Central Notes: Hoiberg, Pacers, Draft
The frontrunner to replace Tom Thibodeau if he is let go by the Bulls as expected, is reportedly Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg. This interest in Hoiberg isn’t a recent development, since according to league sources the team had already spoken with Hoiberg about his potential interest in coming to Chicago earlier this season, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays. It’s unclear if Hoiberg’s health concerns would prevent him from accepting the position if offered, but he certainly hopes to join the pro coaching ranks at some point. “He has always said from day one that his lifelong goal has been to coach in the NBA,” Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said of Holberg. “It’s for him to decide when that part of his life he wants to activate. Now it’s just strictly a decision for him and their family personally, not what he wants to do because he’s made that clear. [The NBA is] what he wants to do. It’s a matter of when he wants to do it.”
Here’s what else is happening around the Central Division:
- The Pacers interviewed a number of former Kentucky players at the draft combine, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star tweets. Indiana sat down with Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson, Trey Lyles, and Devin Booker, Buckner notes.
- Cauley-Stein said that Pacers president Larry Bird told him, “I think you’re a $100MM player,” Buckner relays (Twitter links). Booker wasn’t given a dollar value by the team, but did note that there was a “great vibe” during his interview, Buckner adds.
- The Pacers will hold their first pre-draft workout this Monday, and in attendance will be Cameron Payne, Olivier Hanlan, Jerian Grant, Rakeem Christmas, Richaun Holmes, and Joseph Young, Buckner tweets.
- Lastly from Buckner (via Twitter), the Pacers will be one of the teams attending a private workout in Los Angeles next Friday for forward Kevon Looney and guard Norman Powell.
- Looney met with the Pistons while at the draft combine, Keith Langlois of NBA.com reports (Twitter links). Also meeting with Detroit was Booker, who believes his outside shooting would be the perfect complement to Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, who is set to become a restricted free agent this offseason, Langlois adds.
2014/15 D-League Usage Report: Suns
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 Suns utilized the D-League during the 2014/15 campaign…
D-League Team: Bakersfield Jam
Affiliation Type: One-to-one
D-League Team Record: 34-16
Number of NBA Players Assigned To D-League: 4
Total D-League Assignments: 14
Player Stats While On Assignment:
- Reggie Bullock: 2 assignments, 4 games, 23.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.8 APG. .507/.462/.812.
- Tyler Ennis: 4 assignments, 9 games, 18.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.3 APG. .479/.333/.810.
- Archie Goodwin: 4 assignments, 10 games, 22.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.0 APG. .436/.271/.655.
- T.J. Warren: 4 assignments, 9 games, 26.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.6 APG. .544/.286/.729.
D-League Signings
- Earl Barron (Bakersfield Jam-Suns affiliate): Signed 1st 10-day deal on February 21st. Inked 2nd 10-day pact on March 3rd. Signed for the remainder of the season on March 13th.
- Seth Curry (Erie BayHawks-Magic affiliate): Signed 10-day contract on March 11th.
- Jerel McNeal (Bakersfield Jam-Suns affiliate): Signed 10-day deal on April 1st. Inked multiyear arrangement on April 11th.
Assignment/Recall Log
- November 13th: Assigned Tyler Ennis (Recalled November 17th)
- November 13th: Assigned T.J. Warren (Recalled November 17th)
- December 25th: Assigned Tyler Ennis (Recalled December 31st)
- December 25th: Assigned T.J. Warren (Recalled December 31st)
- December 25th: Assigned Archie Goodwin (Recalled December 31st)
- January 14th: Assigned Archie Goodwin (Recalled January 20th)
- January 22nd: Assigned Tyler Ennis (Recalled January 25th)
- January 22nd: Assigned T.J. Warren (Recalled January 25th)
- January 29th: Assigned Archie Goodwin (Recalled February 1st)
- January 29th: Assigned Reggie Bullock (Recalled February 1st)
- February 4th: Assigned Tyler Ennis (Recalled February 7th)
- February 4th: Assigned T.J. Warren (Recalled February 7th)
- February 7th: Assigned Archie Goodwin (Recalled February 11th)
- February 7th: Assigned Reggie Bullock (Recalled February 11th)
Draft Notes: Combine, Tokoto, Christmas
With the 2015 NBA Draft combine in full swing, two players whose performances in the five-on-five events have elevated their draft stock are Syracuse’s Rakeem Christmas and North Carolina’s J.P. Tokoto, Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) relays. When discussing Christmas’ potential one NBA GM told Ford, “He had an advantage [over his combine competition] as a four-year senior. But that wasn’t what set him apart. I felt he showed that he could disrupt shots, attack the rim and play bigger than I felt he did at Syracuse. There aren’t many centers in this draft after the lottery, and I think he’ll draw a lot of interest for teams in the late first and early second.”
Here’s the latest news regarding the 2015 NBA Draft:
- Another player who may have improved his draft stock according Ford was Kentucky guard Andrew Harrison. “I haven’t been a big fan of his all year,” one GM told Ford. “But if you take all of that away, he was one of the two or three best players here. He played under control, made some great passes, got to the line relentlessly [7-for-8] and just played with confidence. It was a very good showing.“
- There were some scouts who questioned if Tokoto was ready to make the jump from college to the pros, but for his part the player has no regrets about his decision, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel writes. “I’m past that,” Tokoto said of worrying about his choice. “All that really matters is if my family and I are comfortable with my decision. I know I made the right decision. With the teams I’m interviewing with, the question about my jump shot comes up. To go out and have a game like this…I told them, ‘I’ve been working on it and I’m going to shoot jump shots.’“
- Oregon guard Joseph Young worked out for the Pacers on Thursday, and he has upcoming workouts scheduled with the Blazers and Spurs, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com tweets.
- Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter) also lauded the performances of Harrison and Christmas, while also adding Louisville’s Terry Rozier and Bowling Green’s Richaun Holmes to the list of players who stood out at the combine.
MSG’s Isiah Thomas Hire Irks Phil Jackson
James Dolan’s decision to bring Isiah Thomas back into the fold as team president and a minority owner of the New York Liberty, a WNBA franchise, hasn’t sat well with Knicks president Phil Jackson, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News writes. Jackson, according to a team source, has expressed concern over Thomas’ presence at Madison Square Garden, Isola notes.
This latest event further fuels speculation that the Zen Master won’t finish out his five year contract, and Thomas could eventually replace Jackson as team president, the Daily News scribe adds. “He’s not happy about it but what can he do about it,” one MSG official told Isola. “This is just the start of it.”
The WNBA Board of Governors still needs to approve Thomas as an owner, and a person familiar with the process believes he will be rejected, Isola relays. Even if Thomas is voted down by the WNBA, he would likely still remain on as the Liberty’s team president, which has already caused a backlash from WNBA coaches, the team’s fans, as well as multiple women’s advocate groups.
The crux of the issue with the hiring of Thomas is his high-profile sexual harassment case back in 2007. “This is a decision, at least to me, comes out of left field,” said Connecticut Sun coach Anne Donovan, a former Liberty assistant. “Bring him back to MSG? OK. But how do you pin [Thomas] to the women’s pro team?”
For his part, Thomas has said that he will not have a role with the Knicks, but league executives are convinced that Thomas accepted the job with the Liberty as an entry level position to eventually return to the Knicks, Isola relays. With Jackson expressly signing on with the assurance that he would be free to run the team without interference from Dolan, the potential presence of Thomas in the decision making process for the team would certainly be a troubling development, though that is merely my speculation.
Western Notes: Matthews, Draft, Young
Jabari Young of CSNNW.com wouldn’t be surprised if Wesley Matthews gives the Blazers a discount to re-sign him this summer. Young interprets GM Neil Olshey‘s tone from his season-ending press conference as a signal that the team will pursue a new deal with the shooting guard. “We know his value to us,” Olshey said, adding that “We also know he’s going to have market value around the league. That’s another competitive part of the free agent process that we’re going to have to participate in.”
Here’s the latest out of the Western Conference:
- The Blazers are scheduled to meet with UNLV’s Christian Wood, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com relays (Twitter links). Portland is also expected to take a close look at big man Myles Turner, Young notes.
- Seth Curry will join the Pelicans‘ summer league squad, Shams Charania of RealGM tweets. Curry made two appearances for the Suns during the 2014/15 season while on a lone 10-day contract.
- Oregon senior guard Joseph Young interviewed with the Spurs, Pelicans, Knicks, Wizards, and Clippers today, Jabari Young tweets.
- Sean Meagher of The Oregonian looks at Blazers point guard Tim Frazier, who inked a multiyear deal with the team this season, and what the player’s role might be next season. Frazier’s minimum salary arrangement with Portland is non-guaranteed.
- The list of players whom the Thunder have interviewed during the combine includes Kelly Oubre, Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Tyus Jones, Terry Rozier, Turner, and Stanley Johnson, Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman relays (Twitter link).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Mutual Interest Between Tom Thibodeau, Pelicans
With the Bulls’ season coming to its end at the hands of the Cavaliers tonight the speculation regarding where Tom Thibodeau will coach next season will now kick in full-throttle. The Pelicans, who recently parted ways with coach Monty Williams, are reportedly interested in Thibodeau should he become available. The interest in bringing the current Bulls coach and his career 255-139 record to New Orleans is apparently mutual, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). League sources have informed the ESPN scribe that Thibs is indeed interested in New Orleans’ vacancy should his tenure in Chicago end.
New Orleans has long regarded Thibodeau highly and the franchise made a play for him back in 2010 before hiring Williams. Thibodeau was named as a “clear and obvious candidate” for the Pelicans shortly after the firing of Williams was announced. But the Pelicans aren’t the only team who will be interested in the Bulls’ coach. The Magic have also been reported to be looking at Thibs to replace interim coach James Borrego.
Chicago is reportedly more likely to seek compensation for letting Thibodeau out of his contract than simply firing him, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. The Magic would likely be willing to give up one or two second-round picks for the right to hire Thibodeau, Kyler noted, while Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times relayed that the Magic’s job would be Thibodeau’s to turn down. It’s believed that Thibodeau is also the front-runner for the Nuggets job, but Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post thinks that Thibodeau’s defense-first philosophy would clash with Denver’s desire to become a faster paced offensive team.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
2014/15 D-League Usage Report: Kings
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 Kings utilized the D-League during the 2014/15 campaign…
D-League Team: Reno Bighorns
Affiliation Type: One-to-one
D-League Team Record: 20-30
Number of NBA Players Assigned To D-League: 1
Total D-League Assignments: 5
Player Stats While On Assignment:
- Eric Moreland: 5 assignments, 7 games, 13.7 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 1.4 APG. .592/.000/.375.
D-League Signings
- David Stockton (Reno Bighorns-Kings affiliate): Signed 10-day contract on February 20th. Inked multiyear deal on April 12th.
- Sim Bhullar (Reno Bighorns-Kings affiliate): Inked 10-day pact on April 2nd.
- David Wear (Reno Bighorns-Kings affiliate): Signed 10-day arrangement on March 23rd.
- Quincy Miller (Reno Bighorns-Kings affiliate)*: Inked 1st 10-day deal on January 17th. Signed 2nd 10-day deal on January 30th.
*Miller also played for the Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons’ affiliate, after signing with Detroit.
Assignment/Recall Log
- November 4th: Assigned Eric Moreland (Recalled November 17th)
- November 21st: Assigned Eric Moreland (Recalled November 25th)
- November 28th: Assigned Eric Moreland (Recalled November 30th)
- December 12th: Assigned Eric Moreland (Recalled December 13th)
- December 14th: Assigned Eric Moreland (Recalled December 16th)
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Draft, Sixers
While teams with lottery picks such as the Magic, Kings, Nuggets, and Pistons may be willing to consider trading down in the draft, the Celtics don’t have the assets necessary to entice those franchises to make a deal, Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) opines. The only player on Boston’s roster who could be used to move into the five to eight range of picks is Marcus Smart, but the point guard is considered virtually untouchable, Ford notes.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Sixers interviewed UNLV big man Christian Wood today, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Twitter links). Philadelphia also interviewed Texas center Myles Turner, Pompey adds.
- The Celtics also sat down for an interview with Wood, as well as Arizona forward Stanley Johnson, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe relays (Twitter links).
- Arizona defensive ace Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has an interview scheduled with the Celtics, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe tweets. You can check out our full prospect profile for Hollis-Jefferson here.
- Most of the Celtics heavy lifting at the draft combine will be done at the hotel where the team will conduct its interviews, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes. This is because most of the players whom Boston has interest in will not be participating in the on court portion of the activities, Forsberg adds.
- Point guards Delon Wright and Jerian Grant were among the players the Nets interviewed today at the combine, Robert Windrem of NetsDaily reports. Both Wright and Grant fit the Nets’ draft model under GM Billy King, who prefers veteran players from big programs, Windrem adds.
Draft History: Billy King
The 2015 NBA draft is less than two months away, and for teams that aren’t still participating in the NBA playoffs, the focus is on using that event to build toward a better future. The exact draft order won’t be known until the May 19th lottery, when the simple bounce of a ping-pong ball can alter the fate of a franchise. 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 will be 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’ll be 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 former Sixers and current Nets GM Billy King…
Sixers (May 1998-December 2007)
1998 Draft
- No. 8 Overall — Larry Hughes: 727 games, 14.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.1 APG. .406/.309/.757.
- No. 37 Overall — Casey Shaw: 9 games, 0.2 PPG, 0.3 RPG, 0.0 APG. .125/.000/.000.
Notable players passed over: Dirk Nowitzki (No. 9), Paul Pierce (No. 10), and Al Harrington (No. 25).
1999 Draft
- No first-rounder. Pick No. 19 (Quincy Lewis) owned by Jazz.
- No. 47 Overall — Todd MacCulloch: 223 games, 6.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 0.8 BPG. .541/.000/.642.
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Andrei Kirilenko (No. 24) and Manu Ginobili (No. 57).
2000 Draft
- No. 20 Overall — Speedy Claxton: 334 games, 9.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 4.3 APG. .409/.193/.762.
Notable players passed over: Morris Peterson (No. 21), Eduardo Najera (No. 38), and Michael Redd (No. 43).
2001 Draft
- No. 26 Overall — Samuel Dalembert: 886 games, 7.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.7 BPG. .521/.083/.706.
- No. 37 Overall — Damone Brown: 39 games, 2.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.5 APG. .336/.286/.667.
- No. 57 Overall — Alvin Jones: 23 games, 1.1 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.1 APG. .400/.000/.500.
Notable players passed over: Tony Parker (No. 28) and Gilbert Arenas (No. 31).
2002 Draft
- *Traded No. 16 overall pick (Jiri Welsch) to Warriors for 2004 second-rounder (Viktor Sanikidze) and a 2005 first round pick (Joey Graham).
Notable players passed over: John Salmons (No. 26), Carlos Boozer (No. 35) and Luis Scola (No. 56).
2003 Draft
- No first-rounder. Pick No. 20 (Dahntay Jones) owned by the Celtics.
- No. 41 Overall — Willie Green*: 731 games, 8.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.4 APG. .425/.346/.765.
*Acquired in a trade with the Thunder (Sonics) in exchange for the No. 50 overall pick (Paccelis Morlende).
Notable players passed over: Boris Diaw (No. 21), Kendrick Perkins (No. 27), and Kyle Korver (No. 51).
2004 Draft
- No. 9 Overall — Andre Iguodala: 835 games, 14.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.7 APG. .461/.333/.717.
Notable players passed over: Al Jefferson (No. 15), Josh Smith (No. 17), J.R. Smith (No. 18), Jameer Nelson (No. 20), Kevin Martin (No. 26), and Trevor Ariza (No. 43).
2005 Draft
- No first-rounder. Pick No. 16 (Joey Graham) owned by Raptors.
- No. 45 Overall — Lou Williams: 634 games, 11.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 2.9 APG. .416/.341/.816.
- No. 60 Overall — Alex Acker*: 30 games, 2.7 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.5 APG. .370/.320/.500.
*Acquired in a trade with the Jazz in exchange for 2008 second-rounder (Ante Tomic).
Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Danny Granger (No. 17), Gerald Green (No. 18), David Lee (No. 30), Monta Ellis (No. 40), and Marcin Gortat (No. 57).
2006 Draft
- No. 16 Overall — Rodney Carney*: 299 games, 5.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.4 APG. .422/.338/.704.
*Acquired from the Bulls along with cash and a 2007 second-rounder in exchange for the No. 13 overall pick (Thabo Sefolosha).
Notable players passed over: Sefolosha (No. 13), Rajon Rondo (No. 21), Kyle Lowry (No. 24), and Paul Millsap (No. 47).
2007 Draft
- No. 12 Overall — Thaddeus Young: 592 games, 13.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.5 APG. .495/.323/.693.
- No. 20 Overall — Jason Smith*: 413 games, 6.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 0.8 APG. .462/.300/.782.
- No. 42 Overall — Derrick Byars**: 2 games, 5.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 0.5 APG. .273/.000/1.000.
- No. 55 Overall — Herbert Hill***: No NBA regular season appearances.
*Acquired from the Heat for the No. 21 pick (Daequan Cook), a 2009 second round pick (Nick Calathes), and cash.
**Acquired from the Trail Blazers along with cash in exchange for the No. 30 overall selection (Petteri Koponen).
***Acquired from the Jazz in exchange for the No. 38 overall pick (Kyrylo Fesenko).
Notable players passed over: Arron Afflalo (No. 27) and Josh McRoberts (No. 37).
Nets (July 2010-Present)
2011 Draft
- No. 25 Overall — MarShon Brooks*: 164 games, 7.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.4 APG. .442/.326/.748.
- No. 36 Overall — Jordan Williams: 43 games, 4.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 0.3 APG. .507/.000/.652.
*Acquired from Celtics in return for No. 27 overall pick (JaJuan Johnson) and a 2014 second-rounder (Russ Smith).
Notable players passed over: Jimmy Butler (No. 30), Chandler Parsons (No. 38), and Isaiah Thomas (No. 60).
2012 Draft
- No first rounder. No. 6 overall pick (Damian Lillard) went to Blazers as part of Gerald Wallace trade.
- No. 57 Overall — Ilkan Karaman: No NBA regular season appearances.
Notable players available at draft spot or passed over: Lillard (No. 6), Andre Drummond (No. 9), Draymond Green (No. 35), and Khris Middleton (No. 39).
2013 Draft
- No. 22 Overall — Mason Plumlee: 152 games, 8.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 0.9 APG. .606/.000/.545.
Notable player(s) passed over: Rudy Gobert (No. 27).
2014 Draft
- No first rounder. No. 17 overall pick (James Young) was included in the trade with the Celtics that brought Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn.
- No. 44 Overall — Markel Brown*: 47 games, 4.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.8 APG. .362/.266/.825.
- No. 59 Overall — Xavier Thames**: No NBA regular season appearances.
- No. 60 Overall — Cory Jefferson***: 50 games, 3.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 0.3 APG. .449/.133/.574.
*Acquired from Timberwolves in exchange for cash.
**Acquired from Raptors in exchange for cash.
***Acquired from Sixers in exchange for cash.
Notable players available at draft spot or passed over: Young (No. 17), Rodney Hood (No. 23), Shabazz Napier (No. 24), K.J. McDaniels (No. 32), and Jordan Clarkson (No. 46).
Draft Notes: Lyles, Anderson, Wood
The 2015 NBA Draft combine is underway in Chicago and Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) offers up a primer for all of the scheduled events. The return of five-on-five play to the event has scouts and GMs excited, but that anticipation is tempered by the fact that only one player ranked in the top 30 — Terry Rozier, will be participating in the scrimmages, Ford notes.
Here’s more regarding the 2015 NBA Draft:
- Kyle Tucker of The Courier-Journal caught up with ESPN’s Chad Ford to talk about the Kentucky Wildcats’ seven NBA Draft hopefuls. Ford spoke highly of Trey Lyles, but says that he needs to prove himself in workouts between now and the draft.
- Former Virgina swingman Justin Anderson met with the Celtics today, and the player has a workout scheduled with the team on June 1st, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets.
- The Wolves interviewed UNLV big man Christian Wood, and are also expected to sit down with Texas center Myles Turner, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets.
- Arizona forward Stanley Johnson interviewed with the Hornets today, and Johnson touted himself as “the best two-way player in the draft,” Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer notes (Twitter link).
- Former Syracuse forward Rakeem Christmas met with the Bucks, Magic, and Suns today, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Twitter links). Christmas is also scheduled to workout for the Sixers, but he will not interview with the team at the combine, Pompey notes.
- Projected second-rounder J.P. Tokoto interviewed with the Cavaliers, Clippers, and Pistons on Wednesday, Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays (via Twitter). The guard met with the Hawks, Nets, and Mavs today, Gardner adds.