Eastern Notes: Sixers, Nets, Deng, Webster
Based on the direction in which the Sixers are heading, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel doesn't expect the Heat to ever see the lottery-protected first-round pick they acquired a year ago for Arnett Moultrie. With Jrue Holiday on his way to New Orleans and the Sixers not expected to re-sign Andrew Bynum, the young roster is unlikely to earn a playoff spot in 2014, thereby keeping its first-rounder. If Philadelphia's first-rounder lands in the lottery in '14, the Sixers will instead convey their 2015 and 2016 second-rounders to Miami.
Here are a few more Friday updates from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Nets have agreed to terms with three assistant coaches, the team announced today in a press release. Lawrence Frank, Roy Rogers, and Eric Hughes will join Jason Kidd's staff.
- Scott Gleeson of USA Today has an interesting behind-the-scenes look of draft day from Nerlens Noel's perspective, including Noel's reaction to slipping to No. 6 and being traded to the 76ers. Sean Deveney of the Sporting News has a similar look at Thursday's events from the perspective of Philadelphia's other first-round pick, Michael Carter-Williams.
- Trade rumors have swirled around Luol Deng in recent weeks, but Bulls GM Gar Forman says Deng remains a "big piece of what we're doing moving forward," as Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald writes.
- After the Wizards drafted a pair of wings last night, J. Michael of CSNWashington.com wonders if there will be room for the team to bring back Martell Webster.
Raptors To Decline Option On John Lucas III
The Raptors have elected to decline their team option on John Lucas III for the 2013/14 season, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). The decision will make Lucas an unrestricted free agent next week, and Stein believes the veteran point guard could end up back in Chicago, where he played before joining the Raptors last summer.
Lucas' team option for next season was worth a modest amount, about $1.57MM, so it's a little surprising that Toronto turned it down. The decision leaves Kyle Lowry as the only real point guard left on the Raptors' roster, since Sebastian Telfair is also headed for free agency, so that figures to be an area the team will focus on in July.
In 63 games with the Raptors, Lucas averaged 5.3 PPG and 1.7 APG while playing 13.1 minutes per contest.
Berger On Knicks, Spurs, Plumlee, Hawks, C’s
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com is passing along a number of draft-night updates via Twitter, so let's dive in and check out the latest from him….
- The Knicks figure to keep their first-round pick and will likely target the best available shooting guard at No. 24. Berger suggests Jamaal Franklin or Allen Crabbe.
- With the Spurs hoping to get younger and more athletic, teams view Tony Mitchell and Lucas Nogueira as possibilities for San Antonio at No. 28.
Earlier updates:
- Mason Plumlee is a "strong possibility" for the Hawks at No. 17 or 18, according to Berger. The team's other pick would likely be a draft-and-stash international player.
- Jamaal Franklin has drawn interest from the Hawks, Bulls, Knicks, and Clippers.
- Berger says that NBA teams are eager to see what the Celtics do at No. 16. If Boston drafts a point guard, it could be an indication that the club is open to trading Rajon Rondo as part of its rebuild.
- On the other hand, if the Celtics intend to rebuild around Rondo, rival teams believe Reggie Bullock is a likely target for the C's at No. 16.
- The Pacers (No. 23), Clippers (25), Wolves (26), and Nuggets (27) are teams who could end up moving their first-round picks.
Latest On LaMarcus Aldridge
LaMarcus Aldridge would prefer to be moved to a contending team, but he’s not opposed to returning to Portland, sources tell Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey and Aldridge’s representatives met in Chicago last month during the NBA pre-draft combine to discuss the possibilities of moving the power forward.
If the Blazers don’t plan to make major upgrades to impact the roster immediately, then Aldridge wants to be moved and his first preference is to join the Bulls. The All-Star has always envisioned what his career might have been like if Chicago, the team that drafted him seven years ago, actually kept him instead of swapping with Portland for Tyrus Thomas.
We’ve heard Aldridge’s name mentioned quite a bit in recent weeks, but the Blazers are seeking two first-round picks plus at least one player in return. Earlier this week, it was reported that the Cavs offered the No. 1 and No. 19 picks for Aldridge but were rebuffed by Portland.
Odds & Ends: Marbury, Shaw, J.R. Smith, Calathes
Stephon Marbury hasn't played in the NBA since the 2008/09 season, and he's not interested in making a comeback, telling reporters Tuesday in China that he prefers to continue playing in the Chinese league. Jonas Terrado of Tempo has the details. With the draft now just hours away, there's plenty of news on guys who are and will be a part of the NBA, and here's the latest:
- New Nuggets coach Brian Shaw has a three-year deal with an option for a fourth, and his annual salary will be around $2MM, reports Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post. It's not clear whether the option belongs to the Nuggets or to Shaw, though usually options in coaching contracts belong to the team.
- The top priority for the Knicks this summer is retaining J.R. Smith, a source tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, who passes along the note in an updated version of his story on the team's decision to extend a qualifying offer to Pablo Prigioni.
- The Mavs own the rights to former second-round pick Nick Calathes, and there's mutual interest in bringing him to the NBA next season, reports Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Other NBA teams are interested, too, and the Mavs are willing to trade him if they can't fit him on their roster, McMahon writes.
- While noting that Luol Deng's camp is dismissing the idea that there's an extension in the works with the Bulls, as we heard yesterday, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that the Bulls are calling around to see what they can get for Richard Hamilton.
- Pacers assistant Jim Boylen has an agreement in place with the Spurs to join Gregg Popovich's coaching staff in San Antonio, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Boylen is not to be confused with former Bucks coach Jim Boylan, whom the Cavs hired as an assistant coach earlier today.
- Sixers insiders expect minority owner Dave Heller to take over Adam Aron's role as liaison between the team's basketball operations and principal owner Josh Harris, writes Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Cavs, Bulls, Spurs Talking Thomas Robinson
10:43pm: The Bulls and Spurs have improved their offers, and the Cavs may be left behind, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.
1:36pm: According to Stein (via Twitter), if the Bulls were to acquire Robinson, they would flip him in a subsequent trade.
12:31pm: Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio tweets that the Spurs remain in the running for Robinson as well, though it's not clear what a San Antonio offer would look like.
WEDNESDAY, 12:26pm: ESPN.com's Marc Stein is hearing that the Cavaliers No. 19 pick and the Bulls' No. 20 pick are both on the table for Robinson (Twitter link). Stein adds (via Twitter) that more and more league executives view Houston as the frontrunner for Howard, making a Robinson trade more likely.
TUESDAY, 11:38am: The Rockets are engaged in "advanced talks" on a deal that would see them trade Thomas Robinson, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. According to Feigen, the Cavaliers and Spurs are among the teams with interest in Robinson. Feigen's source adds that the Rockets have also talked to the Bulls about a potential deal, though it's not clear if those talks related to Robinson or a larger trade.
The Rockets would like to move Robinson without taking any salary back in return, since the team hopes to clear enough space to make a run at unrestricted free agent Dwight Howard. The Bulls would be able to accommodate such a deal, since Chicago has a $5MM trade exception that could absorb Robinson's salary.
It's not clear whether the Cavs have quite enough room to take on Robinson's salary this week, since 2012/13 salaries still apply up until June 30th, but they'll have plenty of cap space available in July, so they could reach an agreement with Houston this week and make it official next month. As for the Spurs, their path to a deal with the Rockets is a little hazy, unless they renounced their rights to some of their free agents next month to create cap room for Robinson. A three-team deal could also be a possibility, as Feigen speculates.
According to Feigen, the Rockets may prefer to wait until July to move Robinson anyway, since trading him wouldn't be absolutely necessarily unless the team felt it had a strong chance to land Howard and needed that extra cap room to make a max offer. If Howard elects to sign elsewhere, Houston may be better off hanging on to last year's fifth overall pick.
Draft Updates: Wednesday Morning
With the NBA draft just one day away, we're expecting plenty of updates over the next 30 hours or so, leading up to the big night. We'll have plenty of draft-related material of our own going up before tomorrow night, including a new version of our mock draft and a complete draft primer. In the meantime, here's the latest buzz from around the league on Wednesday morning:
- According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter), the Celtics have scheduled a few "last-minute" workouts with likely second-round picks, causing some to wonder if they're leaning toward moving Paul Pierce for picks.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford reports that there's a "growing belief" that Cody Zeller is seriously in the mix for the Bobcats at No. 4. According to Ford, GM Rich Cho is pushing for Zeller, but is getting resistance (Twitter links).
- The Grizzlies have interest in getting back into the first round by buying a pick, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (via Twitter).
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com lists the prospects he believes are on the Bulls' radar for the 20th overall pick.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Jeff Goodman identifies 10 prospects that scare NBA teams, led by Ben McLemore. Meanwhile, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com tweets that reports of concerns surrounding McLemore's representatives are overblown.
- Ken Maguire of the New York Times takes an in-depth look at Giannis Adetokunbo's unlikely journey to become a probable first-round pick.
Bulls Exploring Extension For Luol Deng?
As trade rumors begin swirling around Luol Deng once again, there's another possibility for the Bulls forward: A contract extension. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Bulls and Deng have engaged in discussions about a possible long-term deal. However, agent Herb Rudoy tells Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link) that that's not the case.
"We've had zero discussions about an extension (for Deng)," Rudoy said. "Zero" (Twitter link).
Because Deng's current contract was signed back in July 2008, he is now eligible for an extension. Veteran extensions can be for up to four years total, which means Deng could currently add two new years to his current deal. If the two sides were to reach an agreement in July or later in the offseason, three new years could be added to Deng's contract.
Typically, veteran players don't sign contract extensions before they reach free agency, since extensions limit the amount of years and dollars they can receive. But in Deng's case, he'd be eligible to receive up to nearly $50MM for three years, beginning in 2014/15. That sort of deal might be worth giving up a chance to hit the open market next summer.
Of course, if what Rudoy says is true, any speculation about an extension for Deng may be moot. Wojnarowski isn't usually wrong, so it's unclear what the real story is here, but perhaps the Bulls are trying to regain some leverage in trade discussions involving Deng, by conveying that they'd have no problem hanging on to him long-term.
Wizards, Bulls Discussed Deng, No. 3 Pick
1:56pm: A source tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post that the Wizards have no intention of trading the No. 3 pick for Deng, so it appears these discussions are unlikely to get too far past the "exploratory" stage.
12:46pm: The Wizards and Bulls have engaged in "exploratory talks" about the possibility of a Luol Deng trade, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Stein reports that if the discussions were to become more serious, the most likely construction for a deal would involve the Bulls receiving the No. 3 pick and Emeka Okafor, for salary-matching purposes.
Stein cautions that the talks may simply be a way for the Bulls to gauge the value of Deng, and adds that the Cavaliers are reported to have interest in the Chicago forward as well. According to Stein, more potential trade partners figure to surface if the Bulls convey they're seriously entertaining the idea of moving Deng.
In the hypothetical deal between the Wizards and Bulls proposed by Stein, the Bulls would add a little salary to the books for 2013/14 and beyond. Okafor ($14.49MM) will slightly out-earn Deng ($14.28MM) next season, and the starting salary for the No. 3 overall pick would likely exceed $4MM. Both Okafor and Deng are scheduled to come off the books in the summer of 2014, while the 2013 third overall pick would continue playing under a rookie-scale contract through 2017, if all his team options were exercised.
Various reports have indicated over the last few weeks that the Wizards are expected to choose between Otto Porter and Anthony Bennett, if they keep the No. 3 pick and both players are available. Porter projects to be the top small forward in the draft class, while Bennett could also play at the three if needed, but Deng would represent a more immediate and significant upgrade at the position.
Cavs Rumors: Marion, Pierce, Varejao, Deng, Clark
Armed with four of the top 33 picks in the draft, plenty of cap space, and young talent, no team has the potential to be more active over the next week than the Cavaliers, who also hold the first overall pick in Thursday's draft. The team is at the subject of several rumors today, so let's round up the highlights….
- Previous reports have suggested that the Mavericks are looking to shed Shawn Marion's salary and have talked to the Cavaliers about a possible deal. However, sources tell ESPN.com's Marc Stein that while Cleveland is interested in Marion, the Mavs aren't necessarily eager to deal him, and Dallas hasn't had any trade discussions involving Marion.
- The Marion situation is an odd once, since the veteran forward still hasn't officially exercised his player option for next season, and would have to do so if he were to be traded this week. Marion has until Friday to make a decision on the option. I would guess if he's dealt, it will happen in July, when that option has already been picked up and teams like the Cavs will be able to absorb his salary in their cap space.
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has different details on Marion than Stein's, writing that the Cavs have talked to Dallas about Marion and are debating whether or not they'd want to take on his salary. Based on where Stein and Amico are located, I'd guess Stein's sources are connected to the Mavs and Amico's to the Cavs, so there could be some level of posturing happening from those sources on one or both sides.
- At least ten teams have been in contact with the Cavs about the No. 1 pick, according to Amico, who says the Pelicans and Kings are among the most recent calls. Amico echoes what we've heard in the last several weeks, noting that Cleveland's asking price is high.
- According to Amico, the Cavs' talks with the Celtics about Paul Pierce aren't as serious as they've been portrayed elsewhere, and Cleveland's reported offer of the 31st and 33rd picks isn't necessarily "the entire truth."
- One team has inquired about Anderson Varejao, but the Cavs haven't been too receptive so far, says Amico.
- Amico also reports that the Cavs have talked to the Timberwolves about a draft trade, but that Cleveland isn't too keen on moving down to ninth — the Cavs would rather stay in the top five or six if they trade down.
- Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game wrote yesterday (via Sulia) that the Cavs have some level of interest in Luol Deng. Amico hears from sources that the Cavs "may have floated" the idea of a package that would include the No. 19 pick and a young player like Tyler Zeller.
- One general manager tells Sean Deveney of the Sporting News that the Cavs haven't been "aggressively" shopping the first overall pick, but "it's been out there."
- According to Deveney, the Cavs figure to pursue power forwards in free agency, and one source says Earl Clark will be among the club's top targets.