And-Ones: Rice Commission, Ball Brothers, Chang
Earlier today, we relayed that the the Commission on College Basketball, headed by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, released a detailed 60-page report in response to a request by the NCAA for sweeping reforms of college basketball.
In an in-depth article for ESPN, college basketball reporters Jeff Borzello and Myron Metcalf, along with NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony, gave their two cents on what the report means for the future of college basketball and, for our purposes, the NBA.
As part of what is most likely the most relevant portion of the article for our readers, Givony blasts the commission for “washing its hands” of any real responsibility and repeatedly blaming the NBA’s one-and-done rule for the problems in college basketball.
“Abolishing the NBA age limit, also known as the one-and-done rule, is the commission’s first recommendation… The insistence on prioritizing this topic over a myriad of others is an indication of how much the commission is washing its hands of any real responsibility for the issues facing college basketball.
“It’s preposterous to think that abolishing the one-and-done rule will fix all of college basketball’s problems. The much bigger issue is not allowing players to profit from their likeness, receive endorsement deals or be properly compensated by schools for the huge amount of money they generate — one the commission conveniently deflected, citing ongoing litigation and other issues.”
One potential consequence of the NBA not eliminating the one-and-done rule is for the NCAA to revisit “freshman ineligibility,” which Metcalf wholeheartedly disagreed with.
“This doesn’t make sense. So you want players who aren’t drafted to retain their collegiate eligibility and scholarships, but you’re also willing to put talented high school kids in a situation where they might not be allowed to enter the NBA draft or play for a college team as freshmen?
“This is worst stickup in sports history. The NBA doesn’t have to listen to the NCAA. That’s why they’ve had the age limit for more than a decade, despite complaints from many collegiate power brokers.”
Other topics broached include allowing undrafted players to return to school, harsher punishment for rule breakers, and the influence of AAU and other recruiting enterprises. The entire article is well-done and worth a read.
Below are more odds and ends from around the world of basketball:
- Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball‘s younger brothers, LiAngelo Ball and LaMelo Ball, will leave their team in Lithuania before season’s end, reports Lithuanian basketball reporter Donatas Urbonas. BC Vytautas still has two regular seasons games left to play and they are fighting to avoid relegation.
- The NBA has appointed Derek Chang as CEO of NBA China reports Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Chang will oversee the NBA’s basketball and business development in China.
- With the NBA Draft early entry deadline now behind us, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders gives us a look at his mock draft. Like many others, he has Arizona freshman DeAndre Ayton going No. 1 overall.
Poll: Should The Heat Trade Hassan Whiteside?
One season after going 41-41 and missing the playoffs by virtue of a tiebreaker with the Bulls, the Heat improved by three games in 2017/18 and made the playoffs as the No. 6 seed with a record of 44-38.
However, the Heat were faced with a difficult first-round matchup against the red-hot Sixers, who finished the season 16-0 and, just last night, eliminated the Heat from the playoffs in five games. Earlier today, we asked for your thoughts on Miami’s offseason outlook with a Community Shootaround post. Now, we want to know specifically whether you believe the Heat should trade Hassan Whiteside.
With over 20% of the team’s guaranteed salary for next season owed to Whiteside, the Heat dangerously close to the luxury tax in 2018/19, Whiteside’s playing time dwindling dramatically in the later part of the regular season and into the postseason, and Whiteside’s publicly voiced displeasure with his new role, President Pat Riley may need to decide this summer whether Whiteside is worth the headache and, if not, whether he can find a suitable trade partner for the big man.
Unfortunately for the Heat, they do not have a first-round pick this summer to attach to Whiteside’s contract which may make it difficult to entice a team to take on his contract. However, the Heat do have their 2019 first-round selection to deal if they so choose. Regardless, assuming a deal is tenable, what do you think?
If you were Pat Riley, would you trade Hassan Whiteside or would you keep him with the hopes that he can return to his 2016/17 form? Vote below in our poll, then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Southeast Notes: Batum, Fournier, Heat, Wade
In a mailbag piece for The Charlotte Observer, Rick Bonnell argues that despite the frustration voiced by fans over the contract of Nicolas Batum, who’s still owed $76.7MM in guaranteed money over the next three seasons, the Hornets should not even consider waiving the swingman.
That’s because under the new CBA rules, Batum’s salary would continue counting against the Hornets’ cap even after his release, as there is no longer an amnesty provision incorporated into the new CBA. Moreover, the Hornets had more issues this season than Batum.
Instead, Bonnell suggests that Batum’s contract, although troublesome, is not “untradeable,” and that the Hornets should be able to trade Batum away if they are willing to take on some other bad contracts in return.
And in another article for the Observer, Bonnell opines that Batum doesn’t necessarily need to be traded. Rather, the Hornets’ next head coach should look to resurrect Batum’s game, which may mean letting him handle the ball more as arguably the team’s top ball-mover and facilitator.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- After a tough season in which his team finished 25-57 and missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, Magic guard Evan Fournier plans on joining his countrymen on the French National Team for the third window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers, he tells FIBA.
- In a season-ending piece for the Sun-Sentinel, Ira Winderman gives his thoughts and other information on the 17 players who finished the 2017/18 NBA season as members of the Heat – including two-way players Derrick Walton Jr. and Derrick Jones Jr.
- In another article for the Sun-Sentinel, Winderman compares this upcoming offseason to the summer of 2016, when Dwyane Wade left the Heat for Chicago. Ultimately, Winderman believes that unlike two years ago, it’ll be wholly up to Wade as to whether he wants to play in Miami next season, as long as he’s willing to accept a reasonable contract.
Pelicans Notes: Holiday, Davis, Cousins, Gentry
A primary factor in the Pelicans’ success so far this season – which now includes a sweep of the higher-seeded Trail Blazers in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs – has been the stellar play of combo guard Jrue Holiday, writes Matt John of Basketball Insiders.
Having been somewhat hampered by injuries and personal matters since the Pelicans traded for him in the summer of 2013, Holiday has been a revelation so far this postseason, having increased his scoring output from 19.0 PPG in the regular season – a career-high – to 27.8 PPG in the playoffs, while also playing stifling defense on Portland’s All-Star point guard Damian Lillard.
Yet, the advanced statistics demonstrate that Holiday has actually been playing at an All-Star level all season long, regardless of whether the casual basketball fan realized it or not. For example, the Pelicans had an offensive rating of 108.9 points per 100 possessions when he was the on the court – would have ranked 7th – compared to 104.4 points per 100 possessions when he was off – would have ranked 21st.
Holiday was even more important to the Pelicans on the defensive end of the floor, where the team had a defensive rating of 103.3 per 100 possessions when Holiday was on the court – would have ranked 5th – compared to 112.3 off the court – would have ranked dead last, 30th overall.
Holiday’s net rating was also higher than that of Pelicans MVP-candidate teammate Anthony Davis, and his 3.81 Real Plus-Minus ranked ninth among point guards, which put him ahead of Kyrie Irving, John Wall, and Goran Dragic, all of whom made the All-Star team this year, albeit in the Eastern Conference.
Holiday will look to continue his stellar play on Saturday when the Pelicans head to Oakland to take on the Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
There’s more out of New Orleans this evening:
- With Davis under contract through the 2020/21 season and not eager to leave town, the Pelicans are on track to becoming the next small-market success, writes Brett Martel of The Associated Press.
- In a piece from Christian Boutwell of The Advocate, injured Pelicans’ big man DeMarcus Cousins says he “couldn’t be happier for this team” after a sweep of the Trail Blazers. Cousins also touched on his rehab for a torn left Achilles, saying “I’m improving each and every day and I’m improving a pretty rapid pace as well. That keeps my energy high, my positive vibes going.”
- As we relayed Monday night, the Pelicans have informed head coach Alvin Gentry that his team option for next season will be picked up, thereby all but guaranteeing that Gentry will coach the Pelicans during the 2018/19 season.
Five Key Stories: 4/14/18 – 4/21/18
In case you missed any of this past week’s top stories from around the league, we have you covered with our Week in Review. Below are the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.
Spurs All-Star Kawhi Leonard will not return to the team this season, missing the remainder of the postseason with the intent of fully rehabilitating his injured right quadriceps. Appearing in just nine games this season, Leonard has not played since January 13, and continues to be absent from the team during his rehab.
In great news for the G League, its players will be receiving a significant salary increase next season. All G League contracts for 2018/19 will pay $35K, in addition to housing costs and insurance benefits. The league had been paying $26K or $19K this season and previously, depending on a player’s classification.
In very sad news, Erin Popovich, the wife of Spurs head coach Greg Popovich, passed away after having battled an illness for an extended time. Said Spurs GM RC Buford, “We mourn the loss of Erin. She was a strong, wonderful, kind, intelligent woman who provided love, support and humor to all of us.” Greg and Erin were married for 40 years and had two children and two grandchildren together.
Luka Doncic of Real Madrid, a potential No. 1 overall pick, has submitted paperwork to enter the 2018 NBA Draft. Donic, 19, averaged 15.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.7 APG for Real Madrid this season and is currently still participating in the EuroLeague postseason.
There is a lot of news and rumors coming out of the head coaching searches for six NBA franchises – the Suns, Knicks, Grizzlies, Magic, Bucks, and Hornets. Luckily, you can find every story and update with our 2018 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker.
Here are 8 more headlines from last week:
- The Clippers are planning on being active if a trade market for Leonard materializes this summer.
- Not to be outdone, the Lakers also plan to trade for Leonard if he becomes available.
- Duke big man Wendell Carter Jr. is entering the 2018 NBA Draft.
- The NBA’s preseason salary cap projections for next season have not changed.
- Texas Tech freshman Zhaire Smith has declared his intention to enter the 2018 NBA Draft.
- Timberwolves rookie center Justin Patton is done for the season after undergoing a second surgery on his left foot.
- Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy and owner Tom Gores will meet this week to discuss Van Gundy’s future with the team.
- UVA’s De’Andre Hunter, a potential first-round pick, will return to school for his sophomore year.
Rodions Kurucs To Enter 2018 NBA Draft
Latvian forward Rodions Kurucs is declaring for the 2018 NBA draft, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The 6-foot-10 combo forward is now projected as a possible second-round selection after seeing his stock plummet because of a lack of playing time with Barcelona this season.
Kurucs, 20, is currently slated to be picked 39th in the latest ESPN mock draft, as his combination of size, skill, and versatility is coveted in today’s NBA.
Kurucs’ ability to attend private workouts will be a key factor for his chances of being drafted, as few teams have been able to scout him thoroughly because it’s been hard to make a trip out to watch him not knowing whether he’ll see any minutes. Regardless, many scouts consider him to be the third-best international prospect in this year’s draft.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 4/14/18 – 4/21/18
Every week, we here at Hoops Rumors strive to create interesting original content to complement our news feed. Here are the original segments and features from the past seven days:
- Mark Suleymanov took an in-depth look into the effect a torn ACL can have on an NBA player.
- Luke Adams ran down the 2018 Pre-Lottery Draft Order after the NBA conducted its draft tiebreakers.
- In this week’s Community Shootaround Series, we asked:
- Which lower-seeded teams do you think look like the best bets to advance to round two?
- What is the best available coaching job?
- Luke Adams listed some important 2018 NBA Offseason dates.
- In a much anticipated end-of-season poll, we asked for your input on the three All-NBA Teams.
- In another poll, we asked what you believe the Spurs are going to do with Kawhi Leonard this offseason.
- We began a new feature, the 2018 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker.
- We took a look at the upcoming 2018/19 Player Options and 2018/19 Team Options.
- We asked which team you believe will win the Eastern Conference Playoffs?
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, G League, Sefolosha
After missing the playoffs by one game for the second consecutive season, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and president of basketball operations Tim Connelly are tired of going home after the regular season ends. Yet, as reported by Gina Mizell of The Denver Post, there’s reason for optimism, with Connelly declaring that “this is the most confident I’ve felt in our core group since I’ve been here.”
The first order of business for the Nuggets is locking up budding superstar Nikola Jokic to a long-term contract. Jokic actually has a team option worth $1.6MM for next season, but because he was a second-round pick and has been in the league for three or fewer seasons, he becomes a restricted free agent if Denver declines his option, allowing the Nuggets to match any offer from another team.
Both of the Nuggets other young potential stars – Jamal Murray and Gary Harris – are already locked in for next season, meaning the next order of business is re-signing sixth man Will Barton. “We’re hopeful we can get something done,” Connelly said. “(Barton is) our guy. We love him. I think if he’s back in a Denver jersey, it’s good for both him and the team.”
Barton added, “We’re building something real special here. I love playing with Jok and Jamal and Gary. The guys we have in the locker room, I like being around. The coaching staff has really come a long way with trusting me and me trusting them. Just the whole (Nuggets) organization, I feel like we’re headed in the right direction.”
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- In more after-season content from the Nuggets, Christopher Dempsey of Nuggets.com relays some of Connelly’s positive thoughts on the Nuggets’ season. “Certainly, when you’re on the outside, looking-in you have to address some needs,” Connelly said. “I think there will be some pretty interesting financial decisions we’ll make this offseason. But standing in front of (the media) now, I finally can say with full confidence that we have a core that can be really good for a long time. They all want to be here, and they are all about the right things.”
- The Trail Blazers are closing in on setting up a G League team in Beaverton, OR, reports Adam Johnson of Two Ways and 10 Days. There have been suggestions of Seattle as a prime location for a Portland G League team, but it seems the Blazers are looking to bring a potential afilliate closer to home. Nike, the NBA’s new uniform supplier, is headquartered in the Portland suburb.
- Jazz swingman Thabo Sefolosha may be out of the lineup with injury, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t playing a role against his former team, the Thunder, reports Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News. “I try to just help when I see something like offensively, defensively, something that we can do a little differently,” Sefolosha said. “Just whatever I see, I like to communicate, whether it’s with the coaches or with the players, so I try to stay involved as much as I can.”
Zhaire Smith To Enter 2018 NBA Draft; Hire Agent
Texas Tech freshman Zhaire Smith is expected to sign with an agent and remain in the 2018 NBA Draft, reports Michael Scotto of The Athletic. Smith, 18, averaged 11.3 PPG and 5.0 RPG this season for the Red Raiders.
We had previously relayed that Smith was testing the NBA Draft waters without hiring an agent, but the decision to forgo the remainder of his college eligibility makes sense given his potential to be picked in the lottery and the money he stands to make.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony currently ranks him 17th overall on his Top 100 Prospects, and a rookie salary for the 17th overall selection in this summer’s draft could be as high as $2.46MM.
Suns Plan To Interview Frank Vogel
The Suns plan to interview former Magic head coach Frank Vogel, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
Fired by Orlando last week (link), Vogel compiled a record of 54-110 (.329) during his two seasons with the Magic. The Suns obviously hope that they could recreate the success Vogel had in Indiana, where he posted a record of 250-181 (.580) with five playoff appearances during six years as head coach of the Pacers.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported earlier tonight that Hawks’ head coach Mike Budenholzer met with the Suns today and yesterday with an imminent deal possible, but Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic relays that GM Ryan McDonough was planning on interviewing multiple candidates, so it’ll be an interesting story to keep an eye on.