Atlantic Draft Notes: Johnson, Monk, Workouts
The Sixers don’t have a definite long-term answer at point guard, but that doesn’t mean they will necessarily address the position in the first round of this year’s draft, Jonathan Givony writes in a mock draft for The Vertical.
The team is expected to field offers for the No. 3 overall pick and if it decides to keep the selection, it’ll be hard to predict who the selection will be. Givony adds that the team is high on Kentucky guard Malik Monk, but also suggests that Kansas’ Josh Johnson could be the pick due to his upside.
Here’s more on the upcoming draft out of the Atlantic Division:
- Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if Monk is a fit for the Sixers. Philadelphia owns the No. 3 pick in the draft thanks to Sam Hinkie’s 2015 deal with the Kings.
- The Knicks have worked out Caleb Swanigan (Purdue) and Deonte Burton (Iowa State), Marc Berman of the New York Post relays. The pair of frontcourt players could be potential second round picks for the club. The franchise owns the No. 44 and No. 58 overall picks in the upcoming draft.
- The Raptors worked out Tyler Dorsey (Oregon), Dillon Brooks (Oregon), Kobi Simmons (Arizona), Semi Ojeleye (SMU), Markis McDuffie (Wichita State), and Jonathan Williams (Gonzaga) earlier this week, according to NBA.com.
Sixers Notes: Colangelo, Fox, Redick
Team president Bryan Colangelo is adamant that the franchise is well ahead of where it was this time last year, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer passes along.
“With those healthy bodies [Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Jerryd Bayless] and some new talent coming in via draft, via trades, via free agency, we’re excited about what the future holds,” Colangelo said.
While optimism fills Philadelphia’s front office, the executive isn’t ready to declare his squad a 2018 playoff team just yet. “We talk about improvement, measured steps, taking the right path. We’re not going to jump ahead of ourselves,” Colangelo said. “We have a lot of decisions to make before we get there.”
Here’s more from Philadelphia
- The team likes De’Aaron Fox and Dennis Smith Jr. as options for the No. 3 overall pick, sources tell Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). The Sixers own that selection as a result of pick swap obtained in Sam Hinkie’s 2015 trade with the Kings.
- The Sixers should attempt to sign J.J. Redick this offseason, Comcast Sportsnet’s Jessica Camerato contends. Camerato believes Philadelphia has scoring issues and Redick is the right guy to boost the backcourt.
- Sergio Rodriguez will be a free agent this summer and the Sixers will face competition from NBA clubs as well as teams abroad. E. Carchia of Sportando relays that CSKA Moscow may pursue the point guard if their star Milos Teodosic leaves for the NBA.
- Dario Saric should be untouchable in trade talks, Pompey opines (audio link) while noting that he doesn’t come with the injury concerns that plague the Sixers‘ other young talent. Pompey believes the team should prioritize developing the power forward and sign someone like Danilo Gallinari to mentor him.
Latest On David Griffin, Bucks’ GM Search
Milwaukee has interest in bringing in Cavaliers GM David Griffin to the serve the same position, multiple sources tell Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The Bucks have not reached out to Cleveland to gain permission to interview Griffin. The Cavs previously denied both the Magic and Hawks permission to speak with Griffin.
Vardon adds that Griffin and owner Dan Gilbert have spoken about the GM’s future with the team over the last few days, though no agreement has been made.
The Bucks lost John Hammond to the Magic and it was presumed that assistant GM Justin Zanik would be promoted in his place. Instead, the team is conducting a “broad search” as it looks to name a replacement. Longtime NBA executive Rod Thorn, who serves as a consultant to the franchise, will lead the search.
Zanik is will run the front office, including the team’s draft process, during the search, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets. Wojnarowski confirms an earlier report that Zanik remains a serious contender for the position.
Diallo Drawing Interest As Deadline To Withdraw Nears
Hamidou Diallo hasn’t played organized basketball in nearly five months, but he’s drawing interest around the league, sources tell Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog (Twitter link). The Nets, Bulls, Bucks, Heat, Pacers and Jazz have all expressed interest in the athletic shooting guard.
Diallo is currently ranked as the 42nd best prospect in the draft, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express. Some believe he has a chance to move into the first round, as Zagoria writes in a full-length piece for The New York Times. “I would not be surprised if his combination of athleticism and skills opens some eyes, and then he’ll have a tough decision,” ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla said. ” Do you want to be the 25th pick in this year’s draft or do you want to have a chance to maybe be a top 10 pick [next year].”
The Queens native hasn’t yet made a decision yet on whether he will remain in the draft or play at Kentucky, Zagoria passes along in a full-length piece on his website. Diallo enrolled at the school to play for John Calipari in January but opted not to join the basketball team. He, like all prospects, has until tonight to make a decision.
Heat, Chris Bosh Reach Agreement To Part Ways
The Heat and Chris Bosh have reached a unique agreement that will relinquish his salary from the team’s cap space before free agency but will also allow him to play again in the league, sources tell Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson cautions that the agreement, which came together earlier this month, is not official just yet. He adds that an announcement is expected before the start of free agency.
Bosh has been telling people about the agreement and he’s pleased with the terms, Jackson hears. The scribe adds that the terms have reached the highest level of the league’s office. Bosh was cooperative throughout the process and his departure from Miami will be amicable. He previously expressed discontent with the organization, but the two sides are now on the same page.
The deal would permanently remove Bosh’s cap figure, which was set to be an approximate $52.1MM over the next two years, from Miami’s books. The figure would remain off of the team’s books even if Bosh resumes playing again for another franchise because of a change in the new CBA that allows for a medical panel to rule whether or not Bosh would be a risk should he resume his career.
The Lakers would be a possibility for Bosh should he make it back to the league, Jackson speculates. Bosh spends his summers in L.A. and the team’s new GM Rob Pelinka is his former agent. The two-time NBA champions previously said he intends to play again, though it’s unclear if any team will allow him on the court while he’s taking blood thinners for his medical issues.
Several Teams Interested In Otto Porter
The Wizards have no intention of letting Otto Porter walk in restricted free agency, but a bevy of rival teams will try to pry him from Washington, Sean Deveney of Sporting News reports. The Nets have long been interested in Porter and Deveney adds that the Sixers and Magic will consider making the small forward an offer this summer.
It was recently reported that an extension for John Wall will be at the top of the team’s list and the organization would like to get that done before moving onto other objectives, which include a Porter deal. One anonymous GM cautions that Washington shouldn’t wait too long to come to terms with the Georgetown product.
“If his situation goes past the first couple of days of free agency, it will cost them because some of these teams that have space and miss out on the players they have in mind to start with are going to move quickly to the restricted [free agents],” one GM told Deveney. “And Otto Porter is going to be at the top of that list, even at $100 million.”
The Mavericks had intended to pursue Porter, but that was before they acquired a restricted free agent of their own in Nerlens Noel. Deveney suggests that Dallas may not be looking to tie up its cap space on a rival restricted free agent while its own player is free to sign with other teams. Noel is expected to receive a lucrative offer from the franchise and once he signs with the team, nearly all of the team’s cap space will be exhausted. Then again, Owner Mark Cuban could always work out a verbal agreement with Noel, akin to what Detroit did with Andre Drummond, which would allow the Mavs to use its cap space on other players before circling back to a Noel deal.
Porter, who went to college in the Washington area and is comfortable in the city, has little reason to give the Wizards a discount, Deveney adds. It was previously reported that Porter could be a candidate for a max contract. The salary cap is projected to come in at $101MM next year, meaning the soon-to-be 24-year-old could command a starting salary of slightly over $25MM in a four-year deal worth north of $115MM.
Magic Hire John Hammond As GM
2:15 PM: Orlando has named Hammond its new GM, according to the team’s Twitter feed.
“John [Hammond] brings tremendous experience and is a great talent evaluator,” Weltman said today. “He has experiences in everything from day-to-day operations to player development. He built a great team in Milwaukee, and won a championship while in Detroit. We are very fortunate to have him as part of the Magic family.”
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports that Hammons’ new deal with the Magic will be for five years. The 62-year-old executive had one year remaining on his contract in Milwaukee, but ownership had indicated that it was unlikely to bring Hammond back beyond his current deal. The Bucks agreed to let him out of that contract in order to clear the way for Zanik to become the GM.
1:14 PM: Bucks GM John Hammond is expected to be named the Magic’s new GM, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). Orlando hired Hammond’s long-term colleague Jeff Weltman as team president earlier today.
Stein adds that if Hammond heads to Florida as expected, Justin Zanik will become the Bucks new GM. Milwaukee hired Zanik as the team’s assistant GM last summer. Prior to joining the Bucks, Zanik spent three years as the assistant GM of the Jazz.
Hammond has been the Bucks’ GM since 2008. He previously worked in the Pistons’ front office and he also had several assistant coaching stints in the NBA and college ranks.
Multiple Prospects Withdraw From Draft
This Wednesday is the deadline for players who are testing the draft waters to make a final decision. Several players have made a decision today, opting to withdraw from the draft. Here are some players who’ve decided to stay in school (all decisions are reported by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman unless otherwise indicated):
- Jaylen Adams, St. Bonaventure (via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports)
- Rawle Alkins, Arizona (via his own Twitter feed).
- Jevon Carter, West Virginia (Twitter link)
- Obi Enechionyia, Temple (via Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Daily News)
- Alize Johnson, Missouri State (Twitter link)
- Andrew Jones, Texas (Rothstein tweets)
- George King, Colorado (Twitter link)
- Matt Morgan, Cornell (Twitter link)
- Shaquille Morris, Wichita State (Rothstein tweets)
- Jaaron Simmons, Will play at Michigan after graduating from Ohio University (Twitter link)
- Zach Smith, Texas Tech (Rothstein tweets)
- Kamau Stokes, Kansas State (Rothstein tweets)
- James Thompson IV, Eastern Michigan (Twitter link)
- Thomas Wilder, Western Michigan (Twitter link)
Wizards To Pursue John Wall Extension
An extension for John Wall will be Washington’s top priority this offseason, sources tell J. Michael of Comcast Sportsnet. The team hasn’t yet reached out to Wall, but the front office is expected to do so now that Wall has made an All-NBA team this season and is eligible for the Designated Veteran Player Extension.
Wall can sign on for an additional four years and nearly $170MM with the CBA’s new extension. While that may be tempting to most, Wall isn’t ready to sign on the dotted line just yet. Sources tell Michael that Wall would like to see the front office’s plan for the future before committing long-term.
Wall had his most effective season as a pro during the 2016/17 season. He scored 23.1 points, dished out 10.7 assists and made 45.1% of his shots from the field. He wasn’t able to elevate the Wizards past the second round in the Eastern Conference, but that was arguably due to the team’s lack of firepower off the bench.
The Wizards will have several pressing issues this offseason, including Otto Porter‘s restricted free agency. Locking up Wall long-term is No. 1 on the list and once they know how long the point guard will be in Washington, they can move onto other objectives.
Paul Millsap Opts Out Of Deal
Paul Millsap has opted out of his contract and will become a free agent, sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical. Millsap previously said that this was likely to happen, so it comes as no surprise. He turned down a salary of slightly more than $21.4MM for next year.
Millsap has publicly expressed a desire to stay in Atlanta, though NBA.com’s David Aldridge recently reported that the 32-year-old may be more open to a change than he’s been leading on. Aldridge wrote that Millsap was among the team’s players who were unhappy with the team’s ” lack of accountability for other players who consistently made mistakes on the floor.”
The power forward will be a top priority for the Hawks, Charania adds. Atlanta has openings at GM and team president after shifting Wes Wilcox to a new role and taking front office privileges away from coach Mike Budenholzer. The team will take the same strategy with Millsap regardless of who fills the openings, as he’ll negotiate directly with owner Tony Ressler as the sides discuss a new deal.
The Hawks have thrived since Millsap arrived in town. The team has gone 189-139 over the last four years and Charania notes that many around the league believe the power forward’s unselfishness has allowed the team’s system to work.