15 that he’ll almost surely opt in for. Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer examines a reader-suggested trade scenario where the Knicks send Stoudemire to the Cavs, noting that acting Cleveland GM David Griffin has ties to the big man from their time together in Phoenix. She concludes it’s very unlikely because of his injury history and bloated contract.
- Harvey Araton of the New York Times takes a look at the blockbuster deal that sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Nets. Although the price was high for the veteran duo, Brooklyn was enticed by the clutch shooting abilities of Pierce and the fiery passion Garnett has for the game, observes Araton.
- Celtics guard Jerryd Bayless is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com concludes Bayless’ performance this season might not have been strong enough to guarantee that Boston wants to bring him back.
Western Notes: Grizzlies, Stockton, Sterling
The Thunder will look to even up the series against the Grizzlies tonight in Memphis. A loss would put Oklahoma City down three games to one, and although Kevin Durant and company will be heading back home after tonight for game five, the Grizzlies have already proven themselves capable of winning on the road in the postseason. Here’s more from the West:
- Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com recaps the moves that the Grizzlies made in order to cope with injuries and craft a playoff squad while still managing to stay under the luxury tax threshold. The decision to claim Beno Udrih off of waivers was particularly important, opines Windhorst, pointing out how important the veteran has been to the team in wake of Nick Calathes‘ suspension.
- Hall of Famer John Stockton spent his entire 19-season playing career with the Jazz, and Gordon Monson of the Salt Lake Tribune thinks he would be the ideal candidate to fill Utah’s head coaching vacancy. The fans, media, and team would all be on board to bring in Stockton, says Monson, but he also adds it still doesn’t seem likely.
- The NBA is undergoing an investigation to determine whether racially insensitive comments in an audio recording obtained by TMZ were made by Clippers owner Donald Sterling, the league announced. Sterling, who has been criticized for racial remarks in the past, could face punishment from the league. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today rounds up the situation.
Draft Rumors: Saric, Diop, Hall
Dario Saric officially declared for the draft today, but the verdict is still out on whether or not he’ll remain in the player pool past the June 16th deadline to withdraw. Let’s round up the latest on the 2014 draft:
- Jonathan Givony of Draft Express released his latest mock draft last night, and he figures Andrew Wiggins will be taken with the first overall selection, followed by Joel Embiid and Jabari Pakrer, respectively.
- Ilimane Diop, projected to be selected 17th by DraftExpress in the 2015 draft, went through the feedback process for this summer’s draft before deciding against declaring, revealed a tweet from Shams Charania of RealGM. Charania adds that the prospect from Senegal is undecided on whether he will declare next year.
- Mercer’s Langston Hall has signed with agent Roger Montgomery of Montgomery Sports heading into the draft, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The senior guard isn’t projected to be selected in either round.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
And-Ones: ‘Melo, Jazz, Lockout, McRae
Count NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson among those who think Carmelo Anthony would be wise to walk away from the Knicks in free agency this summer. The Big O sat down with SiriusXM NBA Radio and passed along why he thinks ‘Melo should get out of New York, notes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Robertson thinks Anthony receives too much flack for his efforts as a Knick:
“No matter what he does in New York, they’re going to criticize him, the people are going to criticize him, because you got guys on that team that cannot play. You got guys that are hurt all the time… If I were Carmelo, I would say, ‘Listen, I’m not going to stay here and take all this guff and all this criticism.'”
Let’s round up the latest notes and rumors from around the Association:
- Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey acknowledges that in their most recent offseason, Utah “took a step back in order to take three or four forward,” writes Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News. Still, Lindsey remains optimistic for the future, given the club’s cap space and draft picks.
- Executives and agents around the league are reportedly nervous about the potential for a lockout in 2017, but commissioner Adam Silver says he has “no expectation” that players will opt out of the collective bargaining agreement, reveals Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press.
- Tennesee senior Jordan McRae has signed with agent Jim Tanner of Tandem agency, reports Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (via Twitter). McRae is ranked 71st in Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress‘ list of the top 100 prospects.
- The ESPNChicago.com staff discusses whether they’d rather build a team around Derrick Rose or John Wall. The general consensus is that Rose’s value is hard to gauge as a result of his injuries, and it’d likely be a safer bet to pick Wall.
- The kind words Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard had for Frank Vogel don’t carry much weight, opines Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders. Koutroupis thinks Pritchard is obligated to make such a statement in order to show support, but really Vogel is in danger of losing his job if Indiana doesn’t perform up to expectations.
Prospect Profile: Shabazz Napier
Shabazz Napier finished out his impressive four-year career at UConn in spectacular fashion, winning his second NCAA championship over the preseason favorite Kentucky Wildcats. The point guard’s impeccable shooting and must-win mentality propelled the seventh-seeded Huskies to four consecutive upsets en route to their title matchup in Texas. Although generally considered a second-round pick prior to the Big Dance, his outstanding tourney performance now has Napier being discussed as a potential first-rounder.
During his senior season, Napier averaged 18.0 points on 42.9% shooting while dishing out 4.9 assists per contest. His ability to shift gears and move quickly with the ball allowed him to find ways around defenders in college, even without explosive athleticism. Napier’s biggest asset during his time in the NCAA was his top-notch scoring ability from all over the floor; he drained 46.5% of shots beyond the arc throughout his most recent tournament play and was noted for several clutch shots that ended up being the deciding factor in games.
A player profile from Jacob Stallard of NBADraft.net notes how Napier was criticized during his freshman and sophomore seasons for so-so shot selection and a penchant for taking contested jumpers rather than finding open teammates. He was able to improve his decision making abilities during his last two years and become a better distributor. He’ll likely need to further develop this portion of his game since he won’t be able to drive to the basket quite so easily once he reaches the NBA, and finding the open man is perhaps the most valuable skill an undersized point guard can possess.
His defense proved to be adequate in college, where he was able to nab 1.8 steals per game over the course of his four-year career. There are obvious concerns that his diminutive 6’1″ height and 6’2″ wingspan will limit his ability to defend at the next level, and it’s tough to argue that his small stature and less-than-stellar speed won’t make it difficult to guard bigger, more athletic NBA competition on a nightly basis. Still, shorter players, like Chris Paul, have been able to find ways to excel on defense despite height disadvantages. Napier will need to work to figure out how to succeed on defense without great size if he wants to see major minutes.
Seniors have been selected less frequently than collegians from any other class, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors recently detailed, likely due in large part to the perception that their potential for development is limited. Napier is actually older than plenty of NBA players, including the likes of All-Stars such as Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, but Napier’s age and experience in this season’s tournament could actually stand to benefit his stock for teams seeking a player who can contribute minutes in his first year. The latest mock draft from Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress sees Napier being taken 28th overall, while NBADraft.net‘s newest mock has Napier going 12th.
It’s an understatement to say there’s disparity regarding Napier’s projected draft stock. There are reports that say he’s still a second-round pick, while his tournament play has over-inflated his draft projection in some circles. Still others peg him as a true first-rounder capable of making an impact wherever he goes. The team that selects him will land a player with terrific scoring instincts and a knack for excelling in big time situations, but they’ll also need to recognize the limitations his age and physical tools will have on his overall game.
Lakers Rumors: Nash, Gasol, D’Antoni
The Lakers won’t be playing postseason basketball for the first time since the 2004/05 campaign, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing happening in Lakerland. Let’s catch up on the latest:
- The Lakers were impressed with many of the players on this year’s lottery-bound squad, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, who sizes up the chances each Laker has of returning next season. Steve Nash has an 80% chance to come back, while there’s only a 9% chance Pau Gasol stays, Ding surmises.
- Dan D’Antoni‘s hiring as the new head coach at Marshall isn’t related to Mike D’Antoni‘s potentially shaky situation with the Lakers, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- Another tweet from Shelburne reveals that it was Mike D’Antoni who recommended his brother Dan for the role at Marshall, perhaps suggesting that the Laker head coach never actually had any interest in the position, despite rumors claiming otherwise.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Khem Birch Declares For Draft
UNLV junior Khem Birch will forgo his senior season and enter the 2014 draft, he announced (on Twitter). Birch is a 6’9″ power forward who transferred from Pittsburgh after his freshman year. He averaged 11.5 points and 10.2 rebounds over the course of 31.5 minutes per night during his 2013/14 campaign with the Runnin’ Rebels. In 33 contests, he was able to shoot 51% from the floor while averaging 3.8 blocked shots each game.
Birch was the 12th ranked recruit in his high school class, according to ESPN.com’s recruiting database. Despite being slightly undersized, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress lists his wingspan at an impressive 7’0, and also adds that Birch is an exceptional athlete for his position.
The big man ranks 67th on Chad Ford of ESPN.com‘s Big Board and sits at 61st on Givony’s list of top prospects. He’s likely to hear his name called sometime in the second-round of the draft.
And-Ones: Cap, Jackson, Rockets, Jazz
The NBA has informed teams that next season’s salary cap will increase by close to $5MM, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein references this piece by Larry Coon, which breaks down the changes. The news comes much to the delight of teams around the league, especially the Bulls and Rockets, who are expected to make a run at Carmelo Anthony. Let’s round up more from around the Association:
- Phil Jackson promised change would be coming to the Knicks’ roster this offseason, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Jackson didn’t address the job status of coach Mike Woodson, but one player tells Isola that Jackson said the team should be “grateful” for the work Woodson has put in for them over the past two seasons.
- The Rockets have assigned Robert Covington and Isaiah Canaan to their D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, for tonight’s playoff game, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- Four veterans might be on their way out of Utah, writes Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News. Richard Jefferson, Marvin Williams, Brandon Rush and John Lucas are four Jazz players without guaranteed deals in 2014/15 who will more than likely find themselves in a new uniform next year, suggests Sorensen.
- Turkish basketball coach Zeljko Obradovic has drawn interest from three NBA teams whose offseasons have already begun. Djordje Matic initially tweeted the news, and a source verified the report to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.