Draft Notes: Minimum Age, Smith, McDermott
Mark Cuban thinks the NBA would be wise to raise the minimum age for NBA players, but Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW opines it would be hard to justify to NCAA athletes that they need to wait to make their millions while athletes in other sports like golf can enter the pro circuit upon turning 18. Here’s the latest on a pair of senior prospects who have waited four years to enter the NBA draft by choice, not by rule:
- Russ Smith’s draft stock is rising, but he still has a long way to go, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. One Western Conference executive is wary of Smith because he doesn’t think Smith is the type of guard who makes his teammates better.
- Another executive told Mannix that any comparisons of Smith to Nate Robinson are inaccurate since Robinson is much more athletic. “The guys that are small combo guards that make it work… are few and far between,” said the executive. “It takes a really special guy to be a small spark plug off the bench, and I don’t see it in [Smith].“
- Creighton’s Doug McDermott is another player with a rising draft stock. The 6’8″ forward is one of the most efficient college scorers in recent memory, but his questionable defense is leaving some executives unsure about his potential to succeed at the next level. Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com have the details in the latest Insider piece,
- Pelton and Ford see the Grizzlies as the best landing spot for McDermott. They suggest that should Zach Randolph leave, the defensive-minded duo of Marc Gasol and Kosta Koufos would be able to lock down the paint on defense while McDermott stretches the floor with his shooting. Pelton notes the Magic had a similar setup in Orlando with Ryan Anderson and Dwight Howard.
Knicks Rumors: ‘Melo, Tampering, Bulls, Felton
Mike Woodson wasn’t happy when he heard that Joakim Noah was trying to recruit Carmelo Anthony to the Bulls, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. “Legally, nobody can recruit anyone,” said Woodson to ESPN New York. “You can’t do that at this point. ‘Melo is still wearing a Knicks uniform. Whatever was said, that’s on them (the Bulls).” Lawrence thinks Knicks owner James Dolan is likely to press for the league to investigate the matter, but there’s no word that New York has made any move to do so just yet. Here’s more out of the Big Apple:
- The Knicks won’t have any kind of a case for tampering, opines Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter links). Beck cites a statement David Stern made in 2010 in which Stern said there’s nothing wrong with players talking about the possibility of playing together one day.
- Tampering talk aside, Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders thinks it would make sense for Anthony to sign with Chicago this offseason. Koutroupis observes that Dwight Howard found himself in a similar set of circumstances last summer, and the center’s departure from L.A. wound up working in his favor.
- Raymond Felton is one year removed from posting productive numbers for a division-champion Knicks team, but his performance this year has been less-than-stellar. Woodson acknowledged that Felton’s struggles have hurt the team this season on a radio interview on ESPN New York’s Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com has the full story.
Pistons Considering Isiah Thomas For GM Job?
SUNDAY, 7:03pm: A co-owner of the Pistons denied the report in an email to David Mayo of MLive.com. “He is not a candidate for any job with the Pistons,” Mark Barnhill wrote. Barnhill acknowledged that he, principal owner Tom Gores, and Thomas recently had dinner, but he says that it was only to discuss an event to celebrate the Bad Boys era Pistons.
“If people are gonna manufacture rumors every time we are seen in the same room as someone, it’s gonna be a long few weeks as we head into the Bad Boys reunion and beyond,” Barnhill wrote.
SATURDAY, 4:41pm: League sources say that Pistons owner Tom Gores is seriously thinking of making a major front office shakeup after this season and bringing in former Knicks GM Isiah Thomas to run the team, reports Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. Current boss Joe Dumars has taken a lot of heat over the years due to his penchant for firing coaches and his sometimes questionable draft selections, and one league source says Detroit is definitely looking to bring in Thomas once Dumars’ contract expires at the conclusion of the season.
Thomas was in control of the Knicks from 2003 until 2008. His tenure as boss in the Big Apple isn’t generally revered as a very successful one, and his unpopularity with New York fans is well known. In exchange for Eddy Curry, Thomas traded two draft picks to the Bulls that would eventually wind up being LaMarcus Aldridge and Joakim Noah. Thomas was involved in the sexual harassment lawsuit that ended up costing the Knicks $11.6MM, to which Lawrence attributes his eventual firing.
If Detroit is to bring in Thomas, Lawrence notes that his ties with likely-to-be-fired Knicks coach Mike Woodson might result in yet another coaching change for the Pistons. Thomas and Woodson were teammates in college and still talk regularly about basketball matters, Lawrence says. Woodson would have to lose his gig in New York, but that certainly isn’t out of the question.
The Pistons looked like a potential playoff team this season after a busy summer landed them a new point guard in Brandon Jennings and an upgraded frontcourt with the addition of Josh Smith. While Detroit still has a shot to sneak into the postseason, not many would argue that the 2013/2014 campaign hasn’t been a disappointing one, so much so that it led to the firing of Maurice Cheeks midway through the year. Ownership could see replacing Dumars as the shakeup Detroit needs to turn into a winning team.
Draft Notes: Age Limit, Smart, Smith, Baron
We’ve heard that new commissioner Adam Silver would be interested in raising the age limit for players to 20, thereby putting a stop to “one-and-done” guys who enter the draft after just one year of college. Kevin McHale would support such a change, but he actually suggests increasing the minimum age to 21 would be even better, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. McHale thinks it would benefit both the schools and the kids:
“I’d like to see us do the three years out of high school or 21 (years old), like football. I just think it would help the colleges. I think it would help the kids. And I know they don’t think so, because they want to say, ‘Hey, I’ve got to get in the market. I’ve got to make all my money and all that stuff.’ But you don’t make money if you have a three-year career, if you come in at 18, 19, and you’re not ready.”
Here’s more on the proposed idea and the NBA draft in general:
- It isn’t just McHale interested in implementing a 21-year-old age limit. Outspoken Dallas owner Mark Cuban echoes McHale’s sentiments, tweets Dwain Price of the Star Telegram.
- Adi Joseph of USA Today examines the draft stocks of Marcus Smart and Russ Smith. Joseph thinks that Smart is a lock to be a top 10 selection, but sees Smith as a high second-rounder who still needs to improve his passing.
- Billy Baron has been putting up huge numbers at Canisius, but some have wondered if he will be able to be productive at the next level. An NBA scout told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that Baron could be a second-round selection if he impresses at the NBA camps (Twitter link). His athleticism and defense are his two biggest weaknesses, the scout says.
- Over at ZagsBlog, another NBA scout tells Zagoria that this year’s college freshman have been overhyped. The scout thinks that Julius Randle would do well to stay another year at Kentucky but acknowledges he will almost certainly opt to enter the draft.
- In the same piece, Zagoria reveals that the scout’s top three players unsurprisingly consist of Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, and Joel Embiid, in no particular order.
Lakers Notes: Gasol, Draft, Farmar
The Lakers lost eight of their 12 contests in February, but they ended the month on a good note by beating the Kings in a close game last night. As the club looks to move forward and make progress in March, let’s round up the latest news out of Los Angeles:
- Pau Gasol writes on his personal blog that while he’s open to re-signing with the Lakers, loyalty and salary–two things in Los Angeles’s favor–will take a back seat to a chance to win as he seeks a team in free agency this summer. “My franchise has the chance of offering me more money and a longer contract, but that’s not all that’s going to matter as far as my decision,” writes Gasol. “Honestly I’m not ruling out renewing my contract, I’m just open to every option… I want to be in a team with a real chance of winning a ring and where I can help to compete for it. I would like to win another championship. The financial side comes second at this stage of my career.” (translation via HoopsHype.)
- Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times takes a look at the Lakers’ draft odds. If they finished with the fourth-worst record, for which they’re currently tied with the Celtics, they would have a reasonable shot at the first overall pick. But the storied franchise isn’t proud of losing so much this year, and team employees tell Bresnahan that the silver lining of a top draft pick would be tempered by worries of a bust. You can see how the Lakers’ odds are faring with our reverse standings.
- Jordan Farmar scored a career-high 30 points last night, which is quite the turnaround for the 27-year-old. After six productive seasons in the league, Farmar spent last year in Turkey and much of this campaign recovering from a torn hamstring. He’s finally back to playing NBA basketball, and tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com that he isn’t concerned whether he remains a bench player or receives an increased role: “I don’t care. I don’t care, man,” said Farmar. “It’s just trying to play good basketball when I’m in there, have fun with whoever is out there on the floor with me.”
Cray Allred contributed to this post
Odds & Ends: Miller, Sessions, Deng, Brown
Andre Miller was excited when he got word he had been traded, reveals Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “I was ready to go,” said Miller. “I’m glad it’s over. I’ve been sitting around for about a month and a half. I’m happy to be here.” He’ll have the opportunity to help the Wizards make some noise in the East after sitting on the bench since late December. Let’s round up some news from around the NBA:
- According to HoopsHype, 20 of the 50 most discussed trade candidates wound up being dealt by Thursday’s deadline.
- Ramon Sessions is content being back with the Bucks, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinal. The Bucks selected Sessions 56th overall in the 2007 draft.
- The deadline deal between the Bobcats and Bucks is now official per a tweet from Charlotte’s PR account, so Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour can now play playoff-hopefuls in Charlotte.
- Luol Deng will be a free agent at season’s end, and if he chooses to walk away from the Cavaliers, he’s likely to be pursued by the Mavs, Lakers, Celtics, Magic and Bobcats, hears Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News.
- The Bulls and Spurs are among the teams interested in signing the recently waived Antawn Jamison, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
- Shannon Brown is coming off his second 10-day with the Spurs, and although his play for San Antonio was less than stellar, he’s drawing interest from the Rockets, Heat, Bulls, and Knicks, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
- It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Heat sign two free agents in the coming week, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who notes Miami has an open spot from the Roger Mason deal, and also could waive Toney Douglas if they’re interested in more than one guy (Twitter link).
- An official press release from the Cavaliers revealed the team has assigned Arinze Onuaku to their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge. Onuaku had been playing for the Charge before signing a 10-day deal with Cleveland but didn’t have his rights owned by the Cavs.
- Gino Pilato of DLeagueDigest.com explores what went wrong during Pierre Jackson‘s tenure in the D-League.
- David Stern laid the foundation for continuing growth in the NBA, and Carol Cain of the Detroit Free Press looks back on what he was able to accomplish during his tenure as commissioner.
Hawks Waive Jared Cunningham
The Hawks have requested waivers on Jared Cunningham, the team announced today. Cunningham was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, but has only seen 48 total minutes in the NBA over the course of two seasons. He’s spent much of his professional career in the D-League, and the team has decided to cut ties with him.
This action might be indicative of another forthcoming move by Atlanta, notes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (via Twitter). We haven’t heard that Atlanta is interested in Glen Davis or any other players who are rumored to be waived in buyout deals, but a signing might make sense, given the injuries to Al Horford, Pero Antic, and John Jenkins.
It’s been a pretty active week for the Hawks, who waived Antawn Jamison after acquiring him from the Clippers at the deadline and shortly after inked a deal with Cartier Martin for the rest of the season. Waiving Cunningham means the team will have to pay the remainder of his $1.2MM salary, but it will give the club an open roster spot and flexibility going forward.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Davis, Collins, ‘Melo
Gerald Wallace has never been shy about voicing his opinions. He recently suggested to reporters, including Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, that the trade deadline does not serve the same purpose that it used to:
“Now I don’t think it’s about teams trying to get better, or teams making trades to try and improve. Now it’s about teams trying to get rid of guys to get under the salary cap, or get under the luxury tax. It’s a different situation as trades go nowadays. Teams are all looking to save as much money as possible now.”
Let’s look at the latest from the Atlantic:
- The Raptors wouldn’t be afraid to add a player who was waived in a buyout deal, but it would have to be the “right guy,” tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. The team currently rosters the league maximum 15 players, so they would need to release someone in order for anything to happen.
- Glen Davis thought he was heading to the Clippers, but Kevin Garnett‘s effort to recruit the former LSU star to the Nets has him reconsidering his options, according to Kyler (Twitter links).
- The Nets locker room would welcome the openly gay Jason Collins, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. However, Bondy notes that the team would prefer to land Davis.
- Carmelo Anthony wasn’t thrilled the Knicks stood pat at the deadline, but he realizes front office decisions are out of his hands, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com examines what a buyout deal would mean for Metta World Peace, Beno Udrih, and the Knicks. Earlier today, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News said each of the two players was close to reaching an agreement to part ways with New York.
Western Notes: Brooks, Brewer, Rockets
MarShon Brooks isn’t accustomed to a significant role, but he’s ready to play as a member of the Lakers. His impressive performance against the C’s last night left some wondering if he considered the matchup a “revenge game,” but Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com passes along that Brooks doesn’t harbor any resentment toward his old team. “You know what, a lot of people think I should be mad at the Boston Celtics,” Brooks said. “But I guarantee you that there’s no one happier for me than Brad Stevens and [Celtics assistant] Jay Larranaga.” Here’s more from the West..
- After being waived by the Rockets, Ronnie Brewer tells Mark Berman of My FOX Houston he will look to land with another team. “The NBA is a business,” the 28-year old said. “You got to accept the decision. You have to go back to the drawing board and continue to work and hopefully a team can pick you up for the remainder of the season.”
- It appears that the Rockets are unlikely to pursue anyone in the buyout market, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Feigen says the indications are that Houston is done making moves for the year.
- The Thunder assigned rookie Andre Roberson to the D-League again on Friday, as Oklahoma City’s D-League affiliate announced (Twitter link).
- J.J. Barea admits to anxiety in the days leading up to the trade deadline, but he’s ready to move on and continue his recent strong play for the Timberwolves, reports Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
- Shannon Brown would like to re-sign with the Spurs, but there’s interest from other teams if that doesn’t happen, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). San Antonio would have to sign him for the rest of the season, since he’s already been on a pair of 10-day deals with the team.
- Chad Forcier is a player development coach for the Spurs, and his presence in San Antonio might influence whether the team pursues the likely-to-be waived Metta World Peace. Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation has the details.
- Sam Amick of USA Today weighs in on the trade that sent Steve Blake to the Warriors and thinks it could end up paying dividends for Golden State.
- Jan Vesely and Aaron Brooks are excited for new roles on the Nuggets, writes Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Bobcats, Bucks Close To Gary Neal Swap
11:28am: Caron Butler and Ben Gordon could also be involved, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
11:10am: Charlotte is trying to sell Milwaukee on the idea that acquiring Sessions makes it easier for them to trade Luke Ridnour, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
10:59am: The proposed deal would send Sessions to the Bucks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Sessions, making $5MM, earns more money than Neal’s $3.25MM, so apparently Kohl would have to get involved.
10:56am: The Bobcats and Bucks are nearing an agreement that would send Neal to Charlotte, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Still, Milwaukee owner Herb Kohl would have to sign off on an increase in team salary as part of the deal, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link).
THURSDAY, 6:45am: The Bobcats are trying to convince the Bucks to take on Ramon Sessions in return for Neal.
11:06pm: While they may be looking for a shooter, the Thunder’s interest in Neal could be overstated, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick also confirms interest in Neal from the Bobcats.
4:39pm: Woelfel adds the Suns, Wolves and Kings to the list of suitors for Neal (via Twitter).
1:15pm: The Bucks have progressed with several teams on the Neal front, but they’re still holding off on agreeing to a deal, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 12:29pm: The pursuit of Neal is the only active discussion the Bobcats are engaged in, with talks for Evan Turner having flamed out early, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
TUESDAY, 8:24pm: The Bobcats and Thunder are both interested in acquiring sharpshooting Bucks guard Gary Neal, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com and Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter links). Stein reports that Neal has been being openly shopped by Milwaukee since January, and we heard on Friday that the fourth year guard is unhappy with the Bucks. A recent Woelfel piece labeled Brandon Knight, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton as the only untouchable assets on the Bucks roster, so it’s not a surprise the club is open to moving Neal.
After a solid postseason performance with Spurs en route to finals loss versus Miami, Neal signed with Milwaukee on a two-year, $6.25MM deal. While he hasn’t put up extraordinary numbers so far this season, he’s proven throughout the course of his career that he can be a good shooter capable of putting up solid numbers on some nights.
Charlotte has been very active so far this deadline. News broke earlier today that they were close to a deal with the Bucks that would’ve brought in Neal and Caron Butler, but the alleged move fell through at the last minute. It’s unclear if a new deal would involve Butler, but reports have indicated the Bobcats are willing to give up a draft pick for the right price.
Neal’s other potential suitor, the Thunder, are said to be looking for a shooter. Neal would certainly welcome a move to Oklahoma City since we’ve heard reports suggesting he wants to play for a contender. The Thunder would have to send some salary out in return however, since trading for Neal would put the team over the tax line.