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Pistons Notes: Draft, Hayes, Kennard, Lee, More

November 19th, 2020 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons, who at one point held only the No. 7 pick in the Wednesday night’s draft, came away with three of the top 19 selections after a series of trades that saw them secure Killian Hayes (No. 7), Isaiah Stewart (No. 16), and Saddiq Bey (No. 19). For good measure, they also picked up the 38th overall pick in another deal and drafted Saben Lee.

The moves were a reflection of the aggressiveness that new general manager Troy Weaver hopes to bring to the job, as Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press writes.

“We’re going to attack the draft, we’re going to attack free agency, we’re going to attack everything,” Weaver said. “I said coming in, this was going to be a restoring of two interactions of the great Pistons teams. That was their mentality. They were aggressive, they were on the attack and we want to follow suit. That’s the mantra and we’ll hopefully continue to be aggressive. But we wanted to set the tone.”

Here’s more on the Pistons:

The Pistons view Killian Hayes as having the most upside of anyone in this draft class, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic. While it’s easy to make that claim after drafting him, it sounds like Hayes was aware that the team was high on him. “I was confident (that Detroit would pick me), but you never know until it happens,” he said after the draft, per Edwards.
Although the Pistons liked Luke Kennard, they felt as if his timeline didn’t match up with theirs, according to Edwards. The club viewed him as a productive role player on a team further down the road than Detroit is now.
The Pistons had a first-round grade on No. 38 pick Saben Lee, sources tell Edwards. Lee is reportedly signing a two-way deal.
The Pistons are receiving $1.5MM in cash from the Nets in the deal that will send Bruce Brown to Brooklyn, Edwards reports (via Twitter).

Nets, Clippers Flip Late Second-Rounders

November 18th, 2020 at 11:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets and the Clippers swapped a couple of late-round picks, with Brooklyn choosing guard Jay Scrubb of John A. Logan College at No. 55 and shipping him to the Clippers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

The Nets received the No. 57 pick — Mississippi State big man Reggie Perry. Presumably, the Clippers added some sort of sweetener to move up two spots, though the details haven’t yet been reported. It’s also possible this pick swap will be part of the other trade the Nets and Clippers agreed to tonight, involving Luke Kennard and Landry Shamet.

Scrubb, 20, played two seasons for John A. Logan, which is in the National Junior College Athletic Association. He averaged 21.9 PPG as a sophomore. Scrubb committed to Louisville before deciding to enter his name in the draft.

Perry, 20, averaged 17.4 PPG and 10.1 RPG as a sophomore for the Bulldogs. He was named co-SEC Player of the Year.

Kennard To Clippers, Shamet To Nets In Three-Team Trade

November 18th, 2020 at 8:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers, Nets, and Pistons have agreed to a trade, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).

Wojnarowski and Charania report that Brooklyn will acquire Landry Shamet in the three-team trade, with Luke Kennard going to the Clippers and the Pistons acquiring Rodney McGruder and the No. 19 overall pick in tonight’s draft (Twitter link). Detroit selected Villanova forward Saddiq Bey using that selection.

The Clippers are betting that Kennard, who averaged 15.8 PPG on .442/.399/.893 shooting in 28 games for Detroit last season, will be an upgrade on Shamet, who recorded 9.3 PPG on .404/.375/.855 shooting in 53 games.

The Clippers also discussed a bigger trade with the Celtics which included Shamet, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo tweets.

Kennard has a slightly less favorable contract than Shamet — he’s extension-eligible this fall and will be a restricted free agent in 2021 if he doesn’t sign a new deal. He’ll earn $5.3MM in 2020/21. Shamet, meanwhile, will earn $2MM in ’20/21 and $3.8MM in ’21/22 before potentially reaching restricted free agency in 2022.

Kennard is coming off an injury-marred season in which he played just 28 games due to tendinitis in both knees. However, he looked completely healthy during the team’s workouts in September.

Shamet provides another rotation guard for the Nets at a reasonable salary.

Bey is the third first-round pick by Detroit. It earlier selected Euro guard Killian Hayes at No. 7 and Washington center Isaiah Stewart at No. 16.

Free Agent Roundup: Gallinari, Harris, Millsap

November 18th, 2020 at 7:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat could be among the teams bidding for free agent forward Danilo Gallinari, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. If Giannis Antetokounmpo accepts a super-max offer from the Bucks, there will be less incentive for Miami to preserve cap room for next summer. If the two-time MVP is off the market, Scotto hears that the Heat will extend Bam Adebayo, try to re-sign Goran Dragic and look to add a forward, possibly Gallinari, in free agency.

Oklahoma City is expected to structure the trade for Al Horford so it can retain Gallinari’s cap hold, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link).

There’s more free agent news to pass along:

A rumor circulating earlier today that the Mavericks and Thunder were negotiating a sign-and-trade deal involving Gallinari is false, at least so far, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
The Hawks and Hornets were both planning to pursue Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris, but it seems increasingly likely that he will remain in Brooklyn, Scotto notes in the same piece. Charlotte will look for more affordable guards who can give the team veteran leadership and shooting.
Nuggets forward Paul Millsap could be in line for the Trail Blazers‘ full mid-level exception if he signs in Portland, Scotto adds. The Blazers are expected to make a strong push for the 35-year-old.

Joe Harris Still Considered Likely To Re-Sign With Nets

November 18th, 2020 at 10:07am CST by Luke Adams

Teams monitoring Joe Harris‘ free agency “firmly believe” that he’ll end up re-signing with the Nets, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer also reported this week that Harris appears likely to remain in Brooklyn.

While the Nets are the frontrunners for the free agent sharpshooter, they’ll face competition. Begley writes that the Hawks and Hornets will be among the many teams interested in Harris. Atlanta and Charlotte are two of the only teams that will have the cap space necessary to offer Harris a deal worth more than the mid-level exception ($9.3MM) without requiring a sign-and-trade.

Two executives who spoke to Begley estimated that Harris could end up with a deal in the range of $16-20MM annually. Teams with interest in the 29-year-old believe he could get a four-year offer from Brooklyn, Begley adds.

If, for whatever reason, the market for Harris isn’t quite as hot as expected, the Knicks – another team projected to have cap room – will have interest too, but that’s unlikely, writes Begley.

Re-signing Harris would push the Nets well into tax territory, but he’s an important piece in a rotation that features ball-dominant players like Kevin Durant Kyrie Irving, and Caris LeVert. Harris doesn’t need the ball a lot and is a reliable floor spacer and knock-down shooter, having made 43.9% of his three-point attempts over the last three seasons.

Stanford PG Tyrell Terry Worked Out for Nets, Grizzlies

November 17th, 2020 at 10:12pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Stanford point guard Tyrell Terry has worked out for the Nets and Grizzlies, in addition to conducting Zoom meetings with Brooklyn and the Knicks, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link). Lewis notes that Terry has not worked out in person for any other clubs as of earlier today. Brooklyn has the No. 19 and No. 55 picks in tomorrow’s draft, while Memphis owns the No. 40 pick.

Rockets Notes: Harden, Westbrook, Draft

November 17th, 2020 at 7:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets aren’t opposed to entering the 2020/21 season with James Harden and Russell Westbrook on their roster, even if the two former MVPs aren’t happy about it, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who says the team is “willing to get uncomfortable.” The Rockets continue to insist that neither player will be dealt unless a team meets their asking price.

As MacMahon details – and as we’ve heard throughout the last week or two – the Rockets believe time is on their side since both Harden and Westbrook remain under contract for at least two more seasons.

Houston is seeking an especially substantial return for Harden, according to MacMahon, who hears from sources that the club would want a “proven young star” as a headliner, along with a “massive” package of draft picks. While Harden is reportedly pushing to be dealt to the Nets, the Rockets don’t feel obligated to send him to his preferred destination, MacMahon adds.

While the Rockets recognize that Westbrook won’t return as significant a package as Harden, they’re not prepared to move him without receiving young talent and/or first-round picks, says MacMahon. Houston feels it would be selling low on Westbrook after he struggled during the restart due to his coronavirus recovery and a quadriceps injury.

MacMahon, who confirms the Rockets have spoken to the Wizards about a deal involving Westbrook and John Wall, also confirms that Houston would want additional assets in a swap with Washington. The Rockets believe Westbrook can increase his value with a strong start to the 2020/21 season and aren’t concerned that his dissatisfaction will affect his effort on the court.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

The Rockets are hoping to buy a draft pick on Wednesday night, ideally late in the first round or early in the second, sources tell MacMahon. I’m skeptical that any first-rounders will be for sale, but Houston should have options in the second round.
Although things aren’t great in Houston right now, they’d only get worse if the Rockets accept a bad deal for Harden, according to Jerome Solomon of The Houston Chronicle, who urges the team to be patient and not give in to the superstar’s demands.
Now that the Rockets have picked up the No. 16 pick (in a trade involving Robert Covington), Kelly Iko and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic examine what the team could do with that selection.
We passed along several more Rockets-related rumors earlier today.

Nets Possibly Interested In Ibaka

November 17th, 2020 at 5:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets superstar James Harden is not the only former Thunder teammate of Kevin Durant that the Nets have interest in adding, according to Mike Mazzeo of Forbes. Durant has also apparently tried to recruit power forward/center Serge Ibaka.

Though Ibaka earned $23.3MM in his final year with the Raptors, he may be interested in joining a contender for the $9.2M non-taxpayer mid-level exception, per Ian Begley of SNY. Begley notes that Ibaka may be anticipating offers in the territory of $12-15MM from teams with available cap space. Both figures may be out of the Nets’ range, as Brooklyn is expected to be limited to the $5.7MM taxpayer MLE in free agency.

Rockets Rumors: Westbrook, Harden, Luxury Tax, Tate

November 17th, 2020 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets and Knicks are the only teams with “verifiable” trade interest in Rockets star Russell Westbrook so far, Marc Stein of The New York Times writes in his weekly newsletter. And Stein cautions that both clubs’ interest is “conditional” rather than aggressive.

Some people around the NBA believe that Charlotte’s desire to acquire Westbrook will increase if the team doesn’t end up drafting LaMelo Ball on Wednesday night, per Stein. As for the Knicks, their stance is best described as “weighing, but resisting,” according to Stein, who says multiple people within the organization are hesitant to make a move for Westbrook and his pricey contract.

Stein suggests that the best offer the Rockets could expect from the Knicks for Westbrook at this point would include one future first-round pick from Dallas, along with players who aren’t part of the team’s long-term plans, such as perhaps Julius Randle and Dennis Smith Jr.. Even then, there’s no guarantee New York would want to take on the three years and $133MM left on Westbrook’s contract.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

While the Rockets remain reluctant to move James Harden and don’t feel pressure to make a move right away, the “overwhelming expectation” around the NBA is that he’ll eventually be dealt, whether it’s this week, next month, or sometime in 2021, according to David Aldridge and Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Past inquires of Harden have simply been turned aside by the Rockets, but there’s a sense that they’ll now come around if the package is strong enough.
Although Harden is reportedly focused on getting to the Nets, the Sixers‘ interest in him has grown in recent weeks, sources tell The Athletic’s duo. According to Aldridge and Iko, rapper Meek Mill – who is from Philadelphia – has been trying to convince Harden to come to the Sixers.
The Clippers aren’t currently pursuing Harden, per The Athletic’s report.
Sources tell Aldridge and Iko that Harden feels as if some of the Rockets’ decisions – including roster moves and hirings – have been made without substantial impact from him.
The Athletic’s sources maintain that Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is “hellbent” on keeping the team out of luxury tax territory for the foreseeable future.
Sydney Kings swingman Jae’Sean Tate, who went undrafted out of Ohio State in 2018, is expected to sign with the Rockets sometime after free agency opens later this week, Stein reports. John Hollinger of The Athletic recently referred to Tate – who made over 40% of his three-point attempts in Australia last season – as one of the most highly-regarded players outside of the U.S. Houston is also bringing Sydney’s head coach Will Weaver stateside as an assistant on Stephen Silas’ staff, as we relayed last week.

O’Connor’s Latest: Hornets, Knicks, Toppin, Spurs, Harris, More

November 17th, 2020 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

League sources have long said that the Hornets‘ preference on draft night would be adding a big man, either by trading up for James Wiseman or by picking Onyeka Okongwu, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. However, according to O’Connor, there are some people in Charlotte’s front office who like the idea of drafting LaMelo Ball if he’s available.

As O’Connor notes, one potential avenue for the Hornets if Wiseman is off the board at No. 3 and Ball is available would be to trade down with a team like Chicago or Detroit that might be eyeing Ball. In that scenario, Charlotte could theoretically pick up an extra asset or two while still having the opportunity to select Okongwu.

Here are a few more of the most interesting tidbits from O’Connor’s latest mock draft at The Ringer:

O’Connor’s sources believe the Knicks will select Obi Toppin if he’s available at No. 8. If the Dayton forward makes it past Cleveland at No. 5, there’s a chance he’ll still be on the board for New York.
The Spurs “love” Villanova forward Saddiq Bey, according to O’Connor, who says San Antonio is also one of multiple teams with interest in trading up for Florida State’s Patrick Williams.
“Everyone around the league” thinks that the Thunder will look to trade up to land seven-footer Aleksej Pokusevski, who has been frequently linked to Oklahoma City in large part due to his agent’s connection to general manager Sam Presti. Agent Jason Ranne used to work in the Thunder’s front office.
Within his note on the Nets‘ potential pick at No. 19, O’Connor cites sources who say that Brooklyn is likely to re-sign free agent sharpshooter Joe Harris.
The Nuggets are thought to be targeting a frontcourt player at No. 22, league sources tell O’Connor, who identifies Isaiah Stewart and Zeke Nnaji as a couple possibilities.