Hoops Rumors Originals
Here’s a look at the original reporting and analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- I reported on team workouts for Jarnell Stokes, Rodney Hood, and Justin Jackson.
- Alex Lee rolled out the latest version of his mock draft.
- I looked at the Timberwolves offseason, which could get pretty darn interesting.
- Not sure if you’ve heard, but this is kind of a big offseason for the Heat. Chuck Myron breaks it all down.
- A lot of teams would envy the opportunities ahead of the Hornets, writes Cray Allred.
- The Spurs will look to make some tweaks once they got done celebrating, Chuck writes.
- Chuck looked at the summer ahead of the Pelicans.
- A breakdown of the July Moratorium courtesy of Chuck.
- Chuck explains non-bird rights.
- Here’s a refresher on our commenting policy.
- Did you miss out on Chuck’s Monday chat? Check out the transcript here.
Hoops Links: LeBron, Draft, Carter
On this date in 1994, led by Hakeem Olajuwon‘s 25 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists, the Rockets defeated the Knicks 90-84 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, giving the Rockets their first NBA championship in franchise history. Olajuwon averaged 26 9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.86 blocks for the series and was unanimously voted the Finals MVP, the first player to ever win the Defensive Player of the Year and both the regular season and Finals MVP awards in the same season. Meanwhile, Knicks guard Derek Harper set a Finals record for the most 3-point field goals made (17) in a seven-game series and Patrick Ewing set a Finals record for the most blocks in a series with 30.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- FanDuel has the definitive timeline of the Spurs trolling LeBron James.
- Six Championship Drive turned in their final 2014 NBA Draft big board.
- Sir Charles In Charge plays buy or sell with NBA Draft rumors.
- Shaw Sports looks at under-the-radar free agents, including Vince Carter.
- The Daily Dribble looks at how Joel Embiid‘s injury could affect the draft.
- NBADraft.net rolled out their latest mock draft.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Week In Review: 6/16/14 – 6/22/14
Tough break for Kansas center Joel Embiid. The center, viewed by some as the best talent in the 2014 draft, broke the navicular bone in his right foot and while he could be healed up in as little as four months, it seems a lot less likely that he’ll be the No. 1 overall pick in this week’s draft. There should be plenty of fallout from the news and the Magic are apparently eyeing a trade up to the top two to make sure they can land Dante Exum. Here’s more from the week that was..
- David Blatt will be the next coach of the Cavaliers.
- The Bulls are in the lead for Carmelo Anthony, who is opting out.
- The Grizzlies and Zach Randolph seem close to a deal that would keep the power forward in Memphis for the next several seasons.
- The Sixers are considering Embiid.
- Rudy Gay will opt in with the Kings.
- The Mavs plan to go after Pau Gasol.
- The Warriors are reportedly in the lead in the Kevin Love sweepstakes. Klay Thompson may or may not be available in such a deal, depending on who you ask. Talks appear to be at an impasse currently.
- The Bulls are pursuing Arron Afflalo.
- The Bulls are willing to trade Joakim Noah.
- The Celtics are dangling the sixth and 17th picks, future first-rounders and young players in their attempt to trade for Love, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford.
- The Rockets have deals in place to move Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik.
- The Sixers are high on Andrew Wiggins.
- The 76ers are in talks to add another top ten pick.
- It sounds like LeBron James will stay put but it’s also likely that he’ll opt out.
- The Grizzlies and others have an eye on Sebastian Telfair.
- Alec Burks is available as the Jazz look to move up in the draft.
- The Clippers did some shuffling and hired Dave Wohl as GM. It sounds like Doc Rivers will still get final say, however.
- There’s mutual interest between the Knicks and Patty Mills.
- Suns big man Channing Frye will probably opt out.
- There’s mutual interest between the Heat and Kyle Lowry.
- Chris Wallace will remain as the Grizzlies‘ GM.
- The Mavs will go after Chris Andersen.
- Shane Battier retired.
- Glen Davis and Danny Granger are set to opt out of their contracts with the Clippers and become free agents next month.
- The Nets and the Cavs may or may not be discussing a swap of Marcus Thornton and Jarrett Jack.
- Francisco Garcia will opt out.
- The Knicks have just $1.8MM to offer in a trade.
- Josh McRoberts will opt out of his deal with the Hornets.
- The Warriors are dangling Harrison Barnes in trade talks as they attempt to trade for a first-round pick in this year’s draft.
- Isaiah Austin has been diagnosed with a career-ending condition.
- Anthony Morrow will opt out.
- Andrea Bargnani is opting in with the Knicks.
- Alvin Gentry will join the Warriors as an assistant.
- We had a few flip-flops on draft decision day.
- The Grizzlies gave the Nuggets cash rather than forking over a pick.
Austin Diagnosed With Career-Ending Condition
Baylor center Isaiah Austin, once considered a first round prospect in this year’s draft, has been diagnosed with a career-ending condition, according to a press release published on Baylor University’s website.
Austin was set to make history as the first player with partial blindness to make it to the NBA. Now that he has been diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a rare genetic mutation, the center will instead focus his efforts on living a healthy and productive life.
“This is devastating news, but Isaiah has the best support system anyone could ask for, and he knows that all of Baylor Nation is behind him,” head coach Scott Drew said. “His health is the most important thing, and while it’s extremely sad that he won’t be able to play in the NBA, our hope is that he’ll return to Baylor to complete his degree and serve as a coach in our program.”
Marfan syndrome can leads to problems in connective tissues throughout the body and results in aortic enlargement, which can be life-threatening. Baylor went a combined 49-26 during Austin’s two years on campus, winning the 2013 NIT Championship and advancing to the 2014 NCAA Sweet 16. Hoops Rumors wishes nothing but the best to Austin in all of his future endeavors, both in and out of basketball.
Channing Frye Likely To Opt Out
Suns big man Channing Frye has until Monday to decide on his player option but a source tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that there is a “99%” likelihood that he’ll choose free agency.
Frye is on the radar of the Warriors and Cavs if he indeed opts for free agency (link). Both teams are in the market for stretch fours. Of course, opting out doesn’t mean he’ll be headed elsewhere and in fact the veteran has said that he’d like to hammer out a new, long-term deal with the Suns.
The Arizona product was one of many feel-good stories for the Suns this season. The 31-year-old missed all of 2012/13 with an enlarged heart but wound up playing and starting in all 82 of the Suns’ regular season games last season.
Frye averaged 11.1 PPG with 5.1 RPG and 0.8 BPG in 28.2 minutes per contest. He’s had slightly better marks in those categories and in PER, but he was nonetheless a bright spot for the Suns last season.
Mavs Plan To Pursue Pau Gasol
Mark Cuban is nothing if not bold. The Mavs not only plan to make a run at Carmelo Anthony this summer but they also plan to sit down with free agent big man Pau Gasol, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
If Dallas was somehow able to lure both prized free agents, they would instantly have one of the most formidable frontcourts in the NBA with Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki (once he re-signs), and Gasol. To land both, however, the Mavs will have to do some serious work to find the sapce. And, of course, the Spaniard figures to draw plenty of interest once free agency officially kicks off on July 1st and he has his eye on a handful of clubs including the Bulls, Spurs, Lakers, and Grizzlies.
Gasol, who turns 34 on July 6th, averaged 17.4 PPG and 9.7 RPG in 31.4 minutes per contest across 60 games. While Gasol won’t rule out a Lakers return, a change of scenery from a club that has dangled him in trade talks for years might be beneficial. Then again, with coach Mike D’Antoni out of the picture, the veteran might be feeling better about L.A. than he was just a few months ago.
Knicks Have Just $1.8MM To Offer For Pick
The Knicks, like their crosstown rivals, are without a pick heading into Thursday night’s draft and would like to acquire one, preferably in the first round. However, that could be easier said that done given what they have to work with. The Knicks can offer only $1.8MM to another club in a trade thanks to the $1.4MM they gave the Raptors in the Andrea Bargnani deal, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com in an update to yesterday’s column.
Just $1.8MM in cash compensation wouldn’t be enough to buy a first-round pick off of a club in a thin draft, let alone one of the deepest in NBA memory. Teams are placing a high value on those late first-round picks and Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (via Twitter) surmises that they might not be able to even land an early second-round choice with that amount of money. The silver lining for Knicks fans, however, is that they probably couldn’t have landed a first-round pick even with the max $3.2MM at their disposal (link).
During his first season in New York, Bargnani only appeared in 42 games, averaging 13.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 1.1 APG in 29.9 minutes per game. To land the former top pick, the Knicks gave up a future first-round pick, two second-round picks, and – as we learned today – a nice chunk of change that could hurt their flexibility this offseason.
Sixers Very Interested in Joel Embiid At No. 3
Joel Embiid‘s unfortunately timed foot injury probably means that he won’t be a top two pick in the draft. For all of his talent, the KU big man, who was already grappling with back issues, could be in for one serious slide on Thursday night. Or, perhaps not. Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News (on Twitter) hears that the Sixers are very much interested in grabbing Embiid at No. 3 should be fall to them.
Despite the concerns about his bad back, Embiid was very much in the mix for the Cavs at No. 1 until the news of his injury broke. The early prognosis is that Embiid could be sidelined for four to six months, which would mean that he’d miss the start of the regular season. Selecting Embiid at the top of the draft would be a sizable risk for any team, but it’s a particularly touchy issue for the Sixers. Philly used a top ten pick last season on Kentucky star Nerlens Noel last June and they’re still awaiting his NBA debut after a torn ACL cost him his entire rookie season.
Of course, it’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to draft rumors this time of year. Just last week it was reported that Philly was hoping to trade for the Cavs’ No. 1 pick in order to land Embiid’s teammate, Andrew Wiggins.
And-Ones: Leonard, Wallace, LeBron, Randle
It sounds like the Spurs will be able to get the band back together when it comes to the core, but they will have to tackle Kawhi Leonard‘s extension this summer, writes Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders. Leonard is eligible for an extension starting July 1st and it’s obviously in their best interests to lock up the Finals MVP. Koutroupis believes that a five-year, deal in the neighborhood of $78.8MM would get it done. Here’s tonight’s look around the NBA..
- Chris Wallace is in charge of basketball operations on an interim basis for the Grizzlies but when it comes to the draft, it’s a collaborative effort involving coach Dave Joerger and owner Robert Pera, writes Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal.
- LeBron James joining the Clippers makes sense to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Between Dwayne Wade being over the hill and the deterioration of Chris Bosh‘s shooting, Blakely believes that James will seek greener pastures.
- The Lakers will work out Julius Randle tomorrow, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Randle will complete an individual workout, unlike the Lakers’ first pre-draft workout that put a dozen prospects up against each other.
- Darnell Mayberry and Anthony Slater debated the odds of Thabo Sefolosha returning to the Thunder next season. Mayberry says there’s no shot while Slater thinks there’s a slim chance he could return. It would probably be in OKC’s best interest to let Sefolosha walk, Slater writes, but there’s a small chance he stays since his asking price is so low.
- With assistant Kevin Eastman moving up from the Clippers‘ bench to the front office and assistants Tyronn Lue and Alvin Gentry both up for head coaching jobs elsewhere, there could be more changes on the way, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- The Clippers are giving some thought to hiring Lawrence Frank as an assistant coach, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Frank was the Nets’ lead assistant last season until he was reassigned by Jason Kidd. Frank and Clips coach Doc Rivers previously worked together in Boston.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Heat, LeBron
The Hornets like Jeremi Grant‘s size, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. The 6’8″ forward doesn’t yet have the shooting and ball handling he’ll need to play small forward at the next level but he has tremendous potential. The former Syracuse standout could be a consideration for Charlotte at No. 24. Here’s a whole lot of LeBron talk to round out this look at the Southeast..
- The Heat have lots of work to do but the Big Three should stay put, opines Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Miami needs to retool their bench after their lack of depth was exposed in the Finals, but no other club will give LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Bosh a better chance at winning a title.
- James’ decision on whether to stay with the Heat or leave will come down to three driving factors, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. James will want to know what kind of production he can expect out of Wade, whether the Heat can add someone to reduce his workload, and whether they can improve their overall depth.
- James can go anywhere, but the Heat are still the only team that makes sense, opines Eric Koreen of the National Post. The Cavs, even with Kyrie Irving and the No. 1 pick, are still an unknown. James could also go to the Rockets to form a new big three in Houston, but that’s not a safe wager given the tough competition in the Western Conference.