Pistons Notes: Ellenson, Free Agency, Gbinije
The Pistons aren’t counting on Henry Ellenson to contribute immediately, but his presence on the roster may alter the team’s strategy in free agency, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. Executive/coach Stan Van Gundy indicated that as a result of the draft, back-up point guard will be “a little more of the priority” once free agency begins.
Here’s more out of Detroit:
- Van Gundy said on Detroit’s 97.1 radio station that the Pistons will look to add a younger veteran point guard in free agency, as Rod Beard of The Detroit News passes along on Twitter.
- The Pistons had a first-round grade on Yogi Ferrell, but they had No.49 overall pick Michael Gbinije higher on their board due to his versatility, Beard writes in a full-length piece. “The trade-off is Michael can play three different positions, we think, and his size and everything else,” Van Gundy said. “How much point guard he can play and to the question of whether we only sign one point guard [in free agency], that’s something we’ll decide in summer league.”
- Van Gundy believes prospects should be allowed to go to the draft and still return to college if they are not taken as high as expected, Beard adds in the same piece. Van Gundy also believes the prospects should be able to hire agents while still in college.
And-Ones: Durant, Love, Diallo
The Lakers and Wizards are not expected to be granted a meeting with Kevin Durant once free agency begins, reports Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick adds that New York is back on Durant’s radar as a result of the Derrick Rose trade. The Knicks are expected to sit down with the 2013/14 MVP, as are the Spurs, Warriors, Celtics, Heat, and Clippers in addition to the Thunder.
The Wizards reached out to Durant’s camp to see if he had interest in joining the team and they came away believing it’s unlikely that he signs with Washington, Britt McHenry of ESPN.com reports. “It’s not like LeBron and Cleveland,” the source tells McHenry.
Here’s more from around the league.
- Kansas coach Bill Self believes Cheick Diallo would have been a top-10 pick in the 2017 draft had he stayed another year at the university, Brett Dawson of the New Orleans Advocate tweets. Diallo was drafted No.33 overall and the Pelicans traded their two second-rounders for his rights.
- Kevin Love received an invitation to play in the Olympics this summer, but he has declined, opting to rest after the Cavs‘ long playoff run, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
- Love took to Instagram earlier today to write an open letter thanking Cavs teammate James Jones for teaching him how to be a better teammate and how to put the team first. Such a sentiment could be foreshadowing Jones’ potential retirement, although that is merely my speculation. Jones and Love both arrived in Cleveland during the 2014 offseason.
Grizzlies Claim Tony Wroten Off Waivers
The Grizzlies have claimed Tony Wroten off waivers, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The Knicks waived Wroten with they agreed to acquire Derrick Rose.
GM Chris Wallace drafted Wroten back in 2012 and the University of Washington product played just one season for the Grizzlies. Wallace was forced to step down as GM back in 2014 during a front office shake-up and the team waived Wroten during that time, as Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets.
Wroten only appeared in eight games for Sixers last season before Philadelphia waived him on Christmas Eve. The Knicks later signed him to a two-year deal, minimum-salary deal that contained no guaranteed salary for the 2016/17 campaign. Memphis will pick up that contract by claiming the guard off waivers. Wroten is a career 23.1% 3-point shooter and has a career player efficiency rating of 12.6.
2016 NBA Draft Grades: Southwest Division
The 2016 NBA Draft is now squarely in the rearview and teams have already begun signing their selections. Sometimes, taking the best available player isn’t the best course of action and it is wiser to nab a player who fits a clear need, which should always be considered when rating how each front office performed in the draft. We at Hoops Rumors will be taking a look at how each team fared on Draft night. Here’s a look at the Southwest Division:
Dallas Mavericks
Team Needs: Center, Frontcourt Depth, Star Player
Draft Picks:
- No.46 Overall A.J. Hammons (Purdue)
The Mavs were without a first-round selection because of their ill-fated 2014 Rajon Rondo trade. They used their only selection on an efficient 280-pound center, who has the potential to be one of the steals of the draft. Hammons followed up three mediocre seasons at Purdue with a strong senior season where he sported a 31.3 player efficiency rating.
Overall Draft Grade: Given what the Mavs had to work with, they made out pretty well. Conditioning and attitude have been a major issues for Hammons. He landed in a good spot with Rick Carlisle and he should be able to enter Dallas’ rotation at some point during the 2016/17 season. I give the Mavs a “B” for making a good selection with their only pick.
Houston Rockets
Team Needs: Wings, Point Guard, Defense
Draft Picks:
- No.37 Overall Chinanu Onuaku (Louisville)
- No.43 Overall Zhou Qi (Xinjiang)
The Rockets were without a first-rounder because of the Ty Lawson trade they made last offseason, but they were still able to add talent in the second-round. Onuaku is an unpolished 19-year-old who will take a few years to reach his potential. Qi is a shot-blocking 7’2″ center with a 7’6″ wingspan. He’ll need to bulk up to play any minutes at the NBA level, but he’s likely going to play overseas for a year or two, so that should give him time to get there.
Overall Draft Grade: You could argue that the Rockets should have taken Patrick McCaw with the No.37 pick, who went one spot later and was traded to the Warriors. Instead, the team doubled-down on the center position. Both prospects will need time to develop and there’s a decent chance that one or both of them will never establish themselves in the league. The selections indicate that GM Daryl Morey is playing the numbers game, taking two gambles—lottery tickets if you will—and hoping one of them pays off. I can understand the logic behind it, but I can only offer a mark of “C-” for it.
Memphis Grizzlies
Team Needs: Small Forward, Shooting, Depth
Draft Picks:
- No.17 Overall Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt)
- No.31 Overall Deyonta Davis (Michigan State)
- No.35 Overall Rade Zagorac (KK Mega Leks)
- No.57 Overall Wang Zhelin (Fujian)
Baldwin at No.17 was a great pick for this team. He’s a tremendous athlete who can score from long-range. He gives the Grizzlies a potential long-term replacement for Mike Conley should he bolt in free agency. He also has the length to play shooting guard should Conley re-sign with the team, as I discussed in our Mock Draft.
Davis has the potential to become one of the best defensive players in this draft. He’ll need time to reach his potential, but he’ll certainly challenge for minutes off the bench next season.
Zagorac could be a starter in this league if he pans out, but that’s a big if. Zhelin is an even bigger if. He’s an extremely raw 7’0″ center with an average wingspan. Both players lack athleticism and both will spend time overseas before attempting to make the jump to the NBA.
Overall Draft Grade: The Grizzlies saw 28 different players suit up for them last season, as I mentioned in the team’s Offseason Outlook. When healthy, they are a top-10 team in the league and one of their goals heading into the draft should have been adding depth. They executed that plan by trading for two early second-rounders and adding a few players who may be able to crack the rotation next season. They didn’t address adding a long-term option on the wing, however, there wasn’t a player available at No.17 who could contribute immediately and play the three. I give Memphis a “B+” for its draft.
New Orleans Pelicans
Team Needs: Depth, Perimeter Defense, Shooting
Draft Picks:
- No.6 Overall Buddy Hield (Oklahoma)
- No.33 Overall Cheick Diallo (Kansas)
Hield is a great fit in New Orleans and he has the ability to become a star in the league, as Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors detailed in our Mock Draft. Assuming the Pelicans don’t re-sign Eric Gordon, the No.6 overall pick should begin the season as a starter. The team could have went with Jamal Murray here, but Hield is arguably more NBA ready right now. The Anthony Davis-Hield combination should blitz defenses for years to come.
Diallo had an up-and-down freshman campaign at Kansas and had he stayed in school for another year, he would have likely been a lottery pick in the 2017 draft. He’ll need time to develop, but they team shouldn’t need him to play any significant minutes with Omar Asik and Alexis Ajinca ahead of him on the depth chart. The team traded its two second-rounders for Diallo, but he has the potential to become one of the league’s best second-round picks ever.
Overall Draft Grade: The Pelicans’ lack of depth was exposed last season because of various injuries to the team’s core, as I discussed in their Offseason Outlook. New Orleans only added one player who is expected to contribute next season, but both players are good selections for the franchise’s long-term outlook. The team earns a grade of “B” for its efforts.
San Antonio Spurs
Needs: Long-term Answer at Point Guard, Depth
Draft Picks:
- No.29 Overall Dejounte Murray (Washington)
Basically just apply every I wrote for the Raptors in our Mock Draft and apply it to R.C. Buford and the Spurs. Smart GMs are always looking down the road, attempting to acquire players who can thrive for the franchise long-term. Murray has the potential to be a All-Star in this league. He has a terrific first step, he can get to basket with ease and he’s an electric playmaker. He should be able to guard both point guards and shooting guards at the next level due to his 6’11” wingspan. Murray will need to bulk up and while his jumpshot isn’t broken, it’s not his greatest attribute. He’ll have time to develop within San Antonio’s system and the team will give him a great opportunity to reach his potential.
Overall Draft Grade: The Spurs were very fortunate to have Murray fall to them at No.29. The Raptors, Kings or Sixers (twice) could have easily taken him late in the first-round, but instead, they each went in a different direction. Murray has the potential to haunt teams that passed up on him for years to come. The Spurs get an “A+” for nabbing the 19-year-old.
Latest On Al Horford
The list of teams expected to be in the mix for Al Horford‘s services is expanding. It was previously reported that the Magic, Pistons, Lakers and Rockets would be attempting to poach the big man from the Hawks. The Wizards, Celtics and Heat are also expected to pursue the 30-year-old, according to Darren Wolfson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Wolfson adds that the Wolves will likely try to make a run at Horford, but are unlikely to get him to sign.
The Hawks are reportedly viewed as the frontrunner to lock up Horford since they can offer the most money and years. Atlanta intends to put a max deal on the table. He just finished up his ninth year in the league, meaning he’s eligible for the second-tier max salary this summer.
He could certainly take LeBron James‘ path and sign a shorter deal with an opt out after one season. Such a move would vault him into the third-tier max salary next offseason, which would allow him a starting salary of nearly 35% cap instead of the roughly 30% he is currently eligible for. Still, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors pointed out, given his age, he might opt to take long-term security.
Horford played in all 82 games last season for the first time in his career. He is a career 53.5% shooter from the field and a 34.0% shooter from behind the arc. He matched a career high in blocks with 1.5 per contest last season and he ranked 7th in the league among centers in ESPN’s Real Plus/Minus.
Eastern Notes: Noah, Crawford, MCW
The Knicks badly need a starting center and their top target in free agency is Joakim Noah, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Newly acquired point guard Derrick Rose recently said his first priority this offseason will be convincing Noah to come to the Big Apple. “He knows that I would want to play with him [in New York],” Rose said. Berman notes that the Knicks could have upwards of $32MM in cap space this offseason.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Knicks also need a shooting guard and Jamal Crawford reportedly has interest in returning to New York. However, the 36-year-old is not atop Phil Jackson‘s list, according to Berman, as he writes in the same piece.
- The Bucks remain high on Michael Carter-Williams, as GM John Hammond said on Bleacher Report Radio (Twitter link). “We’re going to need him moving forward,” Hammond said. “He has the potential to be a top-10 player at his position.”
- Coach Brad Stevens said Jaylen Brown‘s versatility, explosiveness and work ethic are major reasons why the Celtics took him with the No.3 pick (video link via CSNNE.com).
Celtics Notes: Free Agency, Zizic, Durant
The Celtics will be aggressive in free agency this summer and coach Brad Stevens offered some insight on the team’s strategy, as Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com passes along. “The biggest needs as we look at it are continuing to grow ourselves on the offensive end, and what we decide to do with regard to protecting the rim,” Stevens said. “You can protect the rim in a couple of different ways. No. 1 is you have somebody in there to protect it. No. 2 is you don’t let the ball get there, and you need versatile guys at a bunch of different positions. You need to keep guys out of rotations. If you look at our team right now, No. 2 would be more of the option.”
Here’s more out of Boston:
- No.16 overall pick Guerschon Yabusele and No. 23 overall pick Ante Zizic both believe they can play for the Celtics right away. However, they are both open to playing overseas initially, Petraglia passes along in the same piece.
- Team president Danny Ainge said that flexibility in free agency this offseason was a factor in the Celtics not making a major deal on draft night, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe passes along via Twitter.
- Isaiah Thomas plans to assist in the recruiting process to bring Kevin Durant to the Celtics and he took to Twitter on Saturday to promote one of Durant’s signature shoes, writes Petraglia in a separate piece. The scribe notes that this is not the first time Thomas has taken to Twitter to reach out to Durant.
Eastern Notes: Noah, Butler, Beal
The Wizards have interest in adding Joakim Noah in free agency and it was reported on Friday that the team may be willing to offer Noah a maximum-salary contract. However, a league source tells J.Michael of Comcast Sportsnet (Twitter links) that the team will not be offering him the max, calling the rumor “absolutely ridiculous.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Bradley Beal will not participate in the Olympic games this summer, as he explains on his Twitter Feed. Beal only appeared in 55 games for the Wizards this past season due to an injury to his right fibula.
- The Bulls received several proposals for Jimmy Butler on draft night including the Celtics‘ package of Jae Crowder, the No. 3 pick and the No. 16 pick for the All-Star, sources tell K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Raptors had Jakob Poeltl higher on their draft board than roughly half of the prospects whom were selected ahead of him, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. Toronto selected Poeltl with the No.9 pick in Thursday’s draft, meaning the team presumably had the center within its top-5.
Multiple Teams Interested In Lance Thomas
The Knicks would like to bring back Lance Thomas with team president Phil Jackson going so far as to say he expects to re-sign the 28-year-old, Ian Begley of ESPN.com passes along (ESPN Now link). New York won’t be the only team vying for his services, as the Thunder, Nets and Mavericks are all expected to have interested in the combo forward, sources tell Begley.
Thomas arrived in New York as part of the 2015 three-way deal that sent J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to the Cavs. The team waived him just days after the trade before signing him to a pair of 10-day contracts and then a minimum-salary deal during the 2014/15 campaign. Thomas then re-signed with New York on a one-year, $1.65MM deal last offseason. He’s in line for a hefty raise on that figure and Begley notes that he’ll likely benefit from the historic salary cap increase.
Thomas established his 3-point shot this past season, making 40.4% of his attempts from long-range. He also sported a career high 10.4 player efficiency rating.
Darrell Arthur Won’t Exercise Player Option
Darrell Arthur has declined to pick up his player option, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays via Twitter. Arthur was set to make slightly over $2.94MM during the 2016/17 season, but he will hit free agency instead.
The power forward previously indicated that he would like to remain with the Nuggets regardless of whether or not he opted to turn down his option. Arthur should have a few suitors looking to bring him aboard, as he received strong interest from other teams at this past season’s trade deadline.
Arthur appeared in 70 games for Denver during the 2015/16 campaign, accumulating 7.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 45.2% from the field. The 28-year-old ranked 26th in the league among power forwards in ESPN’s Real Plus/Minus.