Mavs Could Find PG Answer In Draft
- The Mavericks could finally find their long-term answer at the point guard position in this year’s draft, Newy Scruggs of the Dallas Morning News. The scribe believes Dennis Smith Jr. or Frank Ntilikina could be a good fit with the team.
Mavericks Notes: Noel, Russell, Point Guards
Nerlens Noel has garnered comparisons to defensive stalwart Tyson Chandler for his rebounding and defensive abilities but injuries have stalled his progression. Following a midseason trade from the 76ers to the Mavericks, Noel posted 8.5 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 22 games. However, the 23-year-old will need several additional years to hone his game before he’s in that class, Eddie Sefko of Dallas Morning News opines.
Noel has shown glimpses of elite talent in his three NBA seasons but has generally been inconsistent. Sefko acknowledges that if the Mavericks envision a longterm future with Noel as a fixture, he will need two-to-three years of seasoning before he possibly reaches his potential. For his part, Noel, a restricted free agent, expressed his desire to remain in Dallas.
“I love Dallas,” Noel said last month (via The Sporting News). “In my short time here, I’ve really enjoyed it. With the pieces that we have, and the opportunities we’ll be seeing in the near future, I think there’s a lot to be excited for.”
Below are are additional Mavericks notes:
- In a separate piece, Sefko examines the possibility of the Mavericks pursuing Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell. The Lakers own the second overall pick in the NBA Draft and if they draft UCLA standout Lonzo Ball, having two point guards may be redundant for the Lakers. If Dallas fails to draft a solid point guard, Sefko believes Dallas will call Los Angeles to discuss Russell but the price to acquire a second overall pick from two seasons ago will likely be astronomical.
- Sefko further delved into the Mavericks’ point guard situation, stating emphatically that the team needs to acquire someone who can shoot. The aforementioned Russell fits the mold as the 21-year-old has averaged 14.3 PPG in his two NBA seasons. In-house options like Devin Harris, Yogi Ferrell, and J.J. Barea are also strong options for Dallas but a more established option makes sense.
Several Teams Interested In Otto Porter
The Wizards have no intention of letting Otto Porter walk in restricted free agency, but a bevy of rival teams will try to pry him from Washington, Sean Deveney of Sporting News reports. The Nets have long been interested in Porter and Deveney adds that the Sixers and Magic will consider making the small forward an offer this summer.
It was recently reported that an extension for John Wall will be at the top of the team’s list and the organization would like to get that done before moving onto other objectives, which include a Porter deal. One anonymous GM cautions that Washington shouldn’t wait too long to come to terms with the Georgetown product.
“If his situation goes past the first couple of days of free agency, it will cost them because some of these teams that have space and miss out on the players they have in mind to start with are going to move quickly to the restricted [free agents],” one GM told Deveney. “And Otto Porter is going to be at the top of that list, even at $100 million.”
The Mavericks had intended to pursue Porter, but that was before they acquired a restricted free agent of their own in Nerlens Noel. Deveney suggests that Dallas may not be looking to tie up its cap space on a rival restricted free agent while its own player is free to sign with other teams. Noel is expected to receive a lucrative offer from the franchise and once he signs with the team, nearly all of the team’s cap space will be exhausted. Then again, Owner Mark Cuban could always work out a verbal agreement with Noel, akin to what Detroit did with Andre Drummond, which would allow the Mavs to use its cap space on other players before circling back to a Noel deal.
Porter, who went to college in the Washington area and is comfortable in the city, has little reason to give the Wizards a discount, Deveney adds. It was previously reported that Porter could be a candidate for a max contract. The salary cap is projected to come in at $101MM next year, meaning the soon-to-be 24-year-old could command a starting salary of slightly over $25MM in a four-year deal worth north of $115MM.
Mavericks Notes: Noel, Dirk, Draft
The Mavericks are eager to re-sign Nerlens Noel and owner Mark Cuban sounded optimistic about the team’s chances of doing so in a recent radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan’s Ben & Skin show (h/t The Dallas Morning News).
“I’m not allowed to talk about [negotiations] but all I can tell you is he’s one of a bunch of guys who came in, they all got together and said ‘Let’s go down to the practice facility and start working out together,'” Cuban said. “So they’re down there now and so that’s exciting to see, and he’s part of that group.”
Noel is a restricted free agent, meaning the team can match any offer sheet he receives. Here’s more on the Mavs:
- Cuban added that Dirk Nowitzki is becoming more involved with the Mavericks‘ scouting department, as The Dallas Morning News relays. “To his credit, there are some Europeans we’re talking to about him now, talking to him and getting feedback from [his coach] Holger [Geschwindner] who’s maybe seen them,” Cuban said. “And having him talk to coaches, he’s a little bit more involved early in the process rather than just walking into the war room and giving feedback then.”
- The Mavericks will take the best player available at No. 9, Cuban said during that same radio appearance. “We’ll probably air on the side of long term. We’re not drafting for need so we’ll probably take the best possible player,” the team’s owner added.
Draft Notes: Fox, Ntilikina, Chartouny
De’Aaron Fox was eyeing Sacramento as a destination even before the Kings moved up in the lottery, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets. The Kings need a long-term option at the point guard position and Fox could be the answer when they pick at No. 5. Howard-Cooper notes that Fox is friends with center Willie Cauley-Stein.
Here’s more on the upcoming draft:
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) hears that the Knicks, Mavericks, Sixers and Kings are the franchises which spent the most time scouting Frank Ntilikina in France over the past month. Ntilikina is the 10th best prospect in the draft, according to Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony.
- Joseph Chartouny will withdraw from the draft and return to Fordham next season, sources tell Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). The point guard scored 11.9 points and dished out 4.6 assists during his sophomore campaign at the university.
- While it appears the Ball family may get their dream outcome of Lonzo Ball playing for the Lakers, Adi Joseph of USA Today lays out four scenarios that could hurt LaVar Ball‘s master plan.
Mavericks Notes: Holiday, Draft, Isaac
Dallas will reportedly pursue Jrue Holiday in free agency this summer, though, as Luke Adams of Hoop Rumors noted earlier today, fitting in a max-salary contract will require the front office to make some changes. The Mavericks have nearly $60MM in guaranteed salaries on the books, a figure which does not include Dirk Nowitzki‘s $25MM team option.
Nowitzki has previously taken a discount to help the club, though it’s unclear if he’s willing to make a similar sacrifice this offseason. Dallas could simply opt not to pick up the future Hall of Famer’s option, but it’s likely that the power forward is involved in any decision that the team makes. Adding Holiday wouldn’t make the team a title contender, but it would certainly increase the team’s chances at making the postseason and perhaps Nowitzki strives for that reachable goal.
The UCLA product is just two years older than Harrison Barnes and building around those two players, along with 23-year-old Nerlens Noel and their 2017 first-round draft pick, makes for a sound strategy. It’s worth noting that Noel will be a restricted free agent in July. However, I suspect that the team will come to a verbal agreement with the center, use its available cap space to bring in talent, and then circle back to signing Noel akin to how Detroit handled Andre Drummond‘s restricted free agency last summer. That’s merely speculation, yet it’s the route that would allow the Mavericks to maximize their resources.
As we wait to see what additions the team will make, check out some notes from Dallas:
- The Mavericks believe Barnes can be the team’s power forward once Nowitzki retires, so the team should look to avoid drafting a four, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News argues. Sefko notes that there are not many power forwards ranked high enough to take at No. 9, so it may not be an issue for the team.
- Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News believes the Mavericks can’t pass up on Jonathan Isaac should he slide to No. 9 in the draft. The scribe notes while Dallas needs point guard help, it could use talent anywhere and it should simply take the best player available.
- The Mavericks tanked late in the season and it didn’t work out as well as they planned, Sefko writes in a separate piece writes. Sefko notes that the team won its final regular season game, something that cost the team at least one spot in the draft.
Mavericks Interested In Jrue Holiday
The Mavericks are in position to potentially draft their point guard of the future in June, but the team is also keeping an eye on the free agent market as a way of upgrading the position. According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, one veteran on Dallas’ radar is Jrue Holiday, who is viewed by members of the Mavs organization as a free agent target this summer.
Holiday, who will turn 27 next month, turned in another solid season for the Pelicans, averaging 15.4 PPG and 7.3 APG in 32.7 minutes per contest. New Orleans has expressed a desire to bring him back, and holds his Bird rights, allowing the club to go over the cap to re-sign him. The Pelicans can also offer Holiday more years and overall dollars than any other team, though it’s not clear if they’re prepared to go up to the max to get a deal done.
If the Mavs were to seriously pursue Holiday, it may require re-working Dirk Nowitzki‘s contract or making a trade. Currently, Dallas has about $60MM in guaranteed salary on its books for 2017/18, but that figure doesn’t include Nowitzki’s $25MM team option, which would significantly cut into the club’s cap room. If the German big man is willing to accept a lower salary, the Mavs could potentially create the space for a max salary, or at least something close to it.
In addition to the Mavs and Pelicans, the Knicks have been frequently cited as a probable suitor for Holiday this summer. New York and Dallas currently hold the eighth and ninth picks in this year’s draft, and point guard prospects like Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina may still be on the board at that point, so the draft results could have an impact on how seriously those teams pursue Holiday.
Teams looking to sign Holiday will likely be wary of his injury history — he has only averaged about 52 games per year since arriving in New Orleans in 2013. Still, 2016/17 was his healthiest season during that stretch. He missed some time in the fall to attend to a personal matter and then was nagged by a toe injury in December, but appeared in 67 games overall.
Hoops Links Vol. 5: Shirley Temple Lies, Milkshake Theft, More
Welcome to the fifth installment of Hoops Links, where we round up our favorite content from around the NBA blogosphere and shine a light on it here. Every week we set out to feature entertaining, original content powered by the blogging community.
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If you want to hit us up with a link in the future, make sure to drop me a line on Twitter (@AustinKent) or even just email HoopsRumorsTips@Sports.ws. Remember, we want to be intrigued and captivated. It also helps if the content is relatively fresh (considering we publish on Thursdays).
Without further ado…
With a roster full of young players and a negligible chance of winning a meaningful amount of ball games, the Suns made the decision with months remaining in the season to tank unabashedly. After Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery, in which Phoenix dropped from a projected No. 2 seed to the No. 4 seed, Adam Maynes of Valley of the Suns wrote a spirited column suggesting that the organization got what it deserved.
Rating: 9 out of 10 Angry Earl Watsons
Author: Adam Maynes – @Adam4America
Link: Phoenix Suns tank fail
We’re all happy to buy into the quirky Joel Embiid narrative whenever the goofy big man does something like sip a Shirley Temple on live television. But what if we’re living a lie? Kyle Neubeck of Liberty Ballers revealed that the pink beverage at Embiid’s side during the Draft Lottery was little more than a prop.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Red Pills
Author: Kyle Neubeck – @KyleNeubeck
Link: Joel Embiid’s Shirley Temple prop
Are the Bulls less likely to deal Jimmy Butler to the Celtics now that Boston has landed the No. 1 pick in the draft? Vijay Vemu of Blog A Bull suggests as much, writing that Danny Ainge took a risk holding onto the pick at the deadline rather than going the safe route and dealing for an established star.
Rating: 7 out of 10 Fortunate Gambles
Author: Vijay Vemu – @VJVemu
Link: Jimmy Butler to Celtics less likely
The Hawks could have done more to involve Dwight Howard in their offense, Da’Vonte Hughes of Soaring Down South writes, suggesting that the big man had reason to be upset with how he was utilized during his first season Atlanta.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Neglected Supermen
Author: Da’Vonte Hughes – @CookieByNature
Link: Dwight Howard non-option for Hawks
Did you forget that Joel Anthony was still in the NBA? You aren’t alone. Dan Devine of Ball Don’t Lie noticed the big man’s name trending on Twitter and discovered that people all around the world were shocked to see the veteran big man suit up in the Spurs‘ blowout loss Wednesday.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Two-Time NBA Champions
Author: Dan Devine – @YourManDevine
Link: Joel Anthony trends on Twitter
There are similarities between Jimmy Butler and Stanley Johnson, including underwhelming freshman and sophomore seasons, says Luke Wolthuis of Piston Powered. Could Johnson, a well-built two-way forward, make a leap similar to that of Butler’s in Year 3?
Rating: 7 out of 10 Better Late Than Nevers
Author: Luke Wolthuis – @WolthuisLuke
Link: Stanley Johnson, Jimmy Butler comparison
Although he may not win the award, Harrison Barnes deserves a spot in the Most Improved Player conversation, Sam Guertler of Mavs Moneyball suggests. The forward’s offensive game improved dramatically in his first year as a targeted weapon in Dallas, without any compromise in efficiency.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Additional Better Late Than Nevers
Author: Sam Guertler – @SamGuertler
Link: Harrison Barnes Most Improved Player
It takes a delicate balance of usefulness and expendability for a player to suit up for three different franchises in one season. This year, Ersan Ilyasova dressed for the Thunder, Sixers, and Hawks, and still managed to set a new career high for points in a season. Miles Wray of The Step Back took a good long look at how the season stands up historically.
Rating: 9 out of 10 Bonus Points For Playing For Two Altogether Different Teams Last Year
Author: Miles Wray – @MilesWray
Link: NBA players who play for three teams in one season
It was hard to evaluate the first season in the NBA for Jakob Poeltl, a lottery pick on a reigning Eastern Conference Finals squad, but Brian Boake set out to do so anyway for Raptors Rapture. In Poeltl, the Raptors have a cheap, malleable option to audition as their Stretch 5 of the Future.
Rating: 8 out of 10 Teenage Mutant Ninjas
Author: Brian Boake – @NewmarketBrian
Link: Jakob Poeltl’s future with Raptors
Over the years, Gregg Popovich has simply owned Mike D’Antoni in the NBA playoffs, so much so that the J.R. Wilco over at Pounding the Rock had a particularly specific video commissioned just to drive home the point.
Rating: 9 out of 10 Academy Award-Winning Method Actors
Author: J.R. Wilco – @JRWilco
Link: Gregg Popovich, Mike D’Antoni History
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mark Cuban Admits Mavs Tanked At End Of Season
Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday morning (video link), Mavericks owner Mark Cuban admitted that after his team was eliminated from the playoffs this season, the franchise “did everything possible to lose games” and improve its draft position. As Cuban explained, once they get on the floor, all players will try to win, but management can put a team in a position to lose by giving extended minutes to young, inexperienced players.
The Mavs’ approach to regular season games down the stretch was hardly a secret, and Dallas wasn’t the only team to go in that direction. The Suns, for instance, shut down players like Eric Bledsoe well in advance of the end of the regular season in an effort to improve their lottery standing. Still, teams rarely acknowledge that strategy publicly, making Cuban’s admission somewhat surprising.
Cuban’s comments also come just a few months after he stated that his club had no interest in tanking. About a month into the season, with the Mavs off to a league-worst 3-13 start, Cuban insisted that the team believed in always competing, adding that he didn’t want his players to develop any bad habits.
“There are so many teams that became four years away from four years away because guys just learned how to lose,” Cuban said in November. “They stopped caring about any individual game and just got used to it, and you don’t want guys developing those bad habits. We have so many young guys on this team, we want the games to mean something. Not to be, ‘OK, who are we going to pull in the fourth quarter so we can lose this game?’ That’s not how teams develop good habits.”
It will be interesting to see whether Cuban, who has faced many fines over the years for his criticism of NBA referees, will face any penalties from commissioner Adam Silver for his acknowledgement of the Mavs’ end-of-season tanking.
The Mavs ultimately landed the No. 9 spot in this year’s draft, with Tuesday’s lottery results not affecting their draft position.
2017 NBA Draft Lottery Results
The Celtics will pick first overall in the 2017 NBA draft, having won Tuesday night’s lottery one night after they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. The C’s, who exercised their rights to swap with the Nets, entered the lottery with the best odds (25.0%) to land that No. 1 overall pick.
The Lakers were the other big winners in the lottery, moving up to No. 2, ensuring that they’ll keep both this year’s pick and 2019’s first-rounder. Had Los Angeles’ pick fallen outside of the top three, it would have been sent to the Sixers, and the Lakers would’ve owed their unprotected 2019 first-rounder to Orlando. Instead, the Lakers will keep this year’s pick and 2019’s, and will send Philadelphia their unprotected 2018 first-round selection.
The Kings also moved up into the top three, but the Sixers will acquire that pick, exercising their right to swap with Sacramento. The Kings will pick at No. 5, which is where Philadelphia would have selected. Sacramento will also land the Pelicans’ selection at No. 10. That New Orleans selection was acquired by the Kings in February’s DeMarcus Cousins trade and was top-three protected.
The Suns are the night’s biggest losers, having moved from No. 2 in the lottery standings down to No. 4 overall. The Magic, Timberwolves, and Knicks each moved down one spot as well.
Here’s the full lottery order for the 2017 NBA draft:
- Boston Celtics (via Nets)
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Philadelphia 76ers (swapped with Kings)
- Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings (swapped with Sixers)
- Orlando Magic
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New York Knicks
- Dallas Mavericks
- Sacramento Kings (via Pelicans)
- Charlotte Hornets
- Detroit Pistons
- Denver Nuggets
- Miami Heat
Tonight’s lottery results are fascinating on a number of levels, but particularly so for two of the NBA’s most-storied franchises, the Celtics and Lakers. Boston is in position to either pick a player like point guard Markelle Fultz, considered by draft experts to be a future star, or to dangle that No. 1 overall pick in a trade for an established veteran star next month. The Celtics are coming off a season in which they earned the top seed in the East, and they also own the Nets’ unprotected first-round pick in 2018, so the franchise is extremely well-positioned for the future.
As for the Lakers, they’ll breathe a sigh of relief after hanging onto their 2017 first-rounder, and they’re in position to create a union that has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks. UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball is widely viewed as the second-best prospect in this year’s draft, and he and his father LaVar have made no secret of the fact that Lonzo wants to play for the Lakers. Tonight’s lottery results make that a very real possibility.
The Kings are another winner tonight, having moved up from No. 8 to No. 5 and having also held onto the Pelicans’ pick at No. 10. Sacramento will be in a great position to pick two cornerstone pieces to kickstart the club’s rebuilding process.