Cavs Unlikely To Draft Nerlens Noel?
The Cavs front office is free to do what they want with in free agency and in the draft, but they have a mandate from owner Dan Gilbert to make the playoffs this season, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (via Twitter) hears. With pressure to win right away, it's now unlikely that the Cavs take Nerlens Noel with the No. 1 pick (link).
While the Kentucky product is regarded by some as the best talent in the 2013 draft, but he'll be on the shelf for quite a while as he recovers from an ACL tear. That could point the Cavs in Otto Porter's direction since they are also said to be enamored with him. It may also prompt the club to trade the No. 1 pick, but things have been quiet on that front so far.
Kevin Durant To Join Roc Nation Sports
SATURDAY: Sources told Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski that Durant is in fact joining Roc Nation, giving them their first NBA All-Star. In a statement, former agent Rob Pelinka was extremely gracious about the departure of one of his top clients.
"We are honored and blessed to have worked on behalf of Kevin, for a brief period of time," Pelinka said in a statement. "He is an amazing person and athlete, and we are proud of our work and service toward advancing his brand in a manner that reflects the mutual qualities we share with Kevin."
FRIDAY: Kevin Durant is leaving his representatives at Landmark Sports, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (via Twitter). Sources expect him to now join Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports, according to Mullen.
When asked in a text if Durant was Roc Nation-bound, an agency spokesperson replied "no comment" (link). Landing Durant would be a major coup for the fledgling Roc Nation group as they look to make a major mark in the NBA. Jay-Z's venture first made waves when they managed to steal Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano away from baseball superagent Scott Boras.
Jay-Z has been linked with Kentucky product Nerlens Noel, who is likely to be the top pick in the 2013 draft, but no deal has been struck just yet. There were also the inevitable rumors about a partnership between him and longtime friend LeBron James, but that talk has been shot down.
Magic Considering Moving Down In Draft
The Magic are considering moving down in the draft and have "quite a few" suitors interested in obtaining the No. 2 pick, sources tell Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter). Orlando has been tied to guards Trey Burke, Ben McLemore, and Victor Oladipo in most recent mock drafts.
Orlando's willingness to move down from No. 2 could mean they believe that they can get one of the draft's elite guards further down the board. It could also mean that they have found a solution to their backcourt issues elsewhere. Recently, the Magic were linked to Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe. If they were to trade for the Kentucky product, they would use Arron Afflalo in the swap.
Shane Battier To Retire After Next Year
As he gets ready for Game 2 of the 2013 Finals against the Spurs, Shane Battier is thinking quite a bit about his future in the NBA. The veteran forward indicated to Alex Kennedy of USA Today that he probably has one more year of basketball left.
"I think I have one more year," Battier said. "My contract is up next year, and I'll reassess where I am, but we'll see. It's a good possibility, a good possibility. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, and everything in this league is negotiable, but at that point I'll be 36 and it may be time to do something else."
Battier has averaged 9.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks over 904 career games with the Rockets, Grizzlies, and Heat. The former Duke star has been to the playoffs in nine of his 12 seasons in the NBA.
Sixers To Name Coach After Draft
The 76ers are planning to fill their head coaching vacancy after the draft, two sources familiar with the search tell John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The draft takes place on June 27th, meaning that we're likely to see Philly make their announcement in early July.
One Houston-based source said president Sam Hinkie "will probably find a coach after the draft." The source also said that Hinkie believes that the coach "is secondary in the process because [Hinkie] will have an idea of what type of players" the Sixers will need to take in the draft.
The source added Hinkie would probably not be interested in hiring the recently fired George Karl. Even though Karl, 62, is a great coach, the source belives that the club is seeking someone younger to fit a younger team.
Earlier this week, we learned that David Fizdale and Melvin Hunt are on the 76ers' radar.
Kobe Suggests He’ll Outplay Contract
In a radio interview with Stephen A. Smith of ESPN Radio, Kobe Bryant suggested he might play beyond his current contract with the Lakers, writes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. Bryant, whose deal expires after this season, spoke at length of the possibility of topping Spurs forward Tim Duncan in the title chase.
“My goal is to win more than five,” said Bryant. “If he does win five, hopefully that pushes our organization upstairs to be even more determined and more driven to make the necessary expenses to make sure we continue the next year and the year after that.“
Previously, Bryant has said that he doesn’t want to play too far beyond his prime. As it stands, Bryant’s deal is set to expire after the 2013/14 season.
Draft Notes: Cavs, Gobert, Nedovic
We could see an awful lot of movement in this year’s NBA draft based on this morning’s news alone. First, we learned that the Bucks and Wizards have explored a deal involving Ersan Ilyasova and the No. 3 pick. Then, it was reported that the Magic are open to trading the No. 2 pick and moving down in the draft in order to get some NBA-ready talent in return. Here’s the latest on the 2013 draft..
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports (via Twitter) is pretty sure that the Cavs will draft a backup point guard if they keep their second round picks.
- Center Rudy Gobert withdrew from the Adidas Eurocamp, citing illness, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (via Twitter). The French center, who is a likely first round pick, has been working out in the U.S. in advance of the draft.
- Two NBA execs compared Nemanja Nedovic to a poor man’s Russell Westbrook, tweets Howard-Cooper. The Serbian point guard obviously isn’t of the same talent level but has a similar kind of game in that he gets to the rim and plays aggressive defense. Nedovic, who is pegged for the second round, needs to improve his shooting.
Bucks, Wizards Talked Ilyasova, No. 3 Pick
The Bucks and Wizards have explored a trade involving big man Ersan Ilyasova and the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports (via Twitter). It’s unclear if the Bucks would keep their own first round selection in such a deal, but they currently hold the No. 15 pick.
Ilyasova, 26, just finished the first year of a five-year, $40MM deal in Milwaukee. The stretch four averaged 17.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 2.1 APG last season while shooting 44.4% from the outside. Ilyasova was in high-demand at the trade deadline this year, but the Bucks turned away suitors, including the Hawks, who were dangling Josh Smith.
No one knows how the top of the draft will shake out yet, but the No. 3 pick could yield a high-level talent for the Wizards, whether it’s UNLV power forward Anthony Bennett or Georgetown’s Otto Porter. The Washington front office is reportedly split on which player to take, but they won’t have that dilemma if they move the pick.
It’s not clear who the Bucks are targeting at No. 3 – they could tap Bennett to replace the outgoing Ilyasova or they may instead look to one of the top guards in the draft such as Kansas’ Ben McLemore or Michigan’s Trey Burke if they can’t hold on to their key backcourt pieces this summer.
Sergey Karasev Denies Draft Promise
Despite rumors to the contrary, prospect Sergey Karasev told Russian outlet Ria Novosti that he does not have a guarantee from a team that he will be taken in the first round (h/t Sportando). The 19-year-old returned to Moscow earlier this week, rather than participate in private workouts, fueling speculation that he got a first round guarantee.
However, Karasev says he left the United States because he does not have time for individual workouts as he gets set for the World University Games in July. Meanwhile, he notes that plenty of NBA scouts have already seen him play with his Russian club team and at the Hoops Summit in Portland last month.
Earlier this week, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said that he believes the small forward probably received a guarantee from a team between Nos. 14 and 24. It's also curious that Karasev would opt out of private team workouts following his flat showing in Las Vegas.
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Karl, Wolves
What does a guy have to do to keep his job in Denver? After being named the NBA's Coach of the Year, George Karl was dismissed from the Nuggets and left to find a place for himself on this offseason's coaching carousel. The move did not go without criticism from fans and people inside basketball, and Nugs president Josh Kroenke addressed the media today to explain his decision. Here's highlights from that and more out of the Northwest Division..
- Kroneke had to decide between giving Karl the extension he was seeking or letting him go, and he told reporters, including Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post, that there was only one way to go. "We talked about our future, we talked about our different desires for the organization," said Kroenke. "We both sat down and tried to figure out the best ways for both of us moving forward. My worst-case scenario that I kept coming back to was we're obviously going to start next season without (injured forward Danilo) Gallinari, and it would be a tough situation to put George in knowing that he might want to restructure his contract already."
- The Nuggets president added that he doesn't have a timetable for replacing Karl or outgoing General Manager Masai Ujiri, Dempsey writes.
- Dwight Howard might be the big name in free agency, but a number of teams would love to get their hands on Wolves standout Nikola Pekovic, writes Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. While retaining Pekovic and having a healthy club in 2013/14 should go a long way for Minnesota, they would like to accomplish much more this summer.
- Cody Zeller told Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (via Twitter) that it was his agent's idea to work out individually for clubs. The Indiana product auditioned for the Blazers earlier today.
- Earlier tonight, we learned that Kevin Durant has opted to change agencies and is expected to join Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports.