Draft History: Donnie Nelson
The 2015 NBA draft is a less than a week away, and the speculation as to which player each franchise will pin its hopes on for the future is nearly over. Of course, having one of the top selections in any draft doesn’t guarantee that a team will snag a future All-Star. Team executives and scouts still have the difficult task of making the correct call with their picks.
With this in mind we at Hoops Rumors have been taking a look back at the draft history of the primary basketball executive for each NBA team. Their names, reputations, and possibly employment will be on the line as a result of the decisions to come on June 25th, and we’ve been examining what they’ve done in previous years in charge of a club’s front office. Note that many of them have played other sorts of roles within a team’s executive structure, but this won’t take that into account. We’ll continue onward with a look back at the calls made by Mavericks executive Donnie Nelson.
Mavericks (March 2005-Present)
2005 Draft
- No first-rounder. Pick No. 27 (Linas Kleiza) owned by Nuggets.
- No second-rounder. Pick No. 57 (Marcin Gortat) owned by Magic.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: David Lee (No. 30), Monta Ellis (No. 40), Lou Williams (No. 45), and Gortat (No. 57).
2006 Draft
- No. 28 Overall — Maurice Ager: 82 games, 2.1 PPG, 0.6 RPG, and 0.2 APG. .339/.250/.566.
*Traded No. 58 overall pick (J.R. Pinnock) to Lakers in exchange for a 2007 second-rounder.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Steve Novak (No. 32) and Paul Millsap (No. 47).
2007 Draft
- No first-rounder. Pick No. 30 (Petteri Koponen) owned by Trail Blazers.
- No. 34 Overall — Nick Fazekas: 26 games, 4.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 0.4 APG. .561/.000/.682.
- No. 44 Overall — Reyshawn Terry*: No regular season NBA appearances.
- No. 50 Overall — Renaldas Seibutis: No regular season NBA appearances.
*Acquired from Magic in exchange for the No. 60 overall pick (Milovan Rakovic).
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Carl Landry (No. 31), Glen Davis (No. 35), Josh McRoberts (No. 37), Marc Gasol (No. 48), and Ramon Sessions (No. 56).
2008 Draft
- No first round pick. Pick No. 21 (Ryan Anderson) owned by Nets.
- No. 51 Overall — Shan Foster: No regular season NBA appearances.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Anderson (No. 21), Serge Ibaka (No. 24), Nicolas Batum (No. 25), DeAndre Jordan (No. 35), Omer Asik (No. 36), and Goran Dragic (No. 45).
2009 Draft
- No. 25 Overall — Rodrigue Beaubois*: 182 games, 7.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 2.1 APG. .439/.325/.810.
- No. 45 Overall — Nick Calathes**: 129 games, 4.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 2.7 APG. .441/.288/.581.
- No. 56 Overall — Ahmad Nivens: No regular season NBA appearances.
*Acquired from Thunder along with a 2010 second-rounder (Solomon Alabi) in exchange for the No. 24 overall pick (Byron Mullens).
**Acquired from the Timberwolves in exchange for a 2010 second round pick.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Taj Gibson (No. 26) and DeMarre Carroll (No. 27).
2010 Draft
- No. 25 Overall — Dominique Jones*: 80 games, 3.1 PPG, 1.4 RPG, and 1.8 APG. .366/.095/.729.
- No second-rounder. Pick No. 57 (Ryan Reid) owned by Thunder.
*Acquired from the Grizzlies in exchange for cash.
**Traded the No. 50 overall pick (Alabi) to the Raptors in exchange for cash and a 2013 second-rounder.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Hassan Whiteside (No. 33) and Lance Stephenson (No. 40).
2011 Draft
- Traded the No. 26 overall pick (Jordan Hamilton) and No. 57 overall pick (Tanguy Ngombo) to the Blazers in exchange for Rudy Fernandez and Petteri Koponen. The rights to Hamilton were then dealt by Portland to the Nuggets.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Jimmy Butler (No. 30), Chandler Parsons (No. 38), and Isaiah Thomas (No. 60).
2012 Draft
- No. 24 Overall — Jared Cunningham*: 40 games, 1.9 PPG, 0.5 RPG, and 0.5 APG. .353/.304/.710.
- No. 33 Overall — Bernard James*: 92 games, 2.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 0.7 BPG. .497/.000/.680.
- No. 34 Overall — Jae Crowder*: 238 games, 5.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.0 APG. .414/.316/.735.
*Acquired from the Cavaliers in exchange for the No. 17 overall pick (Tyler Zeller) and Kelenna Azubuike.
**Dealt the No. 55 overall pick (Darius Johnson-Odom) to the Lakers in exchange for cash.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Zeller (No. 17), Evan Fournier (No. 20), Draymond Green (No. 35), and Khris Middleton (No. 39).
2013 Draft
- No. 18 Overall — Shane Larkin*: 124 games, 4.9 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 2.4 APG. .420/.305/.748.
*Traded the No. 13 overall pick (Kelly Olynyk) to the Celtics for the No. 16 overall pick (Lucas Nogueira) and two future second-rounders. Nelson then dealt Jared Cunningham, the rights to Nogueira, and the No. 44 overall pick (Mike Muscala) to the Hawks for the rights to Larkin and cash.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Olynyk (No. 13), Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 15), Mason Plumlee (No. 22), Tim Hardaway Jr. (No. 24), and Rudy Gobert (No. 27).
2014 Draft
- No first-rounder. Pick No. 21 overall (Mitch McGary) owned by the Thunder.
*Nelson dealt the No. 34 overall pick (Cleanthony Early), the No. 51 overall pick (Thanasis Antetokounmpo), Larkin, Wayne Ellington, Samuel Dalembert, and Jose Calderon to the Knicks in exchange for Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: McGary (No. 21), Rodney Hood (No. 23), K.J. McDaniels (No. 32), and Jordan Clarkson (No. 46).
And-Ones: NBPA, Hackett, Stoudemire
The way teams discuss their own pending restricted free agents is under fire from the National Basketball Players Association, which has officially taken the position that the traditional “we’ll match any offer” comments so often made by NBA executives are a circumvention of the salary cap in their intent to discourage potential rival bidders, Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. The league had issued a memo back in November warning teams that, while the NBA itself doesn’t agree with the NBPA’s stance on the matter, league officials see enough potential merit in the union’s stance to advise those who continue with match-any-offer comments that they could be opening themselves up to legal action, Stein notes.
The ESPN scribe’s sources informed him that this impetus stems from Klutch Sports agents Rich Paul and Mark Termini, who urged the NBPA to challenge the way that teams have historically dropped none-too-subtle hints about their plans to match offers in an attempt to depress the market for restricted free agents. This movement stems from the willingness of new NBPA head Michele Roberts to aggressively speak up for the players, Stein adds. It’s not too surprising to see Paul and Termini at the center of this, given that they represent Eric Bledsoe, whose restricted free agency dragged on for months last year after the Suns pledged to match any offer. The duo also represent Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph and Norris Cole, all of whom could become restricted free agents this offseason.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Unrestricted free agent Amar’e Stoudemire said that he’d love to return to the Mavericks next season, but is also potentially interested in returning to play for the Suns or Knicks, Jared Zwerling of BleacherReport tweets.
- Euroleague guard Daniel Hackett intends to void his contract with Emporio Armani Milano in order to pursue an NBA contract, David Pick of Eurobasket.com relays (Twitter link). The 27-year-old out of USC went undrafted back in 2009.
- The Blazers held workouts on Friday for Gary Bell Jr. (Gonzaga), Seth Gearhart (Rice), Jelani Hewitt (Georgia Southern), Dakari Johnson (Kentucky), Kevin Pangos (Gonzaga), and Thomas van der Mars (Netherlands), the team announced.
Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 6/14/15-6/20/15
In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop me a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. Now for this week’s inquiries:
“What are your thoughts on the Clippers-Hornets deal involving Spencer Hawes and Lance Stephenson?” — Vince
This is a case of both franchises trying to move on from mistakes made last offseason. While neither free agent signing worked out for either team, I’d have to say the Hawes deal for the Clippers was way more debilitating. Los Angeles had a core in place that could contend in the West, and needed to fill out the roster with useful veterans. Instead of addressing the team’s glaring need for a starting small forward (Paul Pierce!), Doc Rivers instead opted to ink Hawes, who provided little production for the franchise. Stephenson’s signing was equally misguided, but the Hornets, despite their success in 2013/14, were not going to be serious title contenders this past season.
I like this trade much more from the Hornets’ point of view. Charlotte really missed Josh McRoberts‘ ability to stretch the floor this season, and Hawes can certainly help out in that regard. Plus, the Hornets’ locker room chemistry should benefit immediately from the subtraction of Stephenson. Sure, Stephenson is the most talented player in this deal, but his baggage often outweighs his production. Los Angeles reportedly dealt with locker room chemistry issues this past season, and the addition of Stephenson could be akin to pouring gasoline on an inferno. Plus, with the increased media scrutiny a large market like Los Angeles comes with, any little misstep by the mercurial swingman could quickly become blown out of proportion. I will add the caveat that if Stephenson doesn’t rock the boat AND is able to revert back to the player he was during the 2013/14 campaign for Indiana, then L.A. will have won this deal hands down. I’m just not sold that will be the case.
“Which player in the 15-20 range has the highest upside in this year’s draft?” — Cole
Going by current mock drafts for slotting here, I’d say that Bobby Portis (Arkansas), Trey Lyles (Kentucky), and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Arizona) could all end up vying for this distinction. Portis has a wealth of talent on the offensive side, though he’s realistically a season away from contributing meaningful minutes. Lyles could be a future star, and should become a two-way force once he gets more experience under his belt. Hollis-Jefferson is ready to step into a rotation next season and contribute with his stellar defense and open court skills, but he’ll be a liability in the half court game until he can consistently sink jump shots. If I had to pick a player for next season in the 15-20 range who will shine it would be Hollis-Jefferson, but for the long-term I’ll go with Lyles. I really like his game and talent level.
“Where do you think Matt Barnes will be playing next season?” — Jon
Well, it won’t be with the Clippers, who can’t sign him until July of 2016 at the earliest. Barnes is a useful role-player, but he has no business being a starter in the NBA. It’s unclear right now what his market will be, but the Raptors could certainly use an upgrade defensively at the wing, which Barnes could certainly provide, as long as he’s doing so as a reserve. I’d also think that the Cavs, Knicks, Celtics, and possibly the Thunder could be suitors for Barnes at the right price…which is a short-term minimum salary deal.
“What do you see happening with David Lee in Golden State?” — Leon
This is going to be a tough one for Warriors GM Bob Myers. Golden State has a wealth of talent, but it will be difficult to sustain their success if the roster can’t be filled out with useful pieces, instead of stocked with players making the league minimum. While Lee is still a very solid player, not to mention a good locker room presence, his $15,493,680 price tag for next season makes him a very expensive luxury. This will be the case for many prospective trade partners as well, and while Golden State is likely to seek non-guaranteed, or significantly lower salaried players in return, I’m not sure the team will find a suitable taker. The Sixers are always a possibility when a salary dump is in play, but I’m not so sure that the Warriors will want to part with the draft picks necessary to get Philly GM Sam Hinkie to bite. The Celtics, Raptors, and potentially the Hawks (if Paul Millsap departs via free agency and a suitable replacement isn’t signed or drafted), are all fits for Lee. But Boston is rebuilding, and Lee would be a fallback for Danny Ainge at this point. This could change if Boston suddenly adds a number of veteran players and decides to make a serious playoff push next season. The Hawks seem like the best overall fit for Lee in my view, but quite a bit would need to go awry in Atlanta’s offseason for Lee to end up with that team.
That’s going to do it for this week’s batch of inquiries. Thanks to all who submitted questions, and please keep them coming. I’ll be back next week with more responses.
Eastern Notes: Russell, Sloan, Draft
Ohio State playmaker D’Angelo Russell‘s workout with the Sixers went extremely well, and the franchise, though impressed with what Emmanuel Mudiay showed them during his showcase, would love to draft Russell if he falls to them at the No. 3 overall pick, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. There was speculation that Russell didn’t want to be taken by Philadelphia when he cancelled his first scheduled workout due to illness, but a source close to the young guard dispelled such talk, Pompey adds. “He really loves Philly,” the source told Pompey.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Pacers‘ Donald Sloan, who is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, has switched agents and is now represented by Byron Irvin and Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star reports (Twitter link). The point guard was previously represented by Impact Sports Basketball.
- Kentucky big man Dakari Johnson said that he has a workout scheduled with the Cavaliers prior to the draft, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com tweets.
- Shooting guard Bobby Ray Parks Jr.‘s workout with the Nets on Wednesday ended prematurely due to an inadvertent elbow to his face that required stitches, Robert Windrem of NetsDaily writes. “It’s a shame, you know, for him to be here having the opportunity and start well in his workout but there’s nothing else we could do,” said Nets director of player personnel Gregg Polinsky. If schedules permit, the team intends to bring in Parks for a second workout, Windrem adds.
- St. John’s guard Phil Greene has a workout scheduled for today with the Celtics, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays (on Twitter).
Hoops Rumors Originals 6/14/15-6/20/15
Here’s a look at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this past week…
- Will Joseph examined the free agent stock of Tobias Harris.
- We released our latest Mock Draft.
- Zach Links chatted with UConn guard Ryan Boatright, who is ranked No. 84 in this year’s class by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and No. 96 by Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
- Chuck Myron broke down the expected salaries for each of the 2015 first round draft picks.
- Be sure to check out Hoops Rumors’ Community Shootaround every weekday for a reader-driven discussion of trending topics from the draft and around the NBA.
- Chris Crouse looked at the offseason ahead for the Sixers, while Charlie Adams did the same for the Timberwolves.
- I broke down the 2015/16 roster counts for the Pacers, Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, and Grizzlies.
- If you missed the week’s live chat you can view the transcript here.
- Chuck examined the offseason ahead for the Lakers.
- We rolled out a new look for the site.
- I answered reader questions in Hoops Rumors’ Weekly Mailbag.
- Zach highlighted some of the better basketball blogs around in his weekly installment of Hoops Links.
- Here’s how you can follow Hoops Rumors on social media and RSS feeds.
- We reviewed out commenting policy. Play nice everyone.
Week In Review 6/14/15-6/20/15
Commissioner Adam Silver signaled this week that he doesn’t anticipate a lockout taking place in 2017, when the league and the union can opt out of the collective bargaining agreement. Players association executive director Michele Roberts said last week that the sides will begin negotiations this summer toward a new labor deal. “I think we have a very fair deal right now,” Silver said. “I think the deal is designed to pay players a percentage of revenue so it self-adjusts as revenue goes up. And when the new television deal kicks in in 2016/17, the players are going to be averaging over $8MM a year. I think, again, it’s a fair deal. If there’s things they want to talk about, of course we’ll talk about them. But I’m not overly concerned. I think we’ve got a great thing going right now. I think both sides recognize that.” While we all hope that a future work stoppage can be avoided, here’s the rest of the happenings from the week that was:
Trades
- The Hornets dealt Lance Stephenson to the Clippers in exchange for Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes.
Option Decisions
- The Hornets’ Al Jefferson decided to exercise his player option and will remain in Charlotte next season.
- Garrett Temple will pick up his player option, worth his minimum salary of nearly $1.101MM, to return to the Wizards next season.
- Eric Gordon exercised his player option worth $15,514,031 for the 2015/16 season and will return to the Pelicans.
- Suns forward Danny Granger picked up his player option worth $2,170,465 for the 2015/16 season.
- Gerald Henderson picked up his $6MM player option for next season to stay with the Hornets.
- Jeff Green exercised his player option worth $9.2MM to remain with the Grizzlies for next season.
- Steve Blake exercised his player option worth $2,170,465 for the 2015/16 season to return to the Trail Blazers.
- The Lakers are reportedly likely to turn down their team option to retain Jordan Hill at a salary of $9MM next season.
2015 NBA Draft News/Rumors
- LSU big man Jarell Martin reportedly has a mid-first-round draft promise from a team and will likely shut down all workouts.
- St. Bonaventure center Youssou Ndoye, if drafted, is reportedly willing to sign overseas and become a draft-and-stash prospect if an NBA team so desires.
- Second round hopeful Michael Qualls was diagnosed with a torn ACL.
- Agent Arn Tellem is reportedly negotiating with Barcelona of Spain to reduce the buyout clause in top-10 prospect Mario Hezonja‘s contract.
- You can keep up with all of the scheduled and completed player workouts and interviews here.
- The list of players who have withdrawn their name from the 2015 NBA Draft can be found here.
Coaching News/Rumors
- The Nuggets hired Michael Malone as their new head coach.
- Assistant Jim Boylen left the Spurs to become the associate head coach of the Bulls.
- The Magic and Bulls assistant coach Adrian Griffin agreed to a deal that will make Griffin the lead assistant on Orlando’s bench.
- Spanish national team head coach Sergio Scariolo was offered a position as an assistant on Raptors coach Dwane Casey‘s staff, which Scariolo declined.
News/Rumors
- Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler intends to pursue shorter-term offer sheets this summer, resisting Chicago’s initial plan to offer him a five-year, maximum contract.
- The Nets are reportedly trying to trade Mason Plumlee to further their goal of landing a higher draft pick than the ones they have at 29th and 41st overall.
- The Hawks plan to work out deals that install coach and acting GM Mike Budenholzer as president and coach, promote assistant GM Wes Wilcox to GM, and allow the team to part ways with GM Danny Ferry via a buyout arrangement.
- There’s a legitimate chance that Sixers center Joel Embiid won’t play at all during the 2015/16 season.
- Jazz draft-and-stash prospect Ante Tomic inked a three year extension with FC Barcelona.
- Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams is expected to receive strong interest from teams that include the Kings, Lakers, Knicks, and Nets, providing a clear competition for the Raptors to retain the free agent’s services.
- The Warriors and representatives for David Lee agreed to work together to find another team willing to take on his salary of nearly $15.494MM for next season.
- Clippers guard Jamal Crawford hired Wasserman Media Group to represent him. Crawford was previously with Andy Miller of ASM Sports. The Clippers are reportedly investigating the possibility of trading Crawford.
- A judge ruled Pelicans owner Tom Benson mentally competent, stymieing an effort from one side of his divided family to strip him of control of the team and the NFL’s New Orleans Saints.
- Aaron Gray announced that he is retiring because of the heart ailment that knocked him out of action this past season. He will join Stan Van Gundy‘s coaching staff in Detroit.
- Soon-to-be free agent Mo Williams reportedly has a strong interest in playing with the Cavs again, though he’d also be willing to re-sign with the Hornets.
- The Cavaliers are reportedly looking for trade partners who’ll take on Brendan Haywood and his unusually valuable contract, and in some proposals involving him, they’ve offered their first-rounder, the 24th overall pick.
- Real Madrid’s Sergio Rodriguez, who is considered the top point guard in Europe, plans to try and secure an NBA deal this summer.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 6/19/15
Some of the greatest joys of being a sports fan, besides your favorite team winning the championship, are the debates that arise between fellow sports nuts along the way. It’s with this in mind that we have begun providing a forum for basketball fanatics to voice their opinions, debate trending topics, and simply hang out with like-minded hoops aficionados. We’ve begun been posting a new topic for readers to discuss each weeknight, which we hope that this will become a regular part of your sports day. If you missed our previous discussions you can view them here, or simply head over to the sidebar and select “Hoops Rumors Community Shootarounds.”
Of course, there will be differing opinions from time to time. While we absolutely encourage lively discussion and debate, we do expect everyone to treat each other with respect. So, please refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults or attacks, as well as the other taboo types of discourse laid out in our site’s commenting policy. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Hoops Rumors. Just put in your name, email address, and comment and submit it; there is no need to become a registered user.
That does it for the preamble, fine print, and exposition. Now it’s time for the topic of the day: What should the Sixers do with the No. 3 overall pick in the NBA Draft? Philly GM Sam Hinkie can never be accused of thinking strictly inside the box, taking the road more heavily traveled, or passing up an opportunity to acquire another second round pick. The jury is still out on whether or not his rebuilding strategy will be effective in the long-term. In fact, that’s a topic we’ll get to on another day. But for now we’ll concentrate on which player will be the best fit for the franchise in the draft.
The majority of mock drafts out there, including my own, peg the Timberwolves to select Karl-Anthony Towns with the No. 1 overall pick. Though the Lakers are projected by many to select Duke big man Jahlil Okafor at the No. 2 spot, Los Angeles could opt for a guard with their pick instead. Regardless of whom the Lakers nab, which draftee would be the best fit in Philadelphia? The Sixers already have Nerlens Noel, whose future is likely as a center, and Joel Embiid who also mans the pivot. Or will someday…hopefully. The latest reports have Embiid’s recovery from injury behind schedule, and he may miss the entire 2015/16 campaign as a result. Philadelphia also owns the draft rights to Dario Saric, a talented small forward who is likely a season away from joining the NBA. With an obvious need in the backcourt, should Hinkie go for Emmanuel Mudiay or D’Angelo Russell? Or should he snag Okafor and hope he and Noel can coexist in the same frontcourt? There is also the possibility of Philly drafting Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis, despite having selected Saric a year ago.
All this and more is fair game for today’s discussion. So take to the comments section below to share your thoughts, voice your opinions, or if you are a disgruntled Sixers fan, vent to achieve some level of catharsis. We look forward to what you have to say.
And-Ones: Payne, Rodriguez, Johnson
Potential lottery pick Cameron Payne suffered a non-displaced fracture in the ring finger of his right hand during a pre-draft workout for the Nuggets on Monday, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress reports. The point guard visited a hand specialist, and it was determined that it was a clean fracture that will not require surgery, and the former Murray State player will sit out the next three weeks as a precautionary measure, Givony notes. “Cam continued to work out even after suffering the injury in Denver, and he could probably play in a meaningful game tomorrow if he needed to,” Payne’s agent Travis King told Givony.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Former NBA coach Avery Johnson acknowledged earlier this week that if he had waited until after the NBA season ended, he would have likely landed a head coach position in the league, John Reid of The Times Picayune writes. ”I know without a shadow of a doubt, that if I had waited, there would have been a high probability I would have got an NBA job based upon the conversations my agent was having with some people,” Johnson told Reid. ”But the main thing is that there is no turning back. I’m here at the University of Alabama and this is the right situation.” Johnson has coached the Mavericks and the Nets, and he owns a career regular season record of 254-186.
- Texas big man Myles Turner is scheduled to work out for the Pistons on Saturday, the Heat on Monday, and the Knicks on Tuesday, Dwain Price of The Star Telegram relays (Twitter link).
- Real Madrid’s Sergio Rodriguez, who is considered the top point guard in Europe, plans to try and secure an NBA deal this summer, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. NBA front-office executives regard Rodriguez as an elite backup playmaker in the NBA, and his representatives at CAA began calling teams today to gauge initial market interest for Rodriguez, Wojnarowski adds. The 28-year-old’s contract with Real Madrid contains an NBA buyout provision that isn’t expected to become an obstacle, the Yahoo! scribe relays. Rodriguez last played in the NBA during the 2009/10 season, appearing in 66 contests split between the Knicks and the Kings.
Eastern Notes: Pierce, Gibson, Draft
The Wizards want Paul Pierce to return for the 2015/16 season, but could face competition from the Clippers if the veteran returns for his 18th season. Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post examines what Washington could do to replace the 37-year-old if he does not re-sign with the franchise. The team’s free agent options include Mike Dunleavy, Mirza Teletovic, and Tayshaun Prince, Castillo opines. The Wizards could also look to fill the void with their first round pick, and potential draftees include Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Sam Dekker, and Justin Anderson, Castillo notes.
Here’s the latest out of the Eastern Conference:
- The Nets have pre-draft workouts scheduled Monday for Olivier Hanlan (Boston College), Andrew Harrison (Kentucky), Sam Thompson (Ohio State), Pat Connaughton (Notre Dame), Branden Dawson (Michigan State), and Cliff Alexander (Kansas), the team announced.
- Working out for the Pistons today were Treveon Graham (VCU), Hanlan, Trevor Lacey (NC State), Kelly Oubre (Kansas), Karrington Ward (Eastern Michigan), and Dez Wells (Maryland), the team announced (on Twitter).
- Bulls forward Taj Gibson underwent an arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle on Tuesday, the team announced. The estimated recovery time before the forward can return to action is approximately four months, which could cost Gibson the bulk of the preseason.
- The Hawks reached a summer league commitment with former Iowa State guard DeAndre Kane, and the team plans to discuss a free agent deal with the 26-year-old, Shams Charania of RealGM tweets. Kane spent last season with the Antwerp Giants of Belgium.
- Atlanta brought in Penn State guard D.J. Newbill for a workout today Michael Scotto of RealGM relays (Twitter link).
Steve Blake Opts In With Blazers
Steve Blake has exercised his player option worth $2,170,465 for the 2015/16 season to return to the Trail Blazers, the team has announced (Twitter link). The move doesn’t come as a surprise since Blake had indicated back in February that he intended to opt in, and that he was hoping to play another “year or two” after next season. “I’ve thought about it for sure,” said Blake of retirement. “I know I’m in the back stretch, that’s why it’s so important for us to be so good. I want a championship really bad and I’m hoping we can get to that level. I only have a few years left to try and get it.”
The return of Blake next season won’t significantly impact the Blazers’ salary cap situation, with the team now having a total of $25,243,542 in guaranteed salary committed for 2015/16. Of course, that amount doesn’t factor in pending free agents LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews, both of whom the team hopes to retain.
The 35-year-old appeared in 81 contests for the Blazers last season, averaging 4.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 18.9 minutes per night. His slash line was .373/.352/.707. For his career, Blake has played in a total of 812 contests, notching career averages of 6.7 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 4.0 APG. His career shooting numbers are .401/.385/.778.