Southeast Notes: Malone, Carroll, Deng, O’Quinn
Former Kings coach Michael Malone “would love to coach” the Magic, as Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel hears (Twitter link). Malone has seemingly been a hot commodity since the Kings fired him in December. Orlando has been expected to consider him, and he’s been linked to the Nuggets opening. Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders organized a meeting between Malone and owner Glen Taylor earlier this year, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link), and Malone has spent time with the Wolves in an informal capacity on at least three different occasions this season. Schmitz advises the Magic to jump on Malone, draft Willie Cauley-Stein and float a max offer sheet to restricted free agent Draymond Green. While we wait to see if the team’s offseason plays out like that, there’s more on the Magic amid the latest from the Southeast Division:
- One executive from a team estimates that DeMarre Carroll will see annual salaries of $8-9MM on the deal he signs in free agency this summer, the exec tells Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops. The executive believes that most teams will try to convince the combo forward to sign for $7MM a year, adding that if a club comes up with a $10MM offer, the Hawks seem unlikely to match, as Scotto details.
- League sources expressed doubt to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders about Luol Deng‘s ability to find annual salaries better than the nearly $10.152MM he’d have if he opted in with the Heat, as Kyler writes in an NBA AM piece. Still, the possibility remains that Deng would seek a new long-term deal that offers more security, Kyler surmises. Deng is unsure of what he’ll do with the option.
- The Magic intend to make Kyle O’Quinn the qualifying offer necessary for them to be able to match offers for him in free agency this summer, in spite of his recent lack of minutes, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. That qualifying offer would be worth more than $1.181MM.
Tyus Jones Declares For Draft
Duke freshman point guard Tyus Jones is off to the NBA draft, as he announced in a statement released through the school. The 18-year-old, who turns 19 next month, is projected to join Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow as members of the national champion Blue Devils to be drafted in the first round this year. Jones is the 21st-best prospect on Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress board, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him 23rd.
Jones had been “proceeding toward plans” to enter this year’s draft last week as he arranged meetings with agents, as Shams Charania of RealGM reported then. NBA personnel who spoke recently with Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com thought leaving school this year would be a wise decision for the point guard, believing his stock wouldn’t go any higher with another year at Duke. The Pistons, Pelicans, Sixers, Magic and Rockets have been among the NBA teams doing the most research into the Minnesota native so far, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
It’ll take a while for Jones to develop on the NBA level, but he’s capable of rewarding a patient team that drafts him in the middle of the first round, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors wrote as he ranked Jones 20th in our latest Draft Prospect Power Rankings. Jones averaged 13.9 points in 33.9 minutes per game, and he nearly had a three-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio, putting up 6.6 assists and 2.3 turnovers per contest. He recorded only one assist in the national championship game, but his game-high 23 points helped him earn the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player award.
Justise Winslow To Enter Draft
Duke freshman small forward Justise Winslow is entering this year’s NBA draft, as he announced in a statement released by the school. Winslow is No. 5 in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings and No. 6 with Chad Ford of ESPN.com. The news is no surprise, given his position as a likely top-10 pick. One Eastern Conference GM told Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops recently that Winslow would be a contender to become the No. 1 overall pick if not for the presence of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor.
The 19-year-old Winslow improved his three-point shooting over the course of the season, and the continued development of that outside shot is key to his pro potential, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors wrote as he ranked him eighth in his latest Draft Prospect Power Rankings. Winslow finished at 41.8% from behind the arc and averaged 12.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in 29.1 minutes per game.
Duke, with Winslow, Okafor and fellow likely first-round pick Tyus Jones, won the national championship, though Winslow’s best NCAA Tournament performance came against Utah in the Sweet 16. The 6’7″ Winslow had 21 points, two off his season high, and 10 rebounds, and he made three out of his four three-point attempts.
Lakers To Explore Nick Young Trades
The Lakers will “shop [Nick] Young around” this summer after a subpar season and conflict with coach Byron Scott, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News hears (Twitter link). Medina’s wording is a bit softer in a slideshow in which he says the Lakers will likely entertain trade offers, but the situation nonetheless appears to have changed from when Young signed a four-year deal worth about $21.326MM to remain with the Lakers last summer. Young said today in his exit interview with the Los Angeles media that he’s confident he will be back with the Lakers next season, Medina notes (Twitter link).
Young also said today that he and Scott are “cool” and “on the same page,” according to Medina (on Twitter). The 29-year-old, who turns 30 in June, seemed unreceptive last week when he addressed advice from Scott that he should become more of a complete player, and he said that he believes Scott was targeting him for criticism. Scott had suggested that there were Lakers players he “wouldn’t want to be in a fox hole with,” a remark he later backtracked from and claimed was a product of frustration.
In any case, Young slumped to a career-worst 36.6% field goal percentage, and his 13.4 points per game were well off last season’s 17.9 PPG mark. He hasn’t played since February 22nd because of a fractured knee cap.
That performance stands to complicate trade scenarios, as would an opposing team’s insistence on a draft pick in return, as Medina writes in the slideshow. The Lakers owe their first-round pick to the Sixers this year if it’s not in the top five, and a protected first-rounder they owe the Magic will come due two years after they convey the pick to the Sixers, RealGM shows. Young will be eligible to be traded as soon as Thursday, since the Lakers will miss the playoffs, but offseason trades usually don’t start happening until June.
Southeast Notes: Magic, Sefolosha, Deng
The Magic will interview fewer than the half-dozen candidates they brought in when they hired Jacque Vaughn in 2012, and the focus will be on those who have head-coaching experience, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel details. It’s almost certain that the Magic regard Scott Skiles as a potential candidate, Robbins writes, and that falls in line with earlier reports. However, it’s unclear if the Magic will give interim coach James Borrego a chance to keep the job for the long term, Robbins adds. The general belief was that Borrego would get a chance to stick around depending on his performance down the stretch, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com wrote in February, and the Magic have gone 10-19 with Borrego as head coach. There’s more on the Magic amid the latest from the Southeast Division:
- Thabo Sefolosha blames New York City police for the season-ending injury he suffered outside a New York nightclub last week, as the Hawks swingman made clear to reporters, including Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- Soon-to-be restricted free agent Tobias Harris regards the season as a lost opportunity for the Magic, as he tells Robbins for a separate piece. Orlando failed to make much headway this season, and for that to change next year, many league insiders believe the team needs to sign a pair of two-way free agents who are in their primes, according to Robbins.
- One reason why Luol Deng likes playing for the Heat is its medical staff, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post notes. Miami’s playoff hopes are nearly extinguished thanks in large measure to injury this year, but all signs point to Deng’s return to the team even as he remains unsure about his player option more than $10.15MM, Lieser writes. “I love this organization,” said Deng, who turns 30 on Thursday. “It’s been top-class and everything. I’ve had one of my healthiest years. It was never anything serious. I’ve felt great about the medical staff. When you’ve been in the league 11 years, as soon as you start putting mileage on your body, you want a group that knows your body and you’re comfortable with them. The organization has been great.”
2015 Free Agent Power Rankings
The regular season is almost over, and for some players, that means this week is the last opportunity to hit the court before they hit free agency. For most of the top free agents, the playoffs loom, and the postseason offers a chance to make a profound impression, whether positive or negative. Before that happens, here’s where the top members of the 2015 free agent class stand:
- LeBron James (player option) — James is on the verge of completing his first back-to-back seasons without winning the MVP since 2006/07 and 2007/08, but many still consider him the league’s best player. No shortage of teams will be hoping against hope that he’ll listen to their pitches if he opts out, as he’s reportedly likely to do, but it’s almost certain those teams will end up disappointed, and that he’ll return to the Cavs on another two-year max deal that gives him the most money and flexibility possible. Last ranking: No. 1
- Kevin Love (player option) — There’s a strong chance that five straight seasons of averaging a double-double won’t become six for Love, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group points out, but even as Love’s stats continue to tumble as the season wears on, the issue appears more like one of context than declining talent. The former All-Star power forward has seemed like a poor fit with Cleveland, but Love told Haynes in January that he plans to opt in. Even if he doesn’t, and even if the Cavs wouldn’t want to pay him the max, a point some executives around the league have apparently questioned, it would be surprising if there weren’t multiple other max offers on the table. Last ranking: No. 2
- Kawhi Leonard (restricted) — Leonard’s monster stretch run has vaulted the Spurs from seventh place in the Western Conference into a chance for the second seed, and it’s catapulted him from seventh to third in these rankings. Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News wrote in early March that there was little that could happen this spring that would change the value of the max or near-max deal Leonard would receive this summer, but if Leonard wasn’t a max player then, he is now. The Celtics, and presumably others, are expected to propose offer sheets for the Defensive Player of the Year candidate, but the Spurs would be poised to match. Last ranking: No. 7
- LaMarcus Aldridge — It’s a tough call between Aldridge and Gasol, and for most teams, it would probably come down to which would be the better fit. We’ll give the nod to Aldridge, who bumped his production back up in March after a dip in February as he continues to play with a thumb injury that was to keep him out six to eight weeks. The power forward spoke recently of the darker days that marked his relationship with the Trail Blazers in the past, but he still seems likely to re-sign, as he said this past summer that he intends to do. Last ranking: No. 4
- Marc Gasol — Neither Gasol nor the Grizzlies are playing as well as they did earlier in the season, but that probably won’t change the dynamics at play. The 30-year-old is still averaging a career high 17.3 points this season, one in which he’s shifted some of his attention from defense to offense. The Spurs, Knicks and others will surely give chase, but Gasol’s longstanding connection to Memphis still looms large. Last ranking: No. 3
- Jimmy Butler (restricted) — Injury has helped stall Butler’s rise up this list, but he’s back in the lineup, and a strong playoff run could help him climb another few spots. The Bulls reportedly plan a max offer, and while other teams may test whether Chicago follows through, the consequences of losing Butler would likely be too devastating for the capped-out Bulls to let him slip away. Last ranking: No. 5
- Greg Monroe — A move to the Knicks is far from preordained, the big man insists, but while the Pistons would like him back and agent David Falk says it remains a possibility, Monroe still seems unlikely to re-sign with Detroit, as I wrote when I examined his free agent stock. He’s only played 11 games since the start of March because of injury, but he did plenty to enhance his value this year. Last ranking: No. 6
- DeAndre Jordan — Jordan makes it clear that he’s a major fan of Doc Rivers even when the big man has spoken of his enthusiasm for his free agency ahead. Jordan has become an elite rebounder under Rivers, and even though he has staunchly limited offensive range, he knows his boundaries and is poised to lead the NBA in field goal percentage for a third straight year. Last ranking: No. 9
- Goran Dragic (player option) — The point guard has dropped hints that he envisions a future with the Heat, and while the Lakers still seem like a possibility, Miami appears to have an edge. Dragic has regressed after a breakout season last year, and his numbers with the Heat are similar to what they were in the crowded Phoenix backcourt this season before the trade. Few teams lack quality point guards, but those that do seem intent on acquiring one, as the Heat proved when they gave up two first-round picks to deal for him. Given that investment, it would seem the Heat will spend whatever is necessary to retain him. Last ranking: No. 8
- Draymond Green (restricted) — A legitimate chance exists that Green will enter free agency as the Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player of the Year and an NBA champion. Even if he misses out on all three, it will still have been an impressive 2014/15 for the versatile 25-year-old whose insertion into the Warriors starting lineup helped lift the team to the league’s best regular season record. Golden State appears ready to match any offer sheet, and while there’s seemingly mutual interest between Green and the Pistons, the Warriors control the process. The question is whether Green ends up with the max, and Hoops Rumors readers believe he will. Last ranking: unranked
Dropped out: Rajon Rondo (Last month: No. 10)
Earlier in the season, we looked at the next 10 free agents who would be on this list, and we’ll do so again this time. The names here again demonstrate the depth of this year’s free agent class, assuming most of the players with options hit the market:
- 11. Paul Millsap
- 12. Brook Lopez (player option)
- 13. Rajon Rondo
- 14. Al Jefferson (player option)
- 15. Reggie Jackson (restricted)
- 16. Tristan Thompson (restricted)
- 17. Dwyane Wade (player option)
- 18. Enes Kanter (restricted)
- 19. Khris Middleton (restricted)
- 20. Lou Williams
Bobby Portis To Enter Draft
12:58pm: The decision was no open-and-shut case, as Portis came quite close to remaining at school for another year, according to Givony (Twitter link).
12:24pm: Arkansas sophomore power forward Bobby Portis has decided to enter this year’s draft, as he revealed on his Twitter account (hat tip to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com). Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks him as the 16th-best prospect, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress puts him at No. 18.
The Consensus Second-Team All-American shouldered a greater offensive load for the Razorbacks this season, and he delivered, averaging 17.5 points while grabbing 8.9 rebounds in 29.9 minutes per game. Portis, who stands 6’10”, showed a measure of three-point range, nailing 14 of his 30 attempts this year. Still, the 20-year-old remains raw and is a candidate for D-League assignments, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors wrote when he ranked him 15th in the latest Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Power Rankings.
Portis pulled down 10 or more rebounds in five of his last six college games, including his 18-point, 14-rebound performance in a loss to North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament round of 32. His only single-digit rebounding game in that stretch came against Kentucky and its wealth of NBA-bound frontcourt talent, against whom Portis had only two boards.
Pacific Notes: Cousins, Boozer, Hawes
The Kings have a budding superstar in DeMarcus Cousins, but coach George Karl admits that no one on Sacramento’s roster would be off-limits for the right trade, as Bill Herenda of CSNBayArea.com relays. Obviously, the Kings aren’t looking to trade their best player, but Karl’s comments jibe with what a person familiar with the coach’s thinking told Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck in February about Sacramento’s willingness to make deals.
“I’ve had some great players and I’ve never had one player that I have said is untradeable,” Karl said, as Herenda notes. “You always got to be ready for the possibility of a great trade that could come your way. I know I respect him [Cousins] a tremendous amount … I think our give and take and our communication has been almost on a daily basis … until we can really get to a special place together, I think we’ve got to continue to communicate, what he wants and what I want.”
With the offseason beginning in two days for Sacramento, there’s more on the Kings amid the latest from the Pacific Division:
- Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com has begun hearing more speculation about Cousins trades among sources, but Bruski cautions that there’s nothing concrete or in the works (Twitter links).
- Carlos Boozer moved to the bench about a month into the regular season and he hasn’t been the sort of contributor the Lakers imagined when they claimed him off amnesty waivers this summer, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Coach Byron Scott is nonetheless pleased with the way he “hasn’t rocked the boat” since his benching, Medina notes, adding that it nonetheless seems unlikely that the power forward, a free agent this summer, will return.
- Spencer Hawes admits he isn’t having the sort of season he envisioned when he joined the Clippers on a four-year deal for the full value of the mid-level exception this past summer, observes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “It’s been bad,” he said of his performance. “There’s no other way to put it. You just can’t let it defeat you when you go through the low stretches.”
Northwest Notes: Kanter, Franklin, Jazz
The Thunder‘s first-round pick no longer has any chance to fall outside the top 18 selections, so Oklahoma City will retain the selection for this year rather than convey it to the Sixers, note Anthony Slater and Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Oklahoma originally traded the pick to Cleveland in the Dion Waiters deal, and the Cavs sent it to Denver two days later in the Timofey Mozgov trade before the Nuggets attached it to JaVale McGee to send him to Philadelphia at the deadline. The Thunder would send the pick to Philly next year if it’s not in the top 15, and the same protection applies in 2017. If the Thunder still have the pick after 2017, they’ll owe only a pair of second-rounders instead, according to RealGM, and as our Traded Picks by Round table shows. There’s more on the Thunder amid the latest from the Northwest Division:
- Enes Kanter is hopeful of a long-term stay with the Thunder as restricted free agency looms in the offseason, as he tells Slater for a separate piece. “I hope so,” he said. “It’s an amazing place. I don’t know how to explain it.”
- Slater’s Kanter story delves into his fractured relationship with the Jazz, one that began even though Kanter didn’t want Utah to draft him, The Oklahoman scribe writes. Slater suggests that a poor experience with Fenerbahce of Turkey and the NCAA left the big man with a wariness of organizations that led him to question the Jazz when they drafted him against his wishes and didn’t give him much playing time his first two seasons.
- The Nuggets used a $200K prorated sliver of the mid-level exception to sign Jamaal Franklin this past weekend to a contract that covers three seasons, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links). The deal is non-guaranteed for 2015/16 and 2016/17, Pincus adds, noting that the net cost of the contract need not be more than zero for the Nuggets if they don’t keep Franklin for his non-guaranteed seasons, since they’re still shy of the salary floor.
- The Jazz have shown promise in the second half of the season, but the roster is still a long way from championship contention, as Brad Rock of the Deseret News examines.
DeMarre Carroll Interested In Knicks
Soon-to-be free agent forward DeMarre Carroll acknowledged interest in the Knicks and hinted that he wouldn’t mind signing with the Lakers or Clippers, either, in a response to a question about whether he would give a great deal of consideration to the Knicks, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. The sixth-year veteran who turns 29 in July has blossomed while on a two-year, $5MM contract with the Hawks that expires at season’s end.
“Most definitely,” Carroll said. “When guys talk about playing in certain places — they talk about Madison Square Garden and Staples Center. Those two places. New York has a lot to offer but at the end of the season, I’ll let my agent do that. We’ll keep our options and hopefully it will work out for the best.’’
Knicks coach Derek Fisher likes Carroll, and his defense in particular, a source tells Berman. Carroll is a proficient rebounder, grabbing 5.4 per game this season, but his defense is a minus, according to both ESPN’s Real Plus/Minus and Basketball-Reference’s Box Plus/Minus. Those metrics show him as a better offensive player, and he’s transformed his attack in Atlanta, shooting nearly six times as many three-pointers the past two seasons as the rest of his NBA career put together. He’s made 39.6% of his shots from behind the arc this year and is averaging a career-high 12.7 points per game.
Berman figures the Mark Bartelstein client will command a starting salary around $5MM, but Grantland’s Zach Lowe would be surprised if he doesn’t see more than that (Twitter link). Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal speculates that Carroll’s in line for $6MM salaries (Twitter link). In any case, it would seem he’s due a significant raise on the more than $2.442MM he’s making this season. The Hawks only have Carroll’s Early Bird rights, so unless they use cap space, they’d be limited to a starting salary of a figure that will likely come in just shy of $6MM when the league’s average salary is computed during the July Moratorium. Still, Atlanta, just like the Knicks and Lakers, is in line to open a significant amount of cap room this summer, depending in large measure on what happens with Carroll and Paul Millsap. The Clippers are unlikely to have the sort of cap flexibility it would take to land Carroll.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote more than a month ago that it appeared the Hawks were looking for an upgrade at small forward, where Carroll plays. Still, it would be tough to envision the Hawks not having at least some interest in re-signing a player who has found his niche within their system. The team on Monday awarded Carroll the Jason Collier Memorial Trophy for his work as a community ambassador, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes, so clearly the club is high on his character.