Draft Links: Noel, Len, Bucks
There's a lot still swirling about the Clippers–Celtics deal, with Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN.com, and many others tweeting about a possible deal every few minutes. We'll certainly have more for you a little later, but before we do so, let's delve into the upcoming draft, as we're less than two weeks away from the big night:
- Maryland center Alex Len will be visiting the Cavaliers next week, according to his agent, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. His visit will come after UNLV power forward Anthony Bennett comes on Monday, and Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel visits on Tuesday.
- Noel also told Alex Kennedy, writing for the USA Today, that there are "no excuses" if his knee doesn't work out. According to the Wizards' Twitter feed, Noel said he's gained weight since the combine and is up to 218 lbs(Twitter link), so hopefully it doesn't affect the knee.
- Mark Giannato of the Washington Post writes that despite the small chance Noel lands with the Wizards with the third pick, Noel believes "anything can happen," so he's ready for the unexpected despite the fact he's the favorite to be selected number one overall.
- Former Lousiville guard Peyton Siva, worked out for the Warriors today, reports Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News. Siva was excited at the prospect of playing for former Rick Pitino disciple Mark Jackson, with Siva saying that playing for the Warriors would be "wonderful."
- The Bucks continued to look at shooting guards, with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ricky Ledo working out for the squad today, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Sam Amico of Fox Sports says Ledo may be working his way into the late-first round (Twitter).
Offseason Outlook: Cleveland Cavaliers
Guaranteed Contracts
- Anderson Varejao ($9,036,364)
- Kyrie Irving ($5,607,240)
- Tristan Thompson ($4,062,000)
- Dion Waiters ($3,894,240)
- Alonzo Gee ($3,250,000)
- Tyler Zeller ($1,633,440)
Options
- Marreese Speights ($4,515,000, Player)
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- C.J. Miles ($2,225,000)1
- Chris Quinn ($1,106,942)1
- Kevin Jones ($788,872)1
Free Agents / Cap Holds
- Luke Walton ($9,137,045)
- Daniel Gibson ($9,105,431)
- Omri Casspi ($5,693,265)
- Wayne Ellington ($5,207,605)
- No. 1 pick ($4,436,900)
- No. 19 pick ($1,223,200)
- Shaun Livingston ($884,293)
- (Semih Erden – $1,084,293)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (1st overall)
- 1st Round (19th overall)
- 2nd Round (31st overall)
- 2nd Round (33rd overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $27,483,284
- Options: $4,515,000
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $4,120,814
- Cap Holds: $36,772,032
- Total: $72,891,130
Undergoing a full-scale rebuild in the NBA requires strong scouting, player development, and cap management, but you could make the argument that the most important factor is luck. Take the Kings, for instance. Sacramento has posted a dismal 187-371 record over the last seven seasons, landing in the draft lottery every single year. However, even when they were the NBA's worst team in 2008/09, the Kings only landed the fourth overall pick, and never selected higher than that. Many of the team's signings and trades have been questionable, but its draft picks have been solid enough — the club just never picked high enough to land a true franchise player.
The Cavaliers, on the other hand, have had an exceptional string of luck since one of the worst nights in franchise history, when LeBron James made his infamous "Decision." In the three subsequent draft lotteries, the Cavs have overcome unlikely odds to land a pair of first overall picks, drafting Kyrie Irving the first time around and now looking to add another difference-maker in the 2013 draft.
So far, that luck hasn't translated into on-court success, but the assets the Cavs have at their disposal represent a general manager's dream. During a rebuild, teams typically target young players, cap flexibility, and draft picks. The Cavs have a ton of all three, including three recent top-four picks (Irving, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters) with another on the way, only about $27.48MM in guaranteed 2013/14 salary, and the potential for an incredible 13 picks (seven first-rounders) in the next three drafts.
Given the young talent already in place on the roster, it's no surprise that the Cavs are willing to sacrifice some of the picks and cap room they've accumulated to trade for a veteran star. In another year, dangling that first overall pick would be enough to engage in serious discussions for an established All-Star like Kevin Love or LaMarcus Aldridge. However, because this year's draft is viewed as weak at the top, a report suggesting the Cavs would part with the No. 1 pick as part of a package for Love was met with a shrug — of course they would.
The low relative value of the No. 1 pick this year is especially problematic for the Cavs since owner Dan Gilbert is expecting a playoff berth in 2013/14. That means that drafting Nerlens Noel, who is widely considered the player with the most upside in this year's class, may not be the most viable option for Cleveland, since Noel is expected to spend much of the season recovering from ACL surgery.
Still, if the Cavs are unable to find a palatable trade to add a star to complent Irving, there will be no shortage of alternate options for the team. In fact, there are so many different directions the team could go that it's virtually impossible to make any predictions with any confidence. Consider the following possible approaches for the team, all of which seem viable to me:
- Trading the No. 1 pick and various other assets for a star.
- Drafting Noel, continuing to acquire more assets using their cap room (for instance, turning two or three second-round picks into the Mavs' No. 13 pick and Shawn Marion), and preparing to make a bigger splash in the summer of 2014, when the draft and free agent classes will both be stronger.
- Drafting a player that could contribute immediately, such as Otto Porter or Ben McLemore, and using the cap room to target other high-upside players such as Nikola Pekovic, Andrew Bynum, and/or O.J. Mayo.
- Drafting an immediate contributor and using the cap room to target trade candidates with one remaining year on their contracts (ie. Danny Granger) or free agents who would sign one-year deals, so the team could contend for a playoff spot and still reload in the summer of '14.
- Some combination of the above strategies, perhaps involving trading down in the draft, or using Anderson Varejao's pseudo-expiring contract (it's partially guaranteed in 2014/15) as a trade chip.
The Cavs may not be one of the NBA's most desirable free agent destinations at this point, but even if they have trouble recruiting veterans to Cleveland, the Cavs still have so much flexibility that they should be able to add talent without being a big player in free agency. And we haven't even discussed the possibility of the Cavs eventually pursuing a reunion with LeBron in the summer of 2014. I'm less bullish on that idea than I once was, especially if the Heat continue to win championships, but Varejao's partial guarantee is the only non-rookie-contract money on Cleveland's books for 2014/15 so far, so cap room shouldn't be an issue.
The Cavaliers' young core has undergone some growing pains over the last several seasons, and it's possible that Thompson and Waiters weren't the optimal choices for the Cavs in their respective drafts. But there's so much talent on the roster and so many avenues for the team to continue adding more talent that it's hard not to be optimistic about the future in Cleveland. The Cavs' choice at first overall in this month's draft remains shrouded in mystery, and the same could be said about the rest of the team's offseason, which could go in any number of directions. I'll be looking forward to see where the club ends up in the fall.
Additional notes:
- Of the team's free agents, I'd be surprised if Luke Walton, Daniel Gibson, or Omri Casspi returned, unless perhaps it was on a minimum-salary contract. However, I could see the Cavs deciding to re-sign Wayne Ellington, and there's no guarantee that Marreese Speights will opt out of the final year of his contract, worth $4.52MM.
- Bringing back Speights and Ellington would compromise the club's flexibility somewhat, but if we assume Speights opts in, Cleveland uses both its first-round picks, and Ellington re-signs for an annual salary in the neighborhood of $3MM, there will still only be about $40MM in salary commitments on the Cavs' books.
- Although the Cavs have four players (Irving, Thompson, Waiters, and Tyler Zeller) on rookie deals, none are extension-eligible this offseason. Irving and Thompson will be eligible for extensions during the 2014 offseason.
Cap footnotes:
- Miles', Quinn's, and Jones' contracts are all fully non-guaranteed, with no guarantee date.
Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.
Odds & Ends: Cavs, Bobcats, Nuggets, Farmar
On the heels of a pair of unsurprising option decisions – Brandon Rush and Marvin Williams will return to the Warriors and Jazz, respectively – we received word that Andre Iguodala will opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent. Iguodala's decision isn't a huge surprise either, but it certainly makes this year's class of free agents even more interesting.
In addition to the Nuggets, Wojnarowski listed six other teams expected to pursue Iguodala, while Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group tweets that the Warriors are interested in well. Golden State would have a much tougher path to landing Iggy than teams with cap space, but a sign-and-trade is within the realm of possibility.
Here are a few more Friday odds and ends from around the NBA:
- An Eastern Conference executive tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link) that the Cavaliers and Bobcats have both been "ultra-aggressive" in seeking out trades.
- We heard yesterday that the Nuggets hoped to bring Brian Shaw in for an interview next week, but according to a tweet from Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, it sounds like Denver was able to schedule a meeting with Shaw for today. Lionel Hollins' interview is still set for tomorrow, as planned.
- Discussing his team's upcoming offseason, Pistons GM Joe Dumars says many teams facing possible tax penalties next season are already making trade calls in an effort to reduce or avoid a tax bill (link via David Mayo of MLive.com).
- Agent Tony Dutt tells Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times that his client, Jordan Farmar, wants to return to the NBA "for sure." Farmar signed a three-year contract in Turkey last summer, but has the chance to opt out of the deal after each season.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Kevin Pelton follows up on the story that Chris Paul and Dwight Howard are interested in playing together by ranking a handful of possible destinations from least likely (Lakers) to most likely (Hawks).
Eastern Notes: Rose, Bosh, Kidd
Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau appeared to be excited as he described the progress that Derrick Rose has made, saying that the superstar point guard's speed and explosiveness have come back to the point to where he's comfortable and confident (Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago):
"I worked him out about a week ago…Watching the way he's moving now, there's a confidence.(Reporters) may not have been able to see the total work he was putting in. But he was putting in an enormous amount of work each and every day. He just never got to the explosiveness he was comfortable with. I think he's there now. He feels great, and that's the most important thing."
Here are more miscellaneous notes out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Heat forward Chris Bosh downplayed the idea that he's bothered by talk about him being the most expendable of Miami's "Big Three," also mentioning that he wouldn't want to be the lead player on a team with a lesser situation (Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports).
- Though Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy once doubled as a player-coach, don't expect Nets coach Jason Kidd to follow suit, as he told reporters that he has no intention of ever playing another minute (Marc Berman of the New York Post via Twitter).
- Patrick Ewing, recently hired as an associate head coach for the Bobcats, thinks that it'll be a tough challenge for Kidd to make the transition from being an NBA player directly into becoming a head coach (Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York).
- Former Knicks and Nets forward Shawne Williams looked good during a workout today and will audition for several NBA teams soon, tweets Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy.
- Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that while the presence of Dion Waiters on the Cavaliers may compound the team's interest in drafting Ben McLemore, the former Syracuse standout could thrive in a reserve role as a primary ball handler in the second unit.
- Wheat Hotchkiss of NBA.com reviews today's draft workout hosted by the Pacers, which included Deshaun Thomas, Will Clyburn, Alex Oriakhi, James Southerland, and Troy Daniels. C.J. Leslie was present, but did not participate in the workout.
Amico On Cavs, Magic, Granger, Bucks, Cousins
Earlier this afternoon, I asked for your thoughts on which prospect would be drafted first overall two weeks from tonight. While I provided five names in the poll, it appears I omitted one more viable option, as Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reports that Anthony Bennett is also under consideration for the Cavaliers at No. 1 overall. While several opposing GMs tell Amico that they don't believe Cleveland would draft Bennett (or Alex Len) first overall, the Cavs aren't tipping their hand, so plenty of options still remain in play. Here's more from Amico's latest collection of NBA news and notes:
- One source says that the Cavs have been working on "something major," but no details were given due to the magnitude. While that may not reveal much, Amico relays from the same source that Cleveland has talked to one particular team several times about the number one pick, although discussions have only been exploratory at this point (Twitter links).
- Amico also tweets that the Cavaliers are lukewarm at the idea of taking Victor Oladipo or Anthony Bennett with their first overall pick and are going back and forth between Nerlens Noel and Ben McLemore.
Earlier updates:
- The Sixers are high on Michael Carter-Williams, who they believe could contribute at both guard positions, according to Amico. With Carter-Williams drawing some interest from teams in the top 10, it remains to be seen whether he'll be available for the Sixers at No. 11.
- While the Magic have explored trades involving the second overall pick, they're "far from desperate" to move it.
- Depending on how their pursuit of Dwight Howard goes, the Rockets may be interested in making a bid for trade candidate Danny Granger.
- The Bucks and Bobcats have engaged in discussions involving Milwaukee's 15th overall pick, says Amico.
- If DeMarcus Cousins was available at one point, he isn't any longer. New Kings coach Michael Malone is excited about working with the young big man.
Draft Updates: Jaiteh, 76ers, Bobcats, Workouts
As June 27th inches closer, here are today's draft-related items:
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer relays a report (via the News Herald) which confirms that Anthony Bennett will visit the Cavaliers on Monday. The 6'8 forward will not work out for the club, as he is still recovering from rotator cuff surgery.
- The Timberwolves are expected to host Shabazz Muhammad and Archie Goodwin for workouts on Sunday, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
Earlier updates:
- With the deadline for international prospects to withdraw from the draft coming on Monday, Mouhammadou Jaiteh is considering pulling his name out, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Kennedy says a decision is expected to come by Saturday for Jaiteh, who will only stay in if he'll be a first-round pick.
- Kennedy adds within the same piece that the 76ers are one of several teams looking to acquire a pick late in the first round.
- ESPN.com's David Thorpe (Insider link) believes Anthony Bennett would be an ideal fit for the Bobcats.
- Although his stock has taken a hit lately, Shabazz Muhammad still has a chance to be drafted in the top 10, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
- The Pelicans will get their workouts underway on Friday, and Michael Carter-Williams is expected to be in attendance, tweets John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- Chris Babb, Tim Hardaway Jr., Solomon Hill, Tony Mitchell, Andrew Smith, and Axel Toupane will work out for the Pacers on Friday, the team announced today.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel tweets that Ben McLemore is working out for the Magic, who have the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
- The Lakers worked out the following prospects today, according to the team's official Twitter account: Kenny Kadji, Peyton Siva, Brandon Triche, Dewaye Dedmon, C.J. Harris, and B.J. Young.
- The Wizards announced their Friday workout participants, while the Bucks (Twitter link) announced the players who worked out for them today. Both groups consist primarily of second-round prospects, with the exception of Otto Porter in Washington.
Draft Rumors: Noel, Snell, Olynyk, Blazers, Adams
Chad Ford of ESPN.com delivered enough draft rumors for their own post this afternoon, and we rounded up more draft-related news in another post this morning. It's not hard to tell that the big event takes place just two weeks and two days from now. Here are tonight's updates, via Twitter unless otherwise noted:
- In spite of rumors that the Cavaliers probably won't draft him first overall, Nerlens Noel will visit with Cleveland on June 20th, following Saturday's meeting with the Wizards, The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer reports.
- Tony Snell's stock is on the rise, and two executives have told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that the New Mexico swingman has solidified a spot in the first round.
- Kelly Olynyk is the most prominent name among a group of six prospects working out for the Blazers today, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com passes along. John Allen, Chris Babb, Erik Murphy, D.J. Stephens and Khalif Wyatt were the others in attendance.
- The Timberwolves will turn their focus to big men Thursday, when Steven Adams, Rudy Gobert and Mike Muscala will participate in a group workout for the team, observes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Cody Zeller will be in Minnesota the same day, but he'll work out separately.
- C.J. McCollum will participate in a workout Wednesday for the Jazz that will also include Scott Bamforth from nearby Weber State, notes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
- Jared Berggren has shown off his skills in front of the Blazers and Suns, and the Wisconsin power forward will get to do so for the Bucks, likely on Thursday, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
- Mason Plumlee is the headliner in a Wizards audition set for Wednesday, the team announced via press release. Karron Johnson, Bruce Massey, Brock Motum, Dexter Strickland and Kellen Thornton will join him.
Ford’s Latest: Len, Oladipo, McLemore, Schroeder
Chad Ford's latest big board at ESPN.com sees Alex Len leap into the top five after being ranked at ninth in Ford's previous update. According to Ford, of the two injured big men near the top of draft boards, Len is viewed as being more polished offensively and having more upside than Nerlens Noel. Len is in the discussion for the Cavaliers' No. 1 pick, and is also drawing serious interest from the Bobcats, Suns, and Pelicans, says Ford. Here's more from the ESPN.com draft expert:
- Victor Oladipo has moved into the Cavs' conversation for first overall, along with Noel, Len, and Otto Porter, according to Ford.
- Porter will work out for the Cavs, Magic, and Wizards in the coming days, and that's it. It seems he's confident he won't slip out of the top three — if he does, there's "no way" he gets past the Pelicans at No. 6, says Ford.
- Virtually every team near the top of the draft is still considering Ben McLemore, but during a workout with the Suns, he declined to compete against Oladipo and Shabazz Muhammad, which didn't sit well with some evaluators. "He needs to compete," said a GM whose team has a lottery pick. "Or it's only going to reinforce our biggest fears about him. There is no consensus in this draft. He's got to come and earn it."
- The Kings may prefer Michael Carter-Williams to Trey Burke, if they draft a point guard.
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had a "terrific" workout with the Timberwolves, and could be the team's sleeper at No. 9 overall, says Ford.
- Dennis Schroeder's stock may have been negatively affected by his workouts. "He looked frustrated," said a scout for one team that worked out Schroeder. "His body language wasn't great. He's a very good talent and I wouldn't read too much into the workout, but it didn't really help him."
- The Knicks are "especially high" on Tony Mitchell, according to Ford.
Draft Updates: Saric, Cavs, Noel, Knicks
As I suggested last week when a report surfaced that Dario Saric was withdrawing from the 2013 draft, it sounds like he and his representatives have yet to make the decision official. Still, all signs are pointing to Saric pulling out of this year's class, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The Croatian forward has until next Monday at 4:00pm central time to make a formal decision.
Here are a few more of the latest draft-related updates:
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford believes there's a good chance Saric would go in the top 10 if he remained in the draft, adding that scouts familiar with Europe don't think there's a huge difference between Saric and Otto Porter.
- Speaking of Porter, Ford says he remains a possibility for the Cavaliers at No. 1, since Cleveland is still a couple weeks away from making up its mind.
- Could Nerlens Noel be available for the Bobcats when they pick fourth overall? One player-personnel executive connected to a lottery team thinks so, telling Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that he believes the first three picks in the draft will be, in some order, Anthony Bennett, Ben McLemore, and Porter.
- Tim Hardaway Jr., Glen Rice Jr., and Phil Pressey, three sons of former NBA players, will work out for the Knicks today, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- Lucas Nogueira tells Brett Pollakoff of NBCSports.com that he's flexible about the possibility of returning to Europe if the NBA team that drafts him thinks he needs more time overseas to develop.
- Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passes along a report indicating that Janis Timma will be heading stateside to work out for several NBA teams in hopes of securing a spot in the draft. Like Saric, Timma has until June 17th to decide whether to remain in the draft or withdraw his name.
Cavs Rumors: McLemore, Bynum, Oden, Granger
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio leads off his latest column by going into more detail on Friday's report, which suggested the Cavaliers were weighing the possibility of drafting Ben McLemore first overall. With Dion Waiters already on board, the fit wouldn't necessarily be ideal, so it remains just one of many options Cleveland is considering. Amico has plenty more notes on the Cavs, so let's check out the highlights from his piece….
- Due to concerns about Anderson Varejao's ability to stay healthy, the Cavs are expected to focus on adding frontcourt depth this summer.
- Amico hints that Al Horford and Nikola Pekovic could be among the Cavs' offseason targets as the club looks to add another big man, though the Timberwolves will have the ability to match an offer sheet for the restricted Pekovic, and I'd be surprised if the Hawks traded Horford.
- Andrew Bynum isn't on Cleveland's radar, but the team is still eyeing Greg Oden, in spite of some skepticism about the health of his knees.
- The Cavs also have reservations about Danny Granger's knee problems, but still have interest if the Pacers consider moving him, which it sounds like they will.
- The Mavericks continue to "intensely" shop the No. 13 overall pick, with one offer asking for the Cavs' 31st and 33rd overall picks, along with a 2014 selection, in exchange for the 13th pick and Shawn Marion. Cleveland turned down that proposal, but the club remains a willing trade partner, with only Kyrie Irving viewed as untouchable.
- Cleveland remains interested in Alex Len and Otto Porter, but would probably want to trade down a little to draft either player, rather than selecting one of them first overall. However, trading down a few spots "appears very unlikely," according to Amico.