G League Path Growing More Appealing For High School Prospects?
While some top NBA prospects over the years have opted to forgo college basketball in favor of an international league, few have gone the G League route. However, multiple industry sources tell Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com that the idea of spending a year in the NBAGL is becoming more intriguing to high school prospects.
As Daniels notes, when the G League first introduced its new “select contracts” for top high school prospects in the fall of 2018, it announced plans to make those contracts worth $125K. However, sources tell Daniels that the NBAGL is now willing to pay more than that “for the right prospects.”
Additionally, Daniels speculates that the coronavirus pandemic could discourage prospects who want to go pro rather than attending college from choosing an international league, since traveling overseas may not look like as appealing an option at the moment.
According to Daniels, the G League is believed to be an option for some notable members of the recruiting class of 2020, including power forward Isaiah Todd – who recently backed out of his commitment to Michigan – and shooting guard Jalen Green. Even if neither of those two prospects opt to play to play in the NBA’s developmental league next season, the G League has been “aggressively” scouting and meeting with prospects over the last couple years and seems to be making some headway, Daniels writes.
Still, skepticism persists that the G League is a viable route for high school prospects who have a bevy of college and overseas options. Veteran NBA forward Jared Dudley tweets that the NBA has to address the NBAGL’s facilities and travel situation in order to increase the league’s appeal.
Knicks Not Retaining Consultant David Blatt
The Knicks are parting ways with David Blatt, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link), who reports that Blatt’s contract has expired after he was hired by the team as a basketball operations consultant last December.
Blatt, a longtime basketball coach who was on the Cavaliers’ sidelines from 2014-16, was hired by the Knicks in the winter after most recently serving as the head coach of Greek team Olympiacos. His role in New York saw him working with the Knicks’ G League team and the organization’s international scouting.
Former Knicks president Steve Mills was responsible for hiring Blatt, who was his teammate at Princeton from 1978-81. Given the close relationship between the two men, it’s unsurprising that the Knicks are moving on from Blatt now that Mills no longer has a role in the club’s basketball operations department. However, Berman notes that Blatt leaves on “good terms” with new team president Leon Rose.
After officially starting his new position on March 2, Rose figures to make more changes to the Knicks’ front office in the coming months. So far though, the team hasn’t been actively hiring or firing executives during the NBA’s hiatus.
Coronavirus Notes: Fauci, Morey, CP3, Courtside Seats
Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious diseases expert, told Snapchat’s Peter Hamby this week that the only way to realistically restart sports leagues in 2020 will be by initially playing games without fans (video link; story via ESPN.com).
“There’s a way of doing that,” Fauci said, in reference to restarting sports. “Nobody comes to the stadium. Put (the players) in big hotels, wherever you want to play, keep them very well surveilled. … Have them tested every single week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family, and just let them play the season out.”
In essence, Fauci is suggesting the “bubble” model that the NBA and other sports leagues have been exploring. It would involve teams and players congregating in a single city and playing games in a handful of locations with only essential personnel in attendance. They’d also have to stay at designated hotels.
Although Fauci’s comments were in reference to the MLB and NFL specifically, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t apply to the NBA as well — especially since the NBA wouldn’t need to house as many teams in its “bubble” once its postseason begins. While several roadblocks would still need to be overcome to make such a scenario a reality, it’s encouraging that Fauci considers it viable.
Here’s more on the ongoing coronavirus situation as it relates to the NBA:
- Although NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said that the NBA won’t be making any decisions on its season in April, that doesn’t mean that we should expect any concrete updates on May 1, writes Marc Stein of The New York Times.
- Amidst reports that players and trainers are hoping for a preparation period of approximately four weeks before play resumes, Rockets GM Daryl Morey suggested on Monday that players likely won’t get that much time to get back into game shape, per Ben DuBose of RocketsWire. As Morey notes, if every team has to deal with the same abridged preparation period, no clubs should have a competitive advantage as a result.
- Thunder guard and NBPA president Chris Paul spoke to Mark Medina of USA Today about the ongoing talks between the league and the players’ union, referring to the situation as “a wait-and-see game.” Paul, who said the NBPA is attempting to keep players as informed as possible, also noted that some sort of ramping-up period will be necessary before games can resume. “I guarantee guys won’t step on that court without feeling like they’ve had the right amount of time to get prepared,” he said
- Even when fans are eventually allowed to attend basketball games again, there’s no guarantee that the NBA won’t re-evaluate the existence of its courtside seats, says Adam Aziz of The Undefeated.
Rodney Hood Expects To Return To Trail Blazers
Rodney Hood, whose 2019/20 season came to an early end in December when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon, fully expects to stick with the Trail Blazers for at least one more season, as Jamie Goldberg of The Oregonian details.
“One thing I know is that I’ll be in a Portland Trail Blazers uniform next year,” Hood said. “As far as the contract and all that type of stuff, that will work itself out when that time comes, but I fully expect to be in a Portland Trail Blazers uniform next year.”
Hood’s comments don’t come as a surprise — he has a $6MM player option for the 2020/21 season, and since he won’t be fully recovered from that Achilles injury by the start of the offseason, it wouldn’t make sense for him to opt for free agency. The only scenario in which he wouldn’t return to Portland for next season would be if the Blazers decide to trade him.
As for Hood’s recovery process, it was interrupted to some extent by the suspension of the NBA season, but the 27-year-old has been granted permission to continue visiting the Blazers’ practice facility for rehab purposes.
As Goldberg writes, Portland’s president of basketball operations Neil Olshey and director of player health and performance Jesse Elis worked with the NBA to ensure that Hood can continue rehabbing with physical therapist and sports scientist Logan Sullivan, as long as they follow enhanced safety measures.
“I’ve been working out with Logan three days a week,” Hood said. “It’s just one-on-one contact. We can’t be in group settings or nothing like that. Usually, when it’s me and him working together, it’s just us two in the weight room or the training room. We’re getting a lot of work in. It’s been very good. I’ve been making a lot of progress, even with everything going on.”
Hood, 27, has been the Blazers’ starting small forward prior to his injury, averaging 11.0 PPG and 3.4 RPG with an impressive .506/.493/.778 shooting line in 21 games (29.5 MPG).
Washington’s Jaden McDaniels Declares For Draft
Washington freshman power forward Jaden McDaniels has declared for the 2020 NBA draft, announcing his decision on Twitter late on Tuesday night. Although McDaniels has the option of testing the waters without forgoing his eligibility, his statement suggests he plans to go pro.
McDaniels was the Huskies’ second-leading scorer in his first and only college season, averaging 13.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, and 1.4 BPG with a .405/.339/.763 shooting line in 31 games (31.1 MPG).
The 19-year-old currently ranks 16th overall on ESPN’s big board, including third among power forwards. In his scouting report, ESPN’s Mike Schmitz lauds the youngster’s ability to play above the rim, his versatile offensive attack, and the defensive upside generated by his agility and size.
McDaniels does need to add some weight to his frame and improve his decision-making, according to Schmitz, who notes that scouts see the 6’10” forward as “more of a long-term prospect” rather than someone who can make an immediate impact. While an up-and-down freshman season hurt McDaniels’ stock a little, it’s worth pointing out that he ranked atop one of Jonathan Givony’s first 2020 mock drafts back in January 2019.
McDaniels is the second Washington underclassman to declare for the draft this spring, joining fellow freshman Isaiah Stewart.
Trevor Booker Announces Retirement
Veteran NBA forward Trevor Booker is officially calling it a career, publishing a letter on Twitter today to announce his retirement as a player.
“THANK YOU BASKETBALL!” Booker wrote within his retirement announcement. “I have no clue where I would have ended up without you, but watch where you take me. I hope you guys continue to watch my journey because it’s definitely not over, it’s just the beginning.”
The 23rd overall pick in the 2010 draft, Booker spent his first four NBA seasons with the Wizards before spending time with the Jazz, Nets, Sixers, and Pacers. He appeared in a total of 532 regular season games, primarily as a backup, averaging 6.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.1 APG. He also saw action in a total of 16 postseason contests for Washington and Indiana.
Booker, 32, last appeared in the NBA during the 2017/18 campaign, playing a total of 68 games for the Nets, 76ers, and Pacers, averaging 6.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 17.0 MPG. After failing to catch on with an NBA team in the summer of 2018, he signed with China’s Shanxi Brave Dragons, but left the team early in the season and returned stateside to undergo foot surgery.
Booker worked out for NBA teams last summer and was said to still be on some clubs’ radars as recently as January. However, after another season without an NBA opportunity, he apparently decided it was time to hang up his sneakers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Northwest Notes: Blazers, Aldridge, Nuggets, Nader
When Damian Lillard took over the Trail Blazers‘ Twitter account on Monday evening for a Q&A with fans, most of the questions and his responses were fairly innocuous. However, one of Lillard’s answers had to be deleted after the fact.
As Nico Martinez of Fadeaway World details (hat tip to NBC Sports), when asked which former teammate he’d like to have on the current Trail Blazers roster, Lillard replied, “I’d add LaMarcus (Aldridge).”
That sort of comment wouldn’t be a big deal if Lillard said it during a Zoom or Instagram Live session, but the NBA may not take kindly to him making it on the Trail Blazers’ official Twitter account. The league introduced new anti-tampering measures last year and Lillard’s tweet – by way of the Blazers’ account – arguably violates those rules.
Although the tweet has since been removed, it’s sure to fuel speculation about an eventual reunion between the Trail Blazers and Aldridge, which has been a topic of discussion multiple times in recent years. For what it’s worth, Aldridge himself responded to Lillard’s tweet with an eyes emoji.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Once it became clear that Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas wanted the Bulls‘ head of basketball operations job, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly organized mock interview sessions to help him make a good impression in his actual meeting, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post. “It was amazing,” said Karnisovas, who was officially hired by Chicago on Monday. “It’s a prep, but that’s what I’m all about. I like to be all prepared. We prepared for all the questions and we covered all the bases. He helped me out.”
- Nick Kosmider and John Hollinger of The Athetic take an in-depth look at the state of the Nuggets, examining what steps are necessary to turn Denver from a strong playoff team into a legitimate title contender.
- In his third NBA season and second with the Thunder, Abdel Nader improved his shooting efficiency and made major strides on the defensive end, writes Logan Meyer of Daily Thunder. Oklahoma City is in position to keep Nader for one more year before he reaches free agency — he has a minimum-salary team option for 2020/21.
2020/21 Salary Cap Preview: Chicago Bulls
Hoops Rumors is looking ahead at the 2020/21 salary cap situations for all 30 NBA teams. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the NBA, it’s impossible to know yet where the cap for 2020/21 will land. Given the league’s lost revenue, we’re assuming for now that it will stay the same as the ’19/20 cap, but it’s entirely possible it will end up higher or lower than that.
Viewed as a potential playoff sleeper pick in the Eastern Conference entering the 2019/20 season, the Bulls made little forward progress. Presumed building block Lauri Markkanen had his worst year as a pro, newcomer Thaddeus Young didn’t fit in as planned, and starting small forward Otto Porter missed nearly the entire season with a foot injury.
The disappointing showing resulted in some front office changes for the Bulls, who fired Gar Forman, reassigned John Paxson, and hired Arturas Karnisovas as their new head of basketball operations. With 12 of 15 Chicago’s players under contract for 2020/21, Karnisovas may not have a ton of cap flexibility to make significant changes right away, so it will be interesting to see how many of the current pieces he retains and how soon he looks to put his own stamp on the roster.
Here’s where things stand for the Bulls financially in 2020/21, as we continue our Salary Cap Preview series:
Guaranteed Salary
- Zach LaVine ($19,500,000)
- Thaddeus Young ($13,545,000)
- Tomas Satoransky ($10,000,000)
- Cristiano Felicio ($7,529,020)
- Lauri Markkanen ($6,731,508)
- Coby White ($5,572,680)
- Wendell Carter ($5,448,840)
- Ryan Arcidiacono ($3,000,000)
- Chandler Hutchison ($2,443,440)
- Luke Kornet ($2,250,000)
- Daniel Gafford ($1,517,981)
- Total: $77,538,469
Player Options
- Otto Porter ($28,489,239)
- Total: $28,489,239
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- None
Restricted Free Agents
- Kris Dunn ($7,091,457 qualifying offer / $16,044,021 cap hold): Bird rights
- Denzel Valentine ($4,642,800 qualifying offer / $10,132,706 cap hold): Bird rights
- Shaquille Harrison ($2,025,705 qualifying offer / $2,025,705 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Adam Mokoka (two-way qualifying offer / $1,445,697 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $29,648,129
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- No. 4 overall pick ($7,068,360)
- Max Strus ($1,445,697): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $8,514,057
Offseason Cap Outlook
With just shy of $78MM in guaranteed money on their 2020/21 books for 11 players, the Bulls seemingly could create cap room. However, adding Porter’s $28MM+ player option – which he’ll almost certainly exercise – and the cap hold for their No. 4 pick eliminates that potential space in a hurry.
As such, the Bulls figure to operate as an over-the-cap team, though they shouldn’t be anywhere close to the tax line. That means the club will have the full mid-level exception and bi-annual exception available this offseason.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Mid-level exception: $9,258,000 1
- Bi-annual exception: $3,623,000 1
Footnotes
- This is a projected value.
Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are based on the salary cap and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Follow Pro Football Rumors For Latest NFL Draft Updates
There’s no stopping the NFL offseason. Whether you’re a hardcore football fan or a casual Sunday watcher, you can follow every pick, trade, and rumbling with Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors on Twitter).
The “fully virtual” NFL Draft is just around the corner with several potential superstars on the board. At No. 1, the Bengals seem keyed in on quarterback Joe Burrow, who threw for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns (!), and just six interceptions in his final year at LSU. Then, at No. 2, the Redskins could snag Chase Young, an absolute sack machine who could be a generational talent in the making.
Beyond that, the draft is wide open: The Lions are listening to offers for the No. 3 pick and the Giants are “open for business” at No. 4. The Dolphins, at No. 5, are one of several teams that could be tempted to move up for their next QB, which could be Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert.
For the latest on the draft, free agency, and more from this wild NFL offseason, stay tuned to Pro Football Rumors and follow along on Twitter, @pfrumors.
Heat Notes: Nunn, Culture, Dragic, Crowder
Ja Morant is considered the consensus frontrunner for the NBA’s 2019/20 Rookie of the Year award, and figures to be a unanimous or near-unanimous winner when voting eventually takes place. However, one person who’s not on board with the consensus choice is Heat guard Kendrick Nunn, who believes he should be this season’s Rookie of the Year, as he tells Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
“I think people will say that (Morant) is Rookie of the Year, but I don’t believe it,” Nunn said. “The most value should be in the wins. And we’re both starting guards on teams, and our team has been holding it down. We’re a playoff team, so go ahead and give that Rookie of the Year to Kendrick Nunn.”
While there’s no chance Nunn beats out Morant in the final vote, the Heat’s starting point guard is certainly worthy of a spot on voters’ Rookie of the Year ballots. He has averaged 15.6 PPG and 3.4 APG with a solid .448/.362/.837 shooting line in 62 games (29.8 MPG).
Still, Morant’s numbers (17.6 PPG, 6.9 APG) have been better in a similar role and while the Grizzlies’ record isn’t as strong as the Heat’s, Memphis is still a playoff team in the West. Perhaps most importantly, Nunn is a complementary option on a Miami roster that features multiple All-Stars (Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo), while Morant has been the Grizzlies’ MVP this season.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- After a handful of up-and-down years in Miami following LeBron James‘ departure, the 2019/20 season represented “rebirth, regeneration, (and) renewal” for the Heat and their culture, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. In Winderman’s view, it has been a long time since the Heat looked so different from one year to the next, which could be attributed to the departures of players like Hassan Whiteside and Dion Waiters, along with the arrivals of Butler, Tyler Herro, and others.
- While there appears to be mutual interest between the Heat and Goran Dragic in extending their relationship beyond this season, Dragic will be one of the top point guards on the free agent market and he’s no stranger to relocating, Winderman writes for the Sun-Sentinel. This will be the first time that Dragic has reached free agency since he signed a five-year deal with Miami in 2015, just a few months after being traded to the club.
- In a separate Sun-Sentinel mailbag, Winderman wonders how the Heat’s decision on Jae Crowder in free agency will be impacted by the fact that the team only really got to evaluate him for a month following his arrival at the trade deadline. As Winderman notes, Miami has Bird rights on all its key free agents – including Crowder, Dragic, Derrick Jones, and Meyers Leonard – so it could be a matter of picking and choosing which players the team is most comfortable investing in — and which ones won’t require commitments that compromise the Heat’s 2021 cap flexibility.