Alex Len To Enter Draft
Maryland center Alex Len will enter the 2013 draft, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The sophomore is expected to hold a press conference towards the middle of the coming week at Maryland to make the announcement.
Len has long been expected to enter this year's draft and at one time was in the conversation to be the No. 1 overall pick. Things haven't quite played out that way for the Ukranian-born big man, but he's still very likely to be a lottery pick in this year's draft.
DraftExpress has Len going No. 11 in their latest mock draft while Chad Ford of ESPN.com has Len going eighth. The sophomore averaged 11.9 PPG with 7.8 RPG and 2.1 BPG in 2012/13 for the Terrapins. To keep up on all of the latest early entrants for the 2013 draft, take a look at Hoops Rumors' up-to-date list.
Week In Review: 4/8/13 – 4/14/13
This week, the Basketball Hall of Fame inducted twelve new members in a star-studded 2013 class. Sonics guard Gary Payton dished and smack-talked his way into the Hall along with former Nets and Knicks great Bernard King. The induction of Rick Pitino capped an unbelievable week for the coach, who captured the National Championship and saw his son, Richard, named as the head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. As if that wasn't enough, Pitino's horse Goldencents is headed to the Kentucky Derby in May after winning the Santa Anita Derby. Here's more from the week that was in hoops..
- Kobe Bryant suffered an Achilles tendon tear, ending his season and putting him on the shelf for at least a significant portion of the 2013/14 season. With an extra roster spot, the Lakers signed Andrew Goudelock.
- There has been discord between Stephen Jackson and the Spurs and it finally came to a head this week when the veteran was cut loose.
- Bucks guard Monta Ellis is likely to opt out of his deal rather than make $11MM in Milwaukee next season.
- Louisville's Gorgui Dieng is leaving college on a high note and going pro. Michigan's Trey Burke will also take advantage of a soft draft class. To keep up on all early entrants, check out our running list.
- J.J. Hickson and the Blazers are probably heading in different directions.
- The tug-of-war between Sacramento and Seattle continues. Meanwhile, Sacramento's group had some shuffling.
- The Bulls won't sign Nikola Mirotic until 2014.
- Kevin Love is going to have his knee scoped.
- The Pistons might be planning to part ways with Joe Dumars.
- The Thunder, Hawks, and Bulls may pursue Nolan Smith.
- Nerlens Noel could become Jay-Z's first NBA client.
- Chauncey Billups isn't considering retirement.
- Mark Cuban wants to keep Vince Carter for the long-term.
- Rick Adelman, however, is thinking about walking away.
- Brandon Roy plans to continue his playing career.
- Jason Collins would like to return to the Celtics.
- The Bulls signed Malcolm Thomas to a two-year deal.
- The Knicks signed James Singleton and cut Kurt Thomas loose.
- Lionel Hollins doesn't think his fate is tied to the playoffs.
- The Knicks are eyeing free agent bigs.
- Omri Casspi wants to return to the Cavs.
- The Nets signed Kris Joseph for the rest of the year.
Hoops Links: Kobe, Jackson, Raptors, Love
On this date in 1962 , Elgin Baylor of the Lakers scored 62 points, breaking Bob Pettit's record of 50 points in an NBA Finals game. The odds were already against the Lakers making another trip to the Finals in 2013, but they really plummeted this past week with Kobe Bryant's Achilles tendon tear.
Got a fantastic basketball blog piece that you want featured on Hoops Rumors? Send your submissions to HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here's this week's look around the web..
- Forum Blue And Gold doesn't blame Mike D'Antoni for Kobe's injury.
- Silver Screen And Roll says Kobe's martyrdom deserved a better cause.
- Pounding The Rock tries to make sense of the Stephen Jackson situation.
- The Brooklyn Game talks Raptors and Rudy Gay.
- Blog A Bull asks if Joakim Noah should shut it down until the playoffs.
- Hardwood Paroxysm believes that Brittney Griner deserves your attention.
- The Basketball Post looks at the tough draw assigned to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
- A Wolf Among Wolves hopes things get better for Kevin Love going forward.
- Bright Side Of The Sun continues their lottery watch.
- Orlando Pinstriped Post says Arron Afflalo isn't overpaid.
- Bucksketball reminds Milwaukee fans not be mad about the Tobias Harris trade.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Grizzlies Waive Dexter Pittman
The Grizzlies announced that they have waived center Dexter Pittman. The big man totaled two points and five rebounds in 20 minutes in seven appearances with the Grizzlies. Pittman was cut loose to make room for the signing of Willie Reed.
Memphis acquired the 25-year-old along with a 2013 second round draft pick from the Heat in exchange for the draft rights to Ricky Sanchez on Feb. 21. The three-year veteran holds career averages of 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds on .454 shooting in 7.2 minutes in 48 games with Miami and Memphis.
Central Notes: Frank, Pistons, Cavs, McMillan
The Bulls squared off against the Heat in Miami today on national TV, but couldn't match the performance they gave in their last meeting. The Bulls snapped Miami's 27-game winning streak last month and couldn't come away with the W this time, even though Carlos Boozer finished with 16 points and 20 rebounds. Here's more out of the Central..
- Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press weighs the issues surrounding the uncertain future of Pistons coach Lawrence Frank, and points to owner Tom Gores' public endorsement of the way team president Joe Dumars has cleared cap space as reason Dumars might return.
- Nate McMillan would be a candidate to take over the Cavs if they part ways with Byron Scott, but he'll also be in the mix if the Kings move to Seattle, notes Bob Finnan of the News Herald. McMillan has previously indicated that he would be interested in returning to Seattle to coach.
- Meanwhile, Scott says that the rumors about his job security don't bother him, tweets Tom Moore of Calkins Newspapers (on Twitter).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Dario Saric To Enter NBA Draft
Croatian forward Dario Saric has decided to enter the NBA draft in June, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The 19-year-old previously planned to spend one more season with the Adriatic League's KK Cibona Zagreb before joining the NBA but has apparently changed his mind.
Saric can still change his mind and pull out of the draft before June 17 and re-apply in 2014. He can use this time through to weigh his projected draft status, which NBA executives say could rise as high as the mid-first round. Marc Cornstein of Pinnacle Sports is set to represent Saric in the NBA.
The youngster has advanced passing skills and an improving perimeter shooting game. DraftExpress rates Saric as the No. 1 international player in his birth year (1994).
Hoops Rumors Originals: 4/8/13 – 4/14/13
Here's a look back at the original analysis delivered by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- This week, Hoops Rumors introduced the brand new Agency Database!
- Chuck Myron pointed out the decline of college seniors in the draft.
- The Prospect Profile series will get you up to speed on all of the top draft entrants for 2013 and I looked at Lehigh senior C.J. McCollum earlier this week.
- We asked you who should win Defensive Player of the Year. Larry Sanders was the leading votegetter with Joakim Noah not far behind.
- Luke Adams compiled a list of draft picks that are still up in the air.
- Tony Allen is hitting the open market at an ideal time, Luke writes.
- If you missed out on this week's chat with Luke, you can check out the transcript here.
- Here's how you can follow Hoops Rumors on Facebook/Twitter/RSS.
- Michael Carter-Williams won't let his last college performance dictate his future, Chuck writes.
- A long-term deal with a starting salary of $10MM is Monta Ellis' best bet, Chuck writes.
- The majority of you see Nerlens Noel being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft despite his injury.
Odds & Ends: Heat, Allen, Bucks, Muhammad
Here's this afternoon's look around the Association..
- As it stands now, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel sees the Heat using the amnesty clause on Mike Miller. While the vet is a great locker room influence, it doesn't make sense for Miami to carry his contract. There's also the possibility that Miami finds a trade for Miller, but that could prove difficult.
- The Bucks never made Ray Allen an offer to return when he was a free agent over the summer, writes Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times. “I considered Memphis and Minnesota. That’s the plate I was looking at. Those were the teams that were offering me to go play for them," the guard said.
- More from Woelfel, who writes that two NBA executives who once considered UCLA swingman Shabazz Muhammad a legitimate top-three draft pick now have him outside their top ten. It's possible that the news that the Bruins star is actually 20 as opposed to 19 has hurt his stock.
- Dwight Howard and Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni are divided on the club's offensive philosophy, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Latest On Kobe Bryant
Last night, the Lakers received devastating news when they learned that Kobe Bryant has torn his Achilles tendon. The Lakers already had their work cut out for them in a potential first-round matchup with the Thunder, but they'll really be at a disadvantage without their star guard in action. The injury could also have long-term ramifications for the Lakers and speculation is already ramping up about the club possibly amnestying the future Hall of Famer this summer. Here's more on Kobe and the Lakers..
- Bryant took to Facebook to vent his frustrations about the injury early Saturday morning. Within the rant, Bryant wondered aloud if he could come back strong from this injury as he approaches 35 but also voiced that he is determined to overcome the setback.
- Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) could only see the Lakers amnestying Bryant with his blessing. If Bryant knew that he needed a full year to recover, the Lakers could hypothetically use the amnesty clause on him and re-sign him for the following season.
- For Bryant, overcoming the injury will be yet another thing that Michael Jordan never did or had to do and will be another way to separate himself in history, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Monta Ellis Likely To Opt Out
Bucks guard Monta Ellis holds a lucrative player option on his deal for 2013/14, but the prevailing sentiment amongst his acquaintances is that he'll turn it down and hit the open market instead, writes Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times. Ellis' option is worth $11MM, but friends say that he has indicated that he wants to go elsewhere.
For his part, Ellis has publicly declined to discuss his future plans. While the guard may feel that he has better offers waiting for him this summer, several GMs told Woelfel that they wouldn't pay him more than he is already receiving ($11MM). However, as one GM noted, it only takes one club enamored with the guard's speed to give him a deal in excess of $11MM.
It also helps Ellis' case that there are many teams with cap space to burn this offseason. Seven teams in the Western Conference and six teams in the Eastern Conference figure to have deep pockets, which should amp up the bidding for Ellis. The guard could also improve his stock with a strong first-round performance against Dwyane Wade and the Heat, even if the Bucks are defeated in a short series.