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.
Cavs Unlikely To Draft Nerlens Noel?
The Cavs front office is free to do what they want with in free agency and in the draft, but they have a mandate from owner Dan Gilbert to make the playoffs this season, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (via Twitter) hears. With pressure to win right away, it's now unlikely that the Cavs take Nerlens Noel with the No. 1 pick (link).
While the Kentucky product is regarded by some as the best talent in the 2013 draft, but he'll be on the shelf for quite a while as he recovers from an ACL tear. That could point the Cavs in Otto Porter's direction since they are also said to be enamored with him. It may also prompt the club to trade the No. 1 pick, but things have been quiet on that front so far.
Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Heat, McGrady
According to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game, the Grizzlies' current ownership is in a serendipitous position to save money by honoring a bizarre clause in some assistant coach contracts (Sulia link). Usually, the playoff winnings from the NBA are shared with a team's players and personnel after postseason success. But former owner Michael Heisley negotiated deals with some assistant coaches that awarded a flat bonus based on a small percentage of their regular salaries.
After the Grizzlies surprised many by reaching the Western Conference Finals, the resulting playoff shares are worth $70K or more, depending on how many shares the team elected to have. Under the Heisley terms, some assistant coaches are due only 1/7th of that amount.
Current Grizzlies principal owner, Robert Pera, is under no obligation to stray from the deals the previous regime negotiated, but as Bucher points out "sometimes there is a divide between what is acceptable and what is right." In the grand scheme of things, it's a paltry sum to pay for assistants who may not be back next season and who helped guide a Rudy Gay–less Grizzlies team far into the tough Western Conference playoff bracket.
With Lionel Hollins' future as the Grizzlies' head coach in doubt, a sign of good faith to his assistant coaches, who rightfully deserve a larger share of the playoff winnings than their current contract calls for, might be the move that tips the odds in favor of Hollins returning to the sidelines for the Grizzlies next season.
Here are some other links from around this quiet NBA Saturday night before the Heat and Spurs do battle in Game 2 of the NBA Finals tomorrow:
- Speaking of this current Heat team, assistant coach David Fizdale is a hot commodity in the NBA’s coaching market with his team in the NBA Finals for the third straight year this June. Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel says the 38-year-old Heat assistant would consider a head coaching job despite still having a year left on his contract with the Heat.
- Cheap labor is the key to the future for the Heat, writes Winderman. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh all have an opt-out clause in their contracts for the summer of 2014, so surrounding those three stars with talent that doesn’t break the bank is the key for the Heat to continue their dominance of the Eastern Conference.
- Alex Kennedy spoke with Tracy McGrady about sticking around for so long and reaching his first NBA Finals as the 12th man on the Spurs despite the absence of some of his former NBA peers, like Stephon Marbury and Gilbert Arenas. Kennedy also has some terrific McGrady quotes via Twitter updates from tonight, including one about the NBA's age requirement (McGrady was drafted out of Mount Zion Christian Academy in 1997).
- David Mayo at MLive believes Pistons general manager Joe Dumars deserves to pick the new Pistons head coach despite the presence of Phil Jackson as a consultant. Whomever becomes the new head coach could go a long way towards determining who is really in power for the Pistons, and with Maurice Cheeks expected to be announced as the new head coach some time this weekend, it seems Dumars' days with the Pistons may continue.
- ShamSports has an update on all the available salary cap room teams have this offseason with cap holds included.
- Danny Schayes of SheridanHoops.com on the inanity of all the coaching turnover this offseason.
- Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee says new Kings owner Vivek Ranadive hasn’t met face-to-face with mercurial star DeMarcus Cousins. (Twitter links)
- Mary Schmitt Boyer in her mailbag column for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, answers how all the Cavs’ offseason salary cap moves will affect the team.
Draft Notes: Cavs, Gobert, Nedovic
We could see an awful lot of movement in this year’s NBA draft based on this morning’s news alone. First, we learned that the Bucks and Wizards have explored a deal involving Ersan Ilyasova and the No. 3 pick. Then, it was reported that the Magic are open to trading the No. 2 pick and moving down in the draft in order to get some NBA-ready talent in return. Here’s the latest on the 2013 draft..
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports (via Twitter) is pretty sure that the Cavs will draft a backup point guard if they keep their second round picks.
- Center Rudy Gobert withdrew from the Adidas Eurocamp, citing illness, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (via Twitter). The French center, who is a likely first round pick, has been working out in the U.S. in advance of the draft.
- Two NBA execs compared Nemanja Nedovic to a poor man’s Russell Westbrook, tweets Howard-Cooper. The Serbian point guard obviously isn’t of the same talent level but has a similar kind of game in that he gets to the rim and plays aggressive defense. Nedovic, who is pegged for the second round, needs to improve his shooting.
Draft Updates: Saric, Cavs, McLemore, Workouts
Yesterday, ESPN.com's Chad Ford reported that Croatian forward Dario Saric was leaning toward withdrawing from this year's draft, a surprising stance given how much his stock has risen in recent weeks. Today, Michael McNamara of Bourbon Street Blues passes along an email he received from Saric's agent, Robert Jablan, which reads:
"We make decision this morning that we will withdraw Dario from the 2013 draft."
We have yet to hear officially that Saric has pulled his name out of this year's draft class, and it's possible something was lost in translation. But it certainly appears as if Saric is leaning in that direction. He still has 10 days to make a final decision, so while we wait for the official word on the potential lottery pick, let's check out a few more draft-related updates:
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reports that the Cavaliers are "seriously dissecting" the possibility of drafting Ben McLemore first overall, though he cautions that the team is far from decided on what it'll do with the pick (Twitter links). I'd be surprised if Cleveland eventually decided on McLemore — it sounds to me as if the team is just covering all its bases.
- The latest Insider-only blog from Ford at ESPN.com is full of good info, including updates on Saric, Nerlens Noel, Trey Burke, and a handful of other prospects.
- Anthony Bennett is unable to work out due to a rotator cuff injury, but he will meet with the Wizards next week, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
- Lorenzo Brown, Myck Kabongo, Allen Crabbe, Jeff Withey, and Mike Muscala will work out for the Knicks on Monday, according to the team's official PR Twitter feed.
- The Suns' workout today included C.J. Leslie, Matthew Dellavedova, Ian Hummer, Korie Lucious, Rodney McGruder, and Phil Pressey, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter).
- Michael Carter-Williams intends to visit the Magic soon for a meeting and workout, tweets Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
- Larry Drew II, E.J. Singler, Ian Clark, Ed Daniel, Trevor Mbakwe and Glen Rice Jr. worked out for the Trail Blazers today, according to a tweet from Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, who also reports that Cody Zeller is having an individual workout with Portland today.