St. John’s Shamorie Ponds Returning To College
St. John’s Shamorie Ponds has decided to withdraw his name from the draft prior to Wednesday’s deadline, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets.
The Lakers, Nets, Cavaliers, Jazz and Nuggets were among the teams that worked out the 6’1” guard this month. However, the odds were stacked against him when he didn’t receive an invite to the draft combine.
The sophomore guard put up a 21.6/5.0/4.7 line for the Red Storm this past season. He was ranked No. 61 among ESPN Jonathan Givony’s Top 100 prospects.
Gary Trent Jr. To Work Out For Nets
- The Spurs will workout Duke freshman guard Gary Trent Jr., reports Darren Wolfson of KSTP-TV. Trent, whose father, Gary Trent Sr., played nine seasons in the NBA, will also work out for the Trail Blazers, Nets, Nuggets, and Bucks.
Atlantic Notes: DeRozan, Lowry, Nets, Theis, Burroughs
DeMar DeRozan was named to the All-NBA team on Thursday, joining Vince Carter as the only Raptors players in history to make several All-NBA teams. While it’s a special honor for DeRozan, it does not mean he is a lock to return to Toronto next season, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun writes.
The Raptors began an overhaul after another early postseason exit, firing head coach Dwane Casey. Wolstat writes that Casey’s dismissal may not be the only significant move the team makes, but there is a strong chance that DeRozan remains. Sources tell Wolstat that the team will “explore all options.”
DeRozan earned All-NBA honors for good reason, as he enjoyed arguably his best season to date. He averaged 23.0 PPG, good for 11th in the NBA, to go with a career-best 5.2 APG and 3.9 RPG in 80 games. The one-two punch of Kyle Lowry and DeRozan has led Toronto to several successful regular seasons — including the best record in the Eastern Conference this season — but after repeated early playoff exits, general manager Masai Ujiri will look everywhere to improve.
Check out more Atlantic Division notes:
- Speaking of Lowry, the Raptors point guard missed out on several “unlikely” incentives in his contract by not making an All-NBA team, Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic details. Lowry could have maxed out his incentives at $2.17MM but will instead pocket just $200K in bonuses.
- The Nets will have several choices to make when it comes to the roster for next season as several players are headed for either restricted or unrestricted free agency. Michael Scotto of The Athletic (subscription required) breaks down the Nets’ pending free agents and their individual likelihood of returning to Brooklyn.
- Daniel Theis joined the Celtics roster hoping to be a valuable contributor to a potential championship winning team. Unfortunately, a torn left meniscus ended his season early and he just recently joined the Celtics as a spectator on the bench. Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe detailed Theis’ recovery and the progress he has made. Theis hopes to join the German team for the FIBA World Cup before joining the Celtics for training camp next season. “It’s a good preparation for me, too,” Theis said. “I think I can start basketball like full contact in August. Then if I can play high level in, like, September it’s good for me, it’s good for the team to see how I’m progressing in terms of training camp in September.”
- Eugene Burroughs won’t return to the sidelines to coach the Sixers‘ G League affiliate next season, sources tell Adam Johnson of 2Ways10Days. In two seasons as a head coach, Burroughs compiled a 42–58 record.
East Draft Notes: Hawks, Wizards, Raptors, Nets
UCLA point guard Aaron Holiday and Villanova floor leader Jalen Brunson headline the list of six players the Hawks will work out on Friday, according to a team press release. Holiday is ranked No. 17 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, while Brunson is rated No. 26 overall.
Gary Clark (Cincinnati), Rawle Alkins (Arizona), Juwan Morgan (Indiana) and Tony Carr (Penn State) are the other players trying to make a favorable impression. The Hawks hosted Donte DiVincenzo (Villanova), Ben Lammers (Georgia Tech), Jalen McDaniels (San Diego State), Markis McDuffie (Wichita State), Doral Moore (Wake Forest) and Brandon Sampson (LSU) on Thursday.
In other draft workouts by Eastern Conference clubs:
- The Wizards hosted six players on Thursday, according to the team’s website. Yuta Watanabe (George Washington), Junior Robinson (Mount St. Mary’s), Junior Etou (Tulsa), Marcus Derrickson (Georgetown), James Daniel III (Tennessee) and Phillip Carr (Morgan State) were the players Washington’s staff evaluated.
- Jon Elmore (Marshall), Marcus Foster (Creighton), Jairus Lyles (Maryland Baltimore-County), Dakota Mathias (Purdue), Marcus Lee (California) and Nana Foulland (Bucknell) worked out for the Raptors on Thursday, the team’s media relations department tweets.
- Among the players the Nets have worked out are Shamorie Ponds (St. John’s), Barry Brown Jr (Kansas State), Chris Silva (South Carolina), Mustapha Heron (Auburn), PJ Washington (Kentucky), Reid Travis (Stanford), Jordan Caroline (Nevada), Matt Mobley (St. Bonaventure), Abudushalamu Abudurexiti (Xingyang Long Lions), Cody Martin (Nevada) and Admiral Schofield (Tennessee), according to NetsDaily.com.
Draft Notes: Wright-Foreman, Davis, Clippers, Kings
Hofstra’s Justin Wright-Foreman is returning to school for his senior year, he announced on Twitter. The 6’1” point guard averaged 24.4 PPG and 3.2 APG in his junior season. Ole Miss guard Terence Davis is also going back to school for his senior campaign, Jeff Goodman of ESPN tweets. The 6’4” Davis averaged 13.8 PPG and 6.2 RPG in his junior year.
In other draft-related news:
- The Clippers and Lakers worked out forwards Omari Spellman (Villanova) and Terry Larrier (UConn) on Thursday, Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com tweets. Larrier also has workouts lined up with the Nets (June 5), Knicks (June 6) and Mavericks (June 14), Zagoria adds in another tweet. Spellman is ranked No. 49 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony on his Top 100 prospects list.
- Seton Hall big man Angel Delgado will work out for the Jazz in the near future after visiting the Lakers on Thursday, according to Zagoria (Twitter link).
- The Kings will bring in centers Jock Landale (St. Mary’s) and Dusan Ristic (Arizona); forwards Todd Withers and Billy Preston; and guards Joel Berry (North Carolina) and Jordan McLaughlin (USC) on Friday, James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets.
- Rhode Island guard E.C. Matthews has worked out for the Nets, Knicks and Celtics, Zagoria tweets.
And-Ones: BWB Asia, Gambling, Williams, G League
The Thunder’s Corey Brewer, Nets’ Caris LeVert, Heat’s Kelly Olynyk and Mavericks’ Dwight Powell will coach top high school age campers from the Asia-Pacific region in the 10th edition of Basketball Without Borders Asia, according to an NBA release.
BWB Asia 2018 will be held May 30–June 2 at The NBA Academy India in Delhi National Capital Region. Players and coaches will lead the campers through a variety of activities on and off the court, including movement efficiency, positional skill development, shooting and skills competitions, 5-on-5 games, and daily life skills seminars.
In other developments from around the league:
- New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney voiced strong opposition to the sports’ leagues request for sports betting fees, ESPN Chalk’s David Payne Purdum tweets. “They are calling this extortion attempt an integrity fee, even while fully aware that providing participants a stake in the volume of betting would amount what could more accurately be called an anti-integrity fee,” Sweeney said. The NBA later defended its position, saying its games are the foundation of what will be bet on, the Associated Press reports. “We believe it is reasonable for casinos to compensate the NBA with a small percentage of the total amount bet on our games,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said.
- The NBA is projecting the salary cap to inflate by $7MM in 2019 and some of that projection might include some anticipated new gambling-related revenue, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. While the cap could rise due to gambling-related income, it won’t cause a dramatic increase in the future, Windhorst adds.
- Former NBA guard Mo Williams will join Mark Gottfried’s staff at Cal State Northridge, ESPN’s Jeff Goodman tweets. Williams played for Gottfriend at Alabama, Goodman notes.
- The G League showcase has been moved from January to December and Las Vegas is a strong contender to host it, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Orlando is also being considered as a host site, according to 2ways10days.com. League expansion is a major reason why Las Vegas and Orlando are potential landing spots for the showcase.
Pistons Hire Ed Stefanski As Senior Advisor
The Pistons have begun to shape their new-look front office, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that the team has hired Ed Stefanski as a senior advisor responsible for overhauling the team’s basketball operations. Stefanski, cited last week as a candidate to join the Pistons, had been working in Memphis as the Grizzlies’ executive VP of player personnel, and had a previous stint as the Sixers’ general manager.
The Pistons have confirmed the hiring in a press release.
According to Wojnarowski, Stefanski will take stock the Pistons’ current front office and will oversee the process of hiring a new general manager and head coach. Woj adds (via Twitter) that former Raptors coach Dwane Casey will be a primary target in Detroit’s search for Stan Van Gundy‘s replacement on the sidelines, with the Pistons intending to engage Casey “immediately.” Stefanski and Casey worked together in Toronto from 2011 to 2013.
Hiring Stefanski as an advisor responsible for leading the general manager search suggests that the Pistons may not formally name a president of basketball operations above the GM in the hierarchy, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. It’s not clear how much influence Stefanski, who received a three-year deal, will have over basketball decisions once a new GM is hired, but Wojnarowski notes that the former Grizzlies exec will report directly to owner Tom Gores.
Among Stefanski’s first tasks will be assessing the work of current Pistons executives, including GM Jeff Bower, whose contract expires on June 30. Stefanski will also focus on separating the basketball operations department from the coaching staff, Wojnarowski writes. With Van Gundy having previously held the head coach and president of basketball ops titles, those areas were intertwined during his tenure.
According to Wojnarowski, the Pistons will strongly consider hiring a “rising” executive for a GM-type role, with Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon considered a serious candidate for such a position. Per Woj, TNT analyst Brent Barry remains a frontrunner for a complementary job in Detroit’s front office. Both Wojnarowski and Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) also mention Tayshaun Prince as a strong candidate to join the Pistons’ management group.
The Pistons were also said to be impressed by Shane Battier after interviewing the Heat executive, though it’s not clear how he’d fit into the team’s front office picture.
Lin Nearly Ready To Return
- In a wide-ranging piece for The Athletic, Mike Vorkunov details the return from injury for Nets’ point guard Jeremy Lin, who signed a three-year, $36 million contract in 2016 but has been unable to play very often since signing the deal, appearing in only 37 games in the past two seasons. Lin now says he is nearly ready to play and “pretty much at that point where everything is good to go.”
East Draft Notes: Wizards, Raptors, Bulls, Magic, Nets
UCLA point guard Aaron Holiday heads the list of six players the Wizards will work out on Wednesday, according to the team’s website. Holiday is ranked No. 17 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. He will be joined by two Kansas guards, Devonte’ Graham and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, along with forwards Johnathan Williams (Gonzaga), Moritz Wagner (Michigan) and Zach Thomas (Bucknell).
In other draft news regarding Eastern Conference teams:
- Jairus Lyles of Maryland-Baltimore County will work out for the Raptors on Thursday after visiting the Wizards on Tuesday, according to Chase Hughes of NBCSWashington. Lyles, a 6’2” guard, averaged 20.2 PPG in his senior year.
- The Bulls’ workout list, according to the team’s website, includes Allonzo Trier (Arizona), Brandon McCoy (UNLV), Bruce Brown (Miami), Brian Bowen II (South Carolina), Graham, Hamidou Diallo (Kentucky), Kenrick Williams (TCU), Wagner, Shake Milton (SMU), Tony Carr (Penn State) and Mykhailiuk.
- Carr will work out for the Magic Wednesday, Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com tweets. He’s ranked No. 47 by Givony.
- The Nets on Tuesday worked out Tyus Battle (Syracuse), Kevin Huerter (Maryland), Carson Edwards (Purdue), Jalen McDaniels (San Diego State), DJ Hogg (Texas A&M) and Quinton Rose (Temple), Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets.
NBA Announces 2017/18 All-Rookie Teams
The NBA has officially announced its First and Second All-Rookie Teams for the 2017/18 season. Ben Simmons of the Sixers and Donovan Mitchell of the Jazz – widely viewed as the top two contenders for this season’s Rookie of the Year award – were the only two players to be unanimously selected to the First Team. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum received 99 of 100 potential First Team votes.
Listed below are the NBA’s All-Rookie teams for 2017/18, with the player’s vote total in parentheses. Players received two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote.
First Team:
- Ben Simmons, Sixers (200)
- Donovan Mitchell, Jazz (200)
- Jayson Tatum, Celtics (199)
- Kyle Kuzma, Lakers (193)
- Lauri Markkanen, Bulls (173)
Second Team:
- Dennis Smith Jr., Mavericks (96)
- Lonzo Ball, Lakers (87)
- John Collins, Hawks (76)
- Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kings (75)
- Josh Jackson, Suns (45)
Jackson, who received one First Team vote to go along with 43 Second Team votes, narrowly beat out Bam Adebayo of the Heat for the final spot on the Second Team — Adebayo finished with 44 points.
Outside of Adebayo and the 10 players who earned spots on the All-Rookie teams, 14 other players received votes, with De’Aaron Fox (Kings), OG Anunoby (Raptors), and Jarrett Allen (Nets) leading the way among that group.