Eastern Notes: Raptors Draft, Galloway, McConnell, Bulls
With the potential loss of Fred VanVleet in free agency and Kyle Lowry turning 34 this year, the Raptors could be in the market for a point guard in this year’s draft. With that in mind, Blake Murphy of The Athletic takes a look at floor leaders that the club could target with its late first-round pick. Duke’s Tre Jones, Stanford’s Tyrell Terry and Arizona’s Nico Mannion are some of the prospects that Murphy examines.
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Pistons guard Langston Galloway, who is headed into unrestricted free agency, has “no regrets” about this season regardless of whether his team gets to play again, he told Rod Beard of the Detroit News. Galloway was the only player on the team to appear in every game and established himself as a solid second-unit shooter. “If we didn’t get to finish, I would say I had a great season and move on to the summer workouts,” he said. “I played in every single game, so I put my work on display every single game and the work I continue to put on display. I have no regrets going into the summer.”
- Free agents T.J. McConnell, Justin Holiday and Alize Johnson are likely to remain with the Pacers next season, Scott Agness of The Athletic opines. McConnell and Holiday are solid reserves, while Johnson still has some upside. JaKarr Sampson is the only free agent that Indiana probably won’t re-sign, Agness adds.
- The Bulls’ lottery chances could be jeopardized if they’re included in plans to resume the season, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago opines. Chicago is currently seventh in the draft lottery standings, giving the team a 32% chance at a top-four pick and a 7.5% chance at the No. 1 pick, Johnson notes. If the Bulls got hot during the resumption of play and even advanced in a revised playoff format, those odds would drop.
Free Agency Could Be Moved Prior To Draft
The NBA free agent period this year could be moved before the annual draft, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
That would be a momentous shift in the way the NBA operates. The league has traditionally conducted a June draft with free agency beginning approximately a week later.
The matter will be discussed during Friday’s NBA Board of Governors meeting, according to Pompey. Both the draft and free agency are expected to be moved to a later date. The draft, scheduled for June 25, will likely be moved to early September, according to Pompey. Free agency was scheduled to begin on June 30 at 6:00 p.m.
The NFL notably conducts free agency before its annual April draft, allowing teams to determine what remaining needs they have entering the draft. It also facilitates trades during the draft, which can be immediately announced.
The NBA’s method provides rookies with plenty of time to prepare for their first NBA seasons and allows the league to conduct thriving Summer League events. But draft-night trades that don’t involve strictly pick swaps are often not officially announced until after free agency begins and the salary cap is determined.
The decision on when to hold free agency may not be made in the near future, Pompey cautions, since plans to resume this season take precedence. Via an unnamed source, Pompey reports that this year’s draft would occur five-to-seven days after the Finals if it precedes free agency.
The National Basketball Players Association would have to agree to moving free agency before the draft.
The draft lottery and combine have already been postponed.
Central Notes: Pistons, Satoransky, Markkanen, Cavs
While it may seem that the Pistons wouldn’t benefit from being included in any NBA plan to resume the season, waiting for next season could prove detrimental to the franchise, as the team’s website writer Keith Langlois explains.
Rookie Sekou Doumbouya needs all the time he can get playing and working with the team’s coaches, while Luke Kennard — sidelined by knee injuries much of the season — could prove he’s healthy with rookie scale extension talks looming. An unprecedented, prolonged break prior to next season would disrupt the Pistons’ rebuilding plan as well as the players’ circadian rhythm, Langlois adds.
We have more from around the Central Division:
- Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky is also concerned about a huge gap between seasons for also-rans, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago relays. In an interview posted on Euro Hoops Instagram Live, Satoransky said it would be very tough for NBA players to deal with that type of layoff. “I think it’s difficult to imagine being without a game until December, this year basically being without games. That kind of changes your perspective also on being able to come back to finish the season,” Satoransky said. “We are competitors and we want to compete against everyone.”
- There were rumblings during the season that Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen was unhappy, but he declared in a recent podcast he wants to stay with the franchise long-term. “I want to stay in Chicago and sign an extension (with the Bulls), no question. I love this city,” Markkanen said on Finnish podcast Urheilucast (hat tip to On Tap Sports Net). Markkanen is eligible for a rookie scale extension prior to next season.
- The Cavaliers are another team that could be left out of the NBA’s final plan to resume the season. Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer breaks down the implications for the franchise in each possible scenario.
Western Notes: Timberwolves, Harden, Holmes, Warriors
The Timberwolves could reap some benefits if they get a chance to play again this season, as Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune details. The team added several new players during the second half of the season, and every game and practice they get together will foster chemistry. Young players such as 2019 first-round draft pick Jarrett Culver and 2018 first-rounder Josh Okogie need as much playing time as they can get to continue their development, Hartman adds.
We have more Western Conference news:
- Rockets superstar James Harden says once the league deems it safe to resume competition, he’s primed for action, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. “If the league and public officials are confident that a single-site setup is safe for all players, staff and fans, then I’m ready to go,” he said. “I want to get back out there I just want to make sure we’re in a good position to so.”
- Can Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III co-exist in the Kings’ frontcourt? James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area explores the pros and cons of playing the two big men together. The biggest benefit, according to Ham, is that it would give the Kings one of the most athletic frontcourts in the league. They’re both high-motor players who can rebound, block shots and contribute offensively.
- Anthony Slater of The Athletic examines the implications if the NBA leaves the Warriors out of its plans to resume the season. The biggest positive is that it would give the front office additional time to assess the financial landscape and direction they want to go before making any draft-night decisions.
Draft Notes: Cisse, Kuminga, West, International
Forward Moussa Cisse, a top-10 prospect for the class of 2021, will graduate high school a year early and reclassify to this year with an eye toward the 2021 draft, Jonathan Givony of ESPN reports. Cisse was ranked No. 8 among prospects for the 2021 class. The 6’11” Cisse intends to commit to a top college program next week and has narrowed his choices to Kentucky, LSU, Florida State, Georgia, Memphis or Georgetown. “I am trying to find the best way to the NBA,” Cisse said.
We have more draft-related news:
- Small forward Jonathan Kuminga, the top-ranked player on ESPN’s 2021 prospects list, has the option of reclassifying to this year and is considering the G League, according to Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com. Kuminga is “50-50” on reclassifying, but has already narrowed his college choices to Auburn, Duke, Kentucky and Texas Tech, along with the possibility of joining the G League development program. Kuminga has been doing online schoolwork in order to graduate early, Zagoria adds.
- Marshall guard Jarrod West has elected to withdraw from the draft and return to school for his senior season, Jeff Goodman of Stadium tweets. A three-year starter with the Thundering Herd, West averaged 14.2 PPG, 4.1 APG, and 4.0 RPG last season.
- Killian Hayes, Deni Avdija and Abdoulaye N’Doye rank as the top international prospects in this year’s draft, according to Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype. Players who participated in the Australian NBL’s Next Stars program this past season were not included in the rankings. According to ESPN’s latest rankings, Avdija is the top overseas prospect at No. 5 overall with Hayes ranked at No. 9.
Knicks Targeting Thibodeau As Head Coach
The Knicks will soon begin the process of hiring a new head coach and Tom Thibodeau tops their wish list, The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Mike Vorkunov report. Former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson is also likely to be interviewed, according to the report.
The front office is hoping to make a decision in the next few weeks.
Interim coach Mike Miller is still in the running for the job, The Athletic duo adds. Miller has left a strong impression on new president of basketball operations Leon Rose and is expected to receive an interview. Miller would coach out the remainder of a resumed season, if the Knicks are part of it, and would likely be given the chance to remain with the franchise in some coaching capacity even if he doesn’t get the full-time gig.
Thibodeau, the former Bulls and Timberwolves coach, has been considered a prime candidate for the job for months and the latest report confirms that notion. Thibodeau compiled a 352-246 record in seven-plus seasons with his previous two teams.
The Nets surprisingly parted ways with Atkinson in early March with the injury-riddled team at 28-34 and holding a playoff spot. He had an overall record of 118-190 (.383) in nearly four full seasons.
The timetable for the coaching search and final choice for the opening could be impacted by the NBA’s decision on which teams return to play and when the season would restart.
Knicks Officially Hire Perrin, Extend Perry
The Knicks have officially hired Walt Perrin as their assistant GM for college scouting and given GM Scott Perry a one-year extension through next season, the team announced in a press release.
Perrin’s decision to leave the Jazz and join the Knicks’ front office came to light on May 18. Perrin spent nearly two decades in Utah. He was initially hired as the team’s director player personnel before eventually being promoted to vice president of player personnel. Prior to joining the Jazz in 2001, he was a scout in Minnesota and Detroit, holding the title of director of college scouting with the Pistons.
News of Perry’s extension was reported nearly a month ago and confirmed today by team president Leon Rose.
The Knicks have also hired Brock Aller as VP of basketball and strategic planning and Frank Zanin as an assistant GM for pro scouting.
“We have assembled a diverse front office comprised of highly regarded and experienced basketball executives who have influenced some of the most successful players and organizations in the league,” Rose said in the press release. “These additions will complement the structure we already have in place and assist us in acquiring talent and developing strategies to build a team our fans can be proud of.”
Aller spent the last seven seasons with the Cavaliers in various roles. He has been their senior director of basketball operations since July 2017. He was also in the Pistons organization for nine years.
Zanin joins the Knicks after three years as a pro scout with the Thunder. He previously held the title of assistant GM with the Nets.
Board Of Governors Meeting Unlikely To Yield Final Plan
The NBA’s Board of Governors remote meeting with commissioner Adam Silver on Friday is not expected to result in finalized plans for the resumption of this season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
This speaks to the difficulties of getting everyone around the league to agree on a format and guidelines to restart the season. A wide range of options have been considered, varying from having all teams return to action to just the 16 clubs currently holding playoff spots.
Talks on incorporating the three most serious plans remain ongoing with the teams and the National Basketball Players Association, Wojnarowski adds, without specifying that trio of options.
Players Association executive director Michele Roberts has been conducting team-by-team conference calls with players this week, spelling out the various formats, as well as the financial implication of those options.
Orlando has emerged as the likely place where games will be conducted.
And-Ones: Baker, Liga, Future Rosters, Atkins
Former NBA guard Ron Baker has parted ways with CSKA Moscow, according to a post from the team’s website. Baker appeared in 27 EuroLeague games with the club but averaged just 2.6 PPG in 11.1 MPG. Baker, 27, appeared in 96 games during his NBA career, including a combined 15 with the Knicks and Wizards during the 2018/19 season.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- ABA Liga has cancelled the remainder of its season and will not crown a champion due to the coronavirus pandemic, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Novosti originally reported the news that the teams agreed not to resume the competition in the 19-year-old European league, also known as the Adriatic League.
- Who would you choose as the best NBA players in 2025? James Edwards III, Tim Cato and Fred Katz of The Athletic conducted a mock draft and selected Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zion Williamson with the top three picks. The trio of writers selected 10 players apiece for the final rosters.
- Former NBA guard Chucky Atkins is one of 14 members in the NBA’s Assistant Coaches Program, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. The program assists former players in entering the NBA, G League and college coaching ranks. Atkins, who has battled personal issues since his playing career ended, hopes to become a head coach.
Roberts Informs Players Of Latest Plans To Resume Season
National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts is conducting team-by-team conference calls with players as momentum continues toward a resumption of play, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Roberts is providing details on formats to restart the season in Orlando, which has emerged as the likely place where games will be conducted. She is also going over the financial implications of those options and gathering feedback, Wojnarowski adds.
While there’s no word on how the players are reacting to the proposals, it does provide hope that players will soon convene to start training and practicing again. Several teams have opened their training facilities on a limited basis but thus far scrimmages and formal practices have not been permitted.
The NBA’s Board of Governors will conduct a conference call on Friday, which will include commissioner Adam Silver and team owners. It’s expected that by the end of the week, a course of action will be determined. Recent developments suggest that when play resumes, teams currently in the lottery will be excluded.