Atlantic Notes: Mudiay, Sixers, Celtics
While at the draft lottery, Sixers GM Sam Hinkie was asked if the team looked at Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel as franchise cornerstones, and how he sold the midseason trade of Michael Carter-Williams to the two big men, Zach Lowe of Grantland relays. “If your question is more about a particular trade we made, and how that might make [Noel and Embiid] feel, I called them immediately as we traded that person. Immediately,” said Hinkie. “I explained to them about how they should think about things — how some things spill over into others, and some don’t. That they shouldn’t read too much into these things. And I talked to them in exit interviews about what kind of program we were trying to build, and where they might fit in. And how the way they might fit has as much to do with them as it does with any grand design — with how they step into a particular void. Sometimes those voids — voids of leadership, of who the best player is, or voids in play — don’t stay open very long. Someone steps into it. They’ll have the first two chances at that, but there are gonna be maybe six more guys right behind them that will be looking to get theirs, too.”
Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Many insiders around the NBA believe that it is a foregone conclusion that the Sixers will select Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell with the No. 3 overall pick this June, Derek Bodner of DraftExpress tweets.
- With the Knicks being the only team in the draft lottery to fall to a lower than projected pick, New York will likely be in line to select Emmanuel Mudiay this June, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv writes. Knicks GM Steve Mills already spoke with the young guard while at the NBA Draft lottery, Zagoria notes. “Mudiay is potentially a good player,” Mills said. “We haven’t worked him out yet, but he’s a guy that we think will obviously be in the mix, but we will look at all of our options and we will feel good about whoever we end up selecting.”
- The Celtics have workouts scheduled today with Aaron Thomas (Florida State), Anthony Brown (Stanford), Dez Wells (Maryland), Malcolm Miller (Holy Cross), Julian Washburn (UTEP), SirDominic Pointer (St. John’s), Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com relays (Twitter link).
Northwest Notes: Wolves, Thunder, Lopez
The Timberwolves secured the top pick in Tuesday night’s NBA Draft lottery, and though the franchise is unlikely to trade the pick, team owner Glen Taylor indicated that the idea will at least be discussed internally, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes. “You never know what it could mean, if you could get the right one or two guys that could change your team,” Taylor said. “When you already have a bunch of young guys, you have to look at this type of stuff. But I think it’s a very hard decision to make.”
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Wolves owner also noted that the Cavs were reluctant to part with Andrew Wiggins, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, in the deal for Kevin Love, Berger adds. “They didn’t want to do that,” Taylor said. “I can tell you, because I ended up negotiating with their owner. They didn’t want to do that, because you just don’t know how good Wiggins could be in the future and you’re going to hear about that forever and ever and ever. So I think it’s probably highly unlikely, but I think it’s part of the discussion.”
- The Thunder achieved payroll flexibility as a result of the James Harden trade, and while the deal hasn’t resulted in an NBA title as a result, it has allowed the franchise to add a number of useful players to its roster, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes.
- Robin Lopez is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and the big man indicated that he would like to return to the Blazers for the 2015/16 campaign, Mike Richman of The Oregonian writes. “Nothing’s 100% certain,” Lopez said. “Obviously I’ve loved my time here in Portland. I would love to come back. I’d be very open to coming back, but it’s hard to say 100%. You just never know what’s going to happen.“
- With the Timberwolves having secured the top overall pick in June, Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders breaks down Minnesota’s potential choices and what each player could bring to the franchise. The three players who make the most sense for the franchise to potentially take are Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, or Emmanuel Mudiay, Brigham opines.
And-Ones: Calipari, Wolves, Knicks
The Knicks were the only team to fall in the draft lottery, sliding to the No. 4 overall pick. GM Steve Mills said that the team could still nab a good player at that spot, but also noted the team would listen to trade offers for the pick, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com relays (Twitter links). Mills also said that the team would likely select a guard or a wing in the draft, which will cause New York to target big men via the free agent market, Begley adds.
Here’s more from around the league:
- South Korean prospect Jong-Hyun Lee will remain in the 2015 NBA draft, his agent Mike Naiditch told Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Twitter links). Lee is completing his military service and will be available for workouts after June 13th, Sierra adds. The 21-year-old isn’t currently projected to be selected in June’s draft, and he is the No. 47 ranked international prospect according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
- There were conflicting reports earlier today regarding Kentucky coach John Calipari‘s desire to make the jump to the NBA with the Pelicans. Calipari issued a statement denying his interest, and Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link) notes that while Coach Cal is a master of putting a spin on news reports, the ESPN scribe doesn’t believe he’ll end up in New Orleans next season.
- Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders said that winning the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery will give the team flexibility, but the franchise won’t trade the pick, Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets.
- The Thunder are still high on their domestic draft-and-stash pick Josh Huestis, who made a D-League arrangement with the franchise prior to having been selected with the No. 29 pick in last year’s NBA draft, Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman relays (Twitter links). When asked if Huestis would be on the team’s roster next season, GM Sam Presti said, “He’s someone that we think very highly of. We think he has a future with the team. He could be [on the roster] as early as next season.“
Pacific Notes: Kings, Green, Clippers
The Kings have been searching for players who can score from the perimeter in the last few drafts but haven’t struck gold yet, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. However, Sacramento isn’t a few more made three-pointers away from being a contender, and the franchise should focus on adding a playmaker rather than a simple scorer in this year’s draft, Jones opines. “I think they’ve got to be careful,” ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla said. “They’re in that range where they don’t want to reach and take a guy with maybe top-15 talent just because it’s a need. My suggestion to the Kings would be take the best available player and hope that guy is a shooter.”
Here’s the latest out of the Pacific Division:
- Warriors‘ forward Draymond Green admitted that his pending restricted free agency this summer caused him to press at the beginning of the season, Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders relays. “A part of that was I was coming into a contract situation. It’s normal for that to be on your mind,” Green said. “Steve [Kerr] and [Alvin] Gentry sat me down and they said listen, ‘We know the situation you’re in. We know you’re in a contract year, and you better believe we’re going to do everything we can to help you in your contract year.’ Coach Kerr said, ‘I’ve played in this league 15 years, I’ve been a GM, I understand all that stuff.’ That kind of helped me settle down. It was like, alright don’t go out there worrying about that. It’s the completely wrong thing to be worried about.”
- Their salary cap situation will make it difficult for the Clippers to make roster improvements this offseason, Dan Woike of The Orange County Register writes. Los Angeles has $58,125,748 in guaranteed salary already on the books for next season.
- Kings president of basketball and franchise operations Vlade Divac further stamped out DeMarcus Cousins trade rumors today, calling him “untradeable” and someone he wants to build around in an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio (Twitter link). Divac made it clear last month that he intends to keep Cousins in Sacramento for the long term, and the newly minted exec is reportedly in awe of the big man’s talent.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
2014/15 D-League Usage Report: Raptors
The relationship between the NBA and the D-League continues to grow, and 17 NBA franchises currently have one-to-one D-League affiliates amongst the 18 D-League teams. The remaining 13 NBA teams shared the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this season. We at Hoops Rumors will be recapping each team’s use of the D-League this season, looking at assignments and recalls as well as the players signed out of the D-League. We’ll continue onward with a look back at how the Raptors utilized the D-League during the 2014/15 campaign…
D-League Team: Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Affiliation Type: Shared
D-League Team Record: 28-22
Number of NBA Players Assigned To D-League: 2
Total D-League Assignments: 4
Player Stats While On Assignment:
- Bruno Caboclo: 2 assignments, 7 games, 3.4 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 0.7 BPG. .290/.333/1.000.
- Lucas Nogueira: 2 assignments, 4 games, 8.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.0 BPG. .429/.000/.500.
D-League Signings
- No D-League signings.
Assignment/Recall Log
- December 25th: Assigned Bruno Caboclo (Recalled January 1st)
- February 18th: Assigned Bruno Caboclo (Recalled March 8th)
- March 12th: Assigned Lucas Nogueira (Recalled March 16th)
- March 17th: Assigned Lucas Nogueira (Recalled March 26th)
Timberwolves Win The 2015 NBA Draft Lottery
The 2015 NBA Draft Lottery is now complete, and this year’s winner is the Timberwolves. Minnesota will have its choice of the consensus top-four of Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, D’Angelo Russell, and Emmanuel Mudiay, or perhaps could make a surprise pick along the lines of Kristaps Porzingis or Willie Cauley-Stein. While snagging the top pick in June is certainly a boon, the excitement of the night should be tempered by the fact that no team with the No. 1 overall pick has won the NBA title within two years of making that pick since the Spurs took home the championship in 1999 after drafting Tim Duncan in 1997. This trend will likely continue during the 2015/16 campaign, but if the right call is made on draft night Minnesota could begin laying the foundation for future success.
The Wolves had a 25% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick, and as a result of the trade for Kevin Love Minnesota could have the last three No. 1 overall picks on its roster, provided Anthony Bennett or Andrew Wiggins are not traded during the offseason. Another notable result from tonight’s drawing is that the Lakers will retain their first-rounder, which would have conveyed to the Sixers if it fell out of the top five. Instead, Los Angeles overtook the Knicks and Philadelphia to move up to No. 2 overall.
Here are all 60 picks that, barring trades, are officially set in stone for June 25th:
First Round
- Timberwolves
- Lakers
- Sixers
- Knicks
- Magic
- Kings
- Nuggets
- Pistons
- Hornets
- Heat
- Pacers
- Jazz
- Suns
- Thunder
- Hawks (via Nets)
- Celtics
- Bucks
- Rockets (via Pelicans)
- Wizards
- Raptors
- Mavericks
- Bulls
- Trail Blazers
- Cavaliers
- Grizzlies
- Spurs
- Lakers (via Rockets)
- Celtics (via Clippers)
- Nets (via Hawks)
- Warriors
Second Round
- Timberwolves
- Rockets (via Knicks)
- Celtics (via Sixers)
- Lakers
- Sixers (via Magic)
- Timberwolves (via Kings)
- Sixers (via Nuggets)
- Pistons
- Hornets
- Heat
- Nets
- Jazz
- Pacers
- Suns
- Celtics
- Bucks
- Sixers (via Pelicans)
- Thunder
- Wizards
- Hawks (via Raptors)
- Magic (via Bulls)
- Mavericks
- Cavaliers (via Trail Blazers)
- Jazz (via Cavaliers)
- Spurs
- Pelicans (via Grizzlies)
- Nuggets (via Clippers)
- Sixers (via Rockets)
- Hawks
- Sixers (via Warriors)
Draft Notes: Alexander, Jones, Wood
Kansas big man Cliff Alexander‘s draft stock has plummeted since the beginning of his freshman campaign, and Alexander went from a projected lottery pick to a probable second-rounder, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv writes. Discussing his decline, Alexander said, “I kind of expected it. My stock was going to go down, how my season was going but it don’t matter where you get picked at. It all depends on how long you stay in the NBA.” An NBA scout explained Alexander’s slide to Zagoria by saying, “His draft stock has slipped because of his limited upside as an undersized center. It is a shame that the NCAA ruled him ineligible at the end of his freshman year because he really needed at least one more year of college. He is D-League guy no matter where he gets drafted.”
Here’s more from the NBA Draft:
- Duke freshman Tyus Jones is confident that he is the best pure playmaker in the 2015 NBA draft, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News relays. “There are a lot of great point guards in this draft,” Jones said. “This draft is strong and heavy with point guards. As far as pure, I think I am the best one. I am not an attacking or a driving point guard, but I do think I am the best pure point guard in terms of running a team.” You can check out our full prospect profile for Jones here.
- ESPN.com’s Bradford Doolittle broke down what the Sixers‘ needs are heading into the 2015 draft, as well as the franchise’s potential targets with each of its picks. Doolittle also provided an overview for the Magic.
- UNLV’s Christian Wood understands that he is a project and the team that drafts him will do so based more on his upside than his past production, Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders writes. “Yes, I know I’m based off potential,” Wood said. “But I think I can produce at the next level and that’s why I made the decision to come up. I feel like I have to get stronger. Especially at the next level, there are guys that [will be tougher]. If DeAndre Jordan was guarding me, how am I going to back DeAndre Jordan down in the post? You know? He’s a big guy. So that’s one thing I need to work on.” Wood is currently the 23rd best prospect according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) slots him at No. 25.
Atlantic Notes: Towns, Marks, Qualls
Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns said that playing for the Knicks would be a childhood dream come true if the franchise selects him in the NBA Draft, Ian Begley of ESPN.com writes. “It would be an honor, not only as a player, but as a Knicks fan, to be able to play for that organization,” Towns said. “It’s gonna be, I guess a childhood dream — rooting for the Knicks all this time, and the next thing you know, you hear an organization call your name to go out there and give it your best shot. I think it would very cool, and really very honored and blessed to be able to play for them.” You can view our full prospect profile on Towns here.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Towns also indicated that he’s more than willing to learn the triangle offense if he becomes a member of the Knicks, Begley adds. “It’s a system that works. If you don’t believe it then say it to Phil Jackson’s rings,” Towns said. “I just feel like anyone going into the offense, it takes time. It’s a very complicated offense and you also have to be able to make stuff happen out of it. It just takes time. It would be an honor and blessing to play in that offense and I’d try my best at it.“
- Nets assistant GM Bobby Marks‘ contract option for 2015/16 wasn’t picked up by the team, and Brooklyn has now given Marks permission to explore other opportunities, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com tweets.
- Arkansas junior guard Michael Qualls, a projected second-rounder this June, believes he could make an impact on the Sixers next season if the team drafts him, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “I feel like I can help right now,” Qualls said. “I can be a force right away to help change that atmosphere and [turn] that program around.“
- The Knicks‘ front office is torn over whom to select in the draft should the team not snag one of the top two picks in June, Begley writes in a separate piece. “As of today, it looks like Jahlil Okafor would be the second choice. While he doesn’t have the defensive skills of Towns, his ability to play right away and his dominance on the offensive end will make him difficult to pass. After that, the Emmanuel Mudiay and D’Angelo Russell battle rages in the Knicks’ front office the same way it’s raging in front offices around the NBA,” ESPN Insider Chad Ford told Begley.
2014/15 D-League Usage Report: Spurs
The relationship between the NBA and the D-League continues to grow, and 17 NBA franchises currently have one-to-one D-League affiliates amongst the 18 D-League teams. The remaining 13 NBA teams shared the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this season. We at Hoops Rumors will be recapping each team’s use of the D-League this season, looking at assignments and recalls as well as the players signed out of the D-League. We’ll continue onward with a look back at how the Spurs utilized the D-League during the 2014/15 campaign…
D-League Team: Austin Spurs
Affiliation Type: One-to-one
D-League Team Record: 32-18
Number of NBA Players Assigned To D-League: 1
Total D-League Assignments: 7
Player Stats While On Assignment:
- Kyle Anderson: 7 assignments, 26 games, 21.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 4.8 APG. .447/.354/.789.
D-League Signings
- Reggie Williams (Oklahoma City Blue-Thunder affiliate): Signed 1st 10-day deal on January 28th. Inked 2nd 10-day pact on February 8th. Signed for the remainder of the campaign on February 20th.
- JaMychal Green (Austin Spurs-San Antonio’s affiliate): Signed 10-day deal on January 18th.
Assignment/Recall Log
- November 23rd: Assigned Kyle Anderson (Recalled November 24th)
- January 20th: Assigned Kyle Anderson (Recalled February 20th)
- February 21st: Assigned Kyle Anderson (Recalled March 9th)
- March 12th: Assigned Kyle Anderson (Recalled March 16th)
- March 26th: Assigned Kyle Anderson (Recalled April 8th)
- April 11th: Assigned Kyle Anderson (Recalled April 12th)
- April 17th: Assigned Kyle Anderson (Recalled April 22nd)
Southeast Notes: Pierce, Heat, Hornets
With the sting of his last second shot being waived off because time had expired and his team being eliminated from the postseason still fresh, the Wizards‘ Paul Pierce now has to make a decision regarding his player option for 2015/15 worth $5,543,725, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com writes. “I haven’t really thought about it,” Pierce said. “I don’t even know if I am going to play basketball anymore. These seasons get harder and harder every year, every day. Summers get even harder when you start getting back in shape. I’m 37 years old. I’m top two or three oldest in the league.” Pierce indicated he would take some time and discuss the matter with his family before making his call on next season, Youngmisuk adds. “I have been playing this game [for] like 32 years. Since I was a little kid. Probably going to be the hardest thing to do is put the game down. But I know that time is coming one day. I am not sure if it is this year or next year. I will sit down with my family and figure things out,” Pierce said.
Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Wizards coach Randy Wittman indicated that he’d be very surprised if Pierce didn’t opt in and return to the team next season, J. Michael of CSNWashington.com relays (Twitter link).
- Heat president Pat Riley interviewed Kansas swingman Kelly Oubre at the draft combine, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post tweets.
- While at the draft combine Hornets executives met with Kentucky’s Devin Booker and Willie Cauley-Stein, as well as Duke forward Justise Winslow, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports in a series of tweets.
- Riley also sat down with Booker for an interview, who said that the Heat executive told him that Dwyane Wade was in the final stage of his career and that the young guard would be able to learn from him, Lieser tweets. Also meeting with the team while in Chicago were Arkansas forward Bobby Portis and Kentucky forward Trey Lyles, Lieser adds (Twitter links).