Duke’s Vernon Carey Jr. Expected To Go Pro
Duke freshman center Vernon Carey Jr. is expected to be declare for the NBA draft with the intention of staying in and going pro, a source tells Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link).
In his first and potentially only season as a Blue Devil, Carey averaged 17.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 1.6 BPG in 31 games (24.9 MPG). He shot 57.7% from the field and even made 38.1% of his tries from beyond the arc, albeit on just 21 three-point attempts.
Carey, currently ranked No. 28 on ESPN’s big board, has shown the makings of an inside-outside game and is a very strong positional rebounder, ESPN’s Mike Schmitz writes in his scouting report. Schmitz cautions that the big man has dealt with some health and conditioning issues and struggles with defending in space and seeing the floor when passing.
Here’s more on the 2020 NBA draft:
- Iowa big man Luka Garza, ranked 81st on ESPN’s big board, announced on Twitter that he is entering the draft while maintaining his college eligibility. Garza had a big year in 2019/20 as a junior, averaging 23.9 PPG, 9.8 RPG, and 1.8 BPG on .542/.358/.651 shooting in 31 games (32.0 MPG).
- Mississippi State junior guard Nick Weatherspoon, who tweeted a farewell message today to fans, will be declaring for the draft and going pro, sources confirm to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Weatherspoon, who first tested the draft waters in 2018, increased his averages to 11.6 PPG and 4.1 APG in 2019/20. He projects to go undrafted.
- Creighton junior guard Ty-Shon Alexander is expected to enter the draft and will likely forgo his remaining college eligibility, a source tells Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link). Alexander is coming off a big year in which he led the Bluejays with 16.9 PPG while chipping in 5.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 1.3 SPG while making 39.9% of his threes.
- In case you missed it, we wrote earlier this afternoon about how NBA teams hope to convince the league to push the draft back until at least August.
NBA Teams Want To Delay Draft Until At Least August 1
A number of NBA teams are united in their hopes of convincing the league to delay its June 25 draft until at least August 1, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
As Wojnarowski and Givony explain, top team executives around the NBA want to postpone the draft since it would increase the possibility of salvaging certain aspects of the pre-draft process, including in-person workouts, interviews, and medical evaluations. The coronavirus pandemic makes those in-person meetings impossible for the time being.
The NBA recently sent out guidelines to its teams for the pre-draft process, prohibiting clubs from watching live video workouts or from conducting more than four total hours of virtual meetings – including up to two in a single week – with a single prospect.
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports notes (via Twitter) that teams also aren’t permitted to request or watch any videos of player workouts that took place after April 6. Essentially, teams are limited to studying film of games and practices that occurred before the NBA and NCAA shut down play last month.
While delaying the draft is certainly an idea the NBA has discussed, commissioner Adam Silver has said the league won’t make any major decisions on its calendar until at least May 1, and the NBA is sticking to that timeline for now, as Woj and Givony report.
Wojnarowski and Givony also point out that a tentative draft-date change from June 25 to August 1 could give the NBA additional flexibility as it gets more clarity in the coming months. If the remainder of the 2019/20 season is canceled, the draft could continue as planned on August 1. If the league is able to resume play, the event could be pushed back further, perhaps even to September.
Essentially, teams don’t want a situation where the draft takes place before the 2019/20 season is officially over, since it would prevent clubs from making any trades that involve players. Team officials around the league believe the draft and free agency should “stay connected,” taking place after the season formally ends, per ESPN’s report.
As for the impact that a postponed draft might have on the NCAA, Jeremy Woo of SI.com writes that college programs are already facing a series of new challenges during this year’s recruiting period due to the coronavirus pandemic. Pushing back the draft would only exacerbate the roster-building process for college coaches.
Givony acknowledges in a pair of tweets that a draft delay would complicate things for college coaches — especially those whose underclassmen are testing the draft waters. However, Givony adds that he has spoken to several prospects who like the idea of a postponement, particularly if it increases the chances of restoring part of the pre-draft process and ensuring there’s some form of Summer League.
NBA, NBPA Extend Transaction Moratorium Indefinitely
The NBA’s freeze on transactions, which has now been active for nearly a month due to the coronavirus pandemic, will continue for the foreseeable future, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the league and the players’ union have agreed to extend the moratorium indefinitely.
The moratorium prevents NBA teams from making any sort of roster move, including signings, trades, and the exercising of player or team options.
The league’s regular season had originally been scheduled to end on April 15, which also would have been the last day for teams to sign free agents to their 2019/20 rosters or promote two-way players. For example, April 15 would have been the last day for the Thunder to sign two-way player Luguentz Dort to a standard contract to make him playoff-eligible.
If the NBA is able to resume its ’19/20 season, there will almost certainly be a window when those transactions will be permitted again so that teams can prepare their rosters for an abridged postseason. It’s not clear how the league would handle that lost window if the season is canceled.
The NBA and the NBPA also figure to negotiate a new timeline for the player and team option decision deadlines and salary guarantee dates that will be delayed by the current moratorium and the indefinite suspension of the season. Depending on how the coming months play out, more significant dates like the draft and the start of the free agent period could also be pushed back.
Rift Still Exists Between Jazz Stars Mitchell, Gobert
In the wake of his positive test for COVID-19 last month, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell was said to be frustrated with teammate Rudy Gobert. The All-Star center, who had tested positive for the coronavirus a day earlier, had reportedly shown a cavalier attitude toward teammates and their belongings in the locker room before finding out he was affected by COVID-19.
While both of Utah’s stars have now been cleared of the coronavirus for approximately two weeks, sources tell Shams Charania, Sam Amick, and Tony Jones of The Athletic that the Mitchell/Gobert relationship remains tense.
According to The Athletic’s report, the Jazz have begun to work on repairing that relationship, but Mitchell has been reluctant to mend fences, with one source with knowledge of the situation going so far as to say that the relationship “doesn’t appear salvageable.”
The Jazz remain hopeful that things will improve over time, a stance that teammate Joe Ingles also took when he recently spoke to The Athletic.
“I’m confident our team is going to be totally fine,” Ingles said. “I heard Donovan’s response (on Good Morning America), or whatever it was, to that question, and a part of that is on Donovan and Rudy to sort out if he’s frustrated with him or whatever. But I have no doubt when we go back to training, or when our season starts again, our team is going to be what we have been and what we are. … I’m confident our team will be completely fine. The chemistry will be fine.”
According to Charania, Amick, and Jones, the Jazz have attempted to impart to Mitchell that there’s no way of knowing whether he contracted the virus from Gobert or vice versa — or whether the two players got it from separate sources.
However, The Athletic’s report notes that Utah management and the club’s coaching staff were ahead of the curve in educating Jazz players about the virus, discussing it for the first time in a team meeting on February 25, several days before the NBA sent out its first league-wide memo about the subject. As such, it makes sense that Mitchell would be frustrated by Gobert continuing to downplay the issue on March 9, the day the big man jokingly touched several reporters’ microphones during a media session.
As The Athletic’s reporters point out, with no end to the NBA’s hiatus in sight, there should still be plenty of time for Mitchell and Gobert to sort things out before they take the court together.
And-Ones: KG, Seattle, Free Agent Wings, Broekhoff
Speaking this week to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, newly-elected Hall-of-Famer Kevin Garnett said he’d love to play a part in bringing the NBA back to the city of Seattle.
“If I have a dream, I would say that I would love to be able to go and buy the Seattle SuperSonics and reactivate the Seattle Northwest and get NBA loving back going into that area,” Garnett told Reynolds. “I think it’s needed and it’s essential. Seattle was huge to our league. Not just Portland, but the whole northwest. I would love to be able to do that.”
Although Garnett earned nearly $344MM over the course of his 21-year NBA career, per Basketball-Reference, it’s not clear that he has the net worth required to be the majority owner of an NBA franchise.
Still, if the league eventually becomes open to the idea of an expansion team in Seattle, it’s not inconceivable that Garnett could get involved in an ownership group. Dwyane Wade has previously expressed a desire to get involved in such an endeavor as well.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- In the first part of his breakdown of 2020’s free agent market for wings, Danny Leroux of The Athletic says Brandon Ingram is the most obvious candidate for a max-level deal, while Danilo Gallinari, Marcus Morris, Evan Fournier, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Malik Beasley are among the players who should be able to sign for more than the full mid-level.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report examines the most pressing salary cap issue facing each of the NBA’s 30 teams during the 2020 offseason.
- Following a report from Sport5 (hat tip to Sportando) suggesting that Maccabi Tel Aviv may have interest in former Mavericks sharpshooter Ryan Broekhoff, the EuroLeague club responded by shooting down the idea that it’s already targeting players for next season amidst the COVID-19 uncertainty. “It was published today that Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv is ‘working on the next season’ and ‘targeting/interested’ in players,” the team said in a tweet. “We are clarifying here that this is false. The club doesn’t do that nowadays.”
Raptors Notes: Boucher, Nurse, Player Development
After playing 164 total minutes in his first two NBA seasons, Raptors big man Chris Boucher has become a more regular part of the team’s rotation in 2019/20, averaging 13.2 MPG in 55 contests. Asked on Wednesday what he thinks he has proven this season, Boucher had a quick answer, per Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun.
“That I can play,” Boucher said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of stuff that I can get better at, but I think that my technique I was able to show right out of the door and kind of find ways to help the team win. I think that’s what’s most important. That I could be effective in the game. I think I’ve learned that.”
Boucher will be a restricted free agent this offseason. However, given the unusual nature of the NBA’s current hiatus and the uncertainty surrounding when the offseason will even take place, Boucher said his next contract isn’t something that’s currently on his mind.
“I knew this (contract) stuff was coming, so, obviously, it’s gonna be a process, but for me right now that’s not what I’m thinking about,” Boucher said. “There’s way more important things to be thinking about right now.”
Let’s round up some more Raptors-related items…
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic provides an interesting breakdown on why Raptors head coach Nick Nurse looks like the odds-on favorite to win the NBA’s Coach of the Year award for 2019/20.
- Identifying, acquiring, and developing under-the-radar gems – including Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and Terence Davis – has been a major factor in the Raptors’ success in recent years. Blake Murphy of The Athletic explores how Toronto’s ability to identify and develop that talent sets the club apart.
- In case you missed it, on Wednesday we identified VanVleet as one of five Eastern Conference free-agents-to-be who have boosted their value with strong 2019/20 performances.
Central Notes: Cavaliers, Bulls, Atkinson, D. Hall
The Cavaliers‘ 19-46 record in 2019/20 was the worst mark in the Eastern Conference and the second-worst in the entire NBA. However, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is bullish on his team’s chances to improve next season, suggesting on a conference call this week that he doesn’t believe a playoff berth is out of the question, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com details.
“I think our responsibility is to keep improving. You always look outward,” the Cavaliers’ coach said. “You’re always doing your job to see what players you’re going to get in the draft, what free agents may be available, but for us as a coaching staff, our priority is developing the guys that we have here and who we can identify to take the biggest step to make us that team that we want to be. And that’s a playoff-contending team.
“That’s what our focus is right now. I trust our front office. They work tirelessly and are prepared. And, again, it was a small sample size, but if you look at the way we competed over that stretch, there’s no reason why we can’t have that conversation about achieving that goal for next year,” Bickerstaff continued, referring to the Cavaliers’ 5-6 record following John Beilein‘s departure.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- In an in-depth feature on the Bulls and their hiring of new head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, K.C. Johnson and Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports note that the team had been battling the perception that it’s too “old-school,” looking to the past rather than the future. The front office overhaul is partly about changing that perception. “They are in the same boat as the Lakers were before LeBron (James) fell in their lap,” an Eastern Conference executive told NBC Sports. “They didn’t think they needed to upgrade the front office because ‘Hey, we’re the Bulls.'”
- While it’s possible that the Bulls will retain head coach Jim Boylen for another season, Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) identifies Kenny Atkinson as a logical target if Karnisovas does want to make a change. Chicago has a young roster and Atkinson established himself as a strong developmental coach in Brooklyn. Boylen is reportedly concerned about his job security but is confident he’ll be given the chance to remain in the role.
- Donta Hall‘s second 10-day contract with the Pistons was about to expire when the NBA suspended its season. Keith Langlois of Pistons.com explores whether the rookie power forward has a future with the franchise.
Bulls’ Jim Boylen Confident He’ll Be Retained?
4:00pm: Despite his concern about his job security, Boylen remains confident that he’ll get to start next season as the Bulls’ head coach, a source close to the situation tells Cowley.
9:42am: As the Bulls prepare to officially hire Arturas Karnisovas and revamp their front office, head coach Jim Boylen is concerned that he won’t be given the opportunity to return to the team in 2020/21, a source told Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday morning.
According to Cowley, Boylen is hoping he’ll get the chance to “sit down with his new bosses” and discuss the season-and-a-half he has spent as Chicago’s head coach.
Longtime Bulls executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson, COO Michael Reinsdorf, and team owner Jerry Reinsdorf have remained supporters of Boylen throughout his tenure with the team, despite the fact that the on-court results were lacking. Boylen has led the Bulls to a 39-84 record (.317) since taking over for Fred Hoiberg early in the 2018/19 season.
With Paxson expected to shift into a background role, Cowley suggests that the Reinsdorfs “won’t be throwing a life preserver” to Boylen if Karnisovas decides he wants to make a change.
Although the Bulls moved forward with their front office search during the NBA’s coronavirus-related hiatus, it’s not clear if the same level of urgency will be applied to a head coaching search, especially with the possible resumption of the 2019/20 season still up in the air.
Teams like the Nets and Knicks, who were expected to be in the market for a permanent head coach this spring, aren’t actively conducting their searches right now and may wait until the actual offseason to do so — if Chicago follows suit, that would give Karnisovas plenty of time to evaluate Boylen before making any final decisions.
Five Western FAs-To-Be Who Boosted Their Value In 2019/20
On Wednesday, we examined five 2020 free agents in the Eastern Conference who had impressive contract years, increasing their value right before they reach the open market. Today, we’re shifting our focus to the Western Conference, where there are many more than five candidates for this list.
Kings swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clippers big man Montrezl Harrell, and Suns center Aron Baynes are among the players who had strong 2019/20 seasons and established themselves as desirable free agent targets. But we’re focusing on five different players in the space below. Let’s dive in…
Brandon Ingram, F (Pelicans) (RFA): Most of the players who would have been 2020’s top restricted free agents signed contract extensions last fall. It made sense that Ingram – who had yet to play a game for the Pelicans and whose 2018/19 season ended due to a blood clot issue – didn’t get one, but his play in ’19/20 showed that New Orleans would have been wise to take the risk. After averaging 24.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 4.3 APG (all career highs) and emerging as an All-Star, Ingram may now require a maximum-salary investment once his rookie contract expires.- Dwight Howard, C (Lakers): Not only did Howard receive a minimum-salary contract from the Lakers last summer — the deal wasn’t even guaranteed. Although many NBA observers were ready to write off the eight-time All-NBA center a year ago, he has shown that he’s still got something left in the tank, averaging 7.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 1.2 BPG in a part-time role (19.2 MPG) for the Lakers. Most crucially, he was willing to accept a career-low usage rate (14.2%) and remained healthy all season long, appearing in 62 of L.A.’s 63 games. It seems safe to assume his next contract will be guaranteed — it should be worth more than the minimum too.
- Jordan Clarkson, SG (Jazz): After making just 32.4% of his three-point attempts in 2018/19, Clarkson entered the season looking to shake a reputation as a high-volume, low-efficiency scorer who didn’t bring a whole lot else to the table. A move to Utah gave him the opportunity to do so, and he emerged as a key weapon off the bench for the Jazz, averaging 15.6 PPG on 48.2% shooting in 34 games (25.3 MPG) following his trade out of Cleveland. Clarkson may not get a raise on the $13MM+ salary he’s earning this season, but after making a case for Sixth Man of the Year, he should still do pretty well on his next deal.
- Malik Beasley, SG (Timberwolves) (RFA): Unlike Clarkson, whose stock rose when he got the opportunity to play important minutes for a playoff team, Beasley boosted his value when he was dealt from the Nuggets to the lottery-bound Timberwolves. Having been in and out of Denver’s rotation all season long, Beasley started all 14 games he played for Minnesota and fully took advantage of his regular role (33.1 MPG), averaging 20.7 PPG and 5.1 RPG with an impressive .472/.426/.750 shooting line. Beasley reportedly turned down a three-year extension worth more than $30MM last offseason, and while it seemed for much of the season like that may have been a mistake, he could now be in line for an even bigger payday with the Wolves.
- De’Anthony Melton, G (Grizzlies) (RFA): Melton’s basic stats – 8.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, and .419/.316/.821 shooting – aren’t major improvements on the numbers he put up as a rookie in Phoenix. However, in his first season, he was thrust into a starting role for the bottom-feeding team Suns because they had few alternatives. In Memphis, Melton earned rotation minutes for a playoff contender. He was arguably the Grizzlies’ best perimeter defender, and his on/off-court splits reflected his value — the club had a +6.2 net rating when he played, compared to a -4.2 rating when he sat. A minimum-salary bargain this season, Melton is due a raise in restricted free agency.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
International Notes: P. Gasol, Olympics, Italy, EuroLeague
Asked if he’ll be able to hang on for an extra year to represent Spain in the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, veteran NBA big man Pau Gasol told ESPN’s Zach Lowe, “I’m going to try” (video link).
Gasol explained that he has to focus on rehabbing his injured foot before determining whether or not he’ll be able to play, noting that it’s hard to get tests done at the moment due to the closure of facilities.
Lowe also asked Gasol whether he’s considering the idea of finishing his career by playing one last season in Spain, and while the 39-year-old center acknowledged that he has weighed the possibility, he stressed that if he’s able to make a comeback, the NBA would likely still be his first choice.
Here are more odds and ends from around the international basketball world:
- The qualifying tournaments for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics will take place between June 22 and July 4, 2021, FIBA announced in a press release. Serbia, Croatia, Lithuania, and Canada will host those four qualifiers and are among the countries still vying for a spot in the Olympic men’s basketball tournament.
- The Lega Basket Serie A, Italy’s top basketball league, officially announced this week that the remainder of its 2019/20 season has been canceled, as Stefan Djordjevic of Eurohoops.net relays. The move had been expected. While Virtus Bologna ranked atop the league with an 18-2 record, no champion will be crowned.
- Even as basketball leagues around Europe cancel their seasons, the EuroLeague continue to hold out hope that it will be possible to complete its 2019/20 campaign in some form, as it announced today in a press release.