Latest On Celtics-Sixers Deal
Saturday’s blockbuster deal that will allow the Sixers to draft Markelle Fultz validates “the process” that former GM Sam Hinkie brought to Philadelphia, writes Tim Cato of SB Nation. The Sixers were able to get the No. 1 pick from Boston in exchange for their own selection at No. 3 and the Lakers’ first-rounder next year, which will be conveyed only if it falls between No. 2 and No. 5, or the Kings’ first-rounder the following year. Hinkie’s philosophy of getting high draft picks and collecting assets gave Philadelphia the ammunition to make the deal, Cato notes. The Sixers now have a promising core of Fultz, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to build their future around.
There’s a lot more this morning as writers weigh in on the trade:
- The Sixers held a private workout with Fultz Saturday night before agreeing to the deal, and the Celtics weren’t notified that the trade was done before the news became public, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. He notes that the Celtics’ already crowded backcourt factored into their decision to pass on Fultz (Twitter link). Potential Boston draftees Josh Jackson and Lonzo Ball both turned down workouts with the team, so the Celtics haven’t seen either player in person (Twitter link). They watched Jayson Tatum during a session in Los Angeles.
- The trade happened five days before the draft because the Sixers and Celtics are both hoping to make other deals, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Fultz, who grew up in Maryland, told Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that he likes the idea of playing relatively close to home and being with a rising team like the Sixers. Sources told Pompey that Fultz was disappointed when Philadelphia failed to land the top pick at the lottery. “They have a young team, and I think the upside of it would be crazy,” Fultz said. “I’m close to home. So a lot of my family can come out and just show love, and this city has great fans.”
- The Celtics could have seven first-rounders over the next three drafts, tweets ESPN.com’s Chris Forsberg, who details the picks.
- On his website, Derek Bodner examines how the Sixers acquired the assets they used to land Fultz.
Latest On Sixers/Celtics Trade Talks
Yesterday we at Hoops Rumors passed along word of serious talks between the Celtics and 76ers concerning an exchange of picks No. 1 and No. 3 in next week’s draft. Here are some updates on the potential trade:
- Philadelphia’s 2018 unprotected first-round pick that was acquired from the Lakers has been part of the discussion, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The Sixers’ 2021 first-round pick is also possibly in play, tweets Wojnarowski.
- Markelle Fultz was scheduled to have a second meeting with the Celtics on Saturday, but that get-together was canceled, according to Keith Pompey and Bob Cooney of Philly.com.
- Talks are so far along that Fultz will work out for the Sixers later today, tweets Cooney. Fultz will work out for the Sixers at 6:00 P.M. EST and plans to speak to the media afterward, tweets Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com.
- While Boston and Philly may come to an agreement, the trade likely will not be done until draft night, according to Pompey (link via Twitter). In a subsequent tweet, Pompey explains why (Twitter link). If the Lakers draft Josh Jackson second overall, the trade will likely be of no use to the Celtics, who covet the small forward from Kansas.
- Despite Pompey’s timetable, Wojnarowski tweets that the Sixers and Celtics could finalize their trade after Fultz’s workout with Philadelphia on Saturday.
Pacific Notes: James, Collison, Labissiere
After LeBron James and the Cavaliers lost to the Warriors in the NBA Finals, talk of Akron, Ohio, native leaving Cleveland for a second time in free agency after next season has grown. Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical has mentioned on his podcast that King James is interested in heading out west to join either the Lakers of Clippers.
Joining either team presents a unique set of obstacles and Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus examined which team makes for sense for the three-time NBA champion. Suiting up for the Lakers seems more viable financially as Pincus notes the team can make a series of moves to come up with James’ $35.7 million maximum salary. Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov — if there’s no trade interest — could be waived and have their combined $69.5 MM salary stretched out over five years at $13.9 million per season.
The Clippers, however, would have a tougher time financially, especially if the team retains Chris Paul and Blake Griffin this offseason. Paul, Griffin, James, and DeAndre Jordan represent a fierce group of talent but to make that foursome work financially, everyone involved would likely need to agree to reduced salaries. Either way, James possibly leaving Cleveland will involve a lot of hurdles that could stall or fully prevent a move out west.
Here are some additional tidbits out of the Pacific Division:
- Darren Collison is a free agent this offseason and the Kings‘ decisions in the NBA Draft with fifth and 10th overall picks will determine his future, Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has been on five teams and demonstrated his capabilities of being a productive player but the Kings — who are looking for point guard help in the draft — may head in a different direction.
- In a separate Sacramento Bee piece, Jason Jones believes that the Kings should not take Skal Labissiere‘s strong numbers last season as a guarantee that the team is set at power forward. If an upgrade presents itself in the draft, Jones recommends that Sacramento pursue all available options.
Pacific Notes: Gay, Inglewood, Clarkson
Expect Rudy Gay to pursue a playoff contender this offseason, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes, even if that takes him away from the Kings. The veteran could serve a valuable role with a competitive team given his proven ability to score the ball but where does that leave Sacramento?
That Gay is expecting to test the market is nothing new, he said as much last September. Not even the early season success that the Kings enjoyed in 2016/17 or the shroud of uncertainty cast when the forward tore his Achilles midseason could dissuade him from betting on himself in the open market.
Gay’s absence in the latter half of last campaign revealed the fact that whether Gay is on the sidelines or with another franchise altogether the Kings are in desperate need of a forward with size. Undersized shooting guards, Jones says, only compromise head coach Dave Joerger‘s defense.
The team has in-house options to audition at the 3, including 2016 first-rounder Malachi Richardson, but would be wise to target players like Jayson Tatum or Justin Jackson in the upcoming NBA Draft. Kings draft-and-stash prospect Bogdan Bogdanovic could ultimately address the need as well, Jones adds.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- As we wrote about earlier in the week, the Clippers have made progress in their attempts to build a new stadium. The project, however, won’t be without its hurdles. Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times details a statement issued on behalf of the Forum accusing the city of Inglewood and the franchise of “backroom dealing”.
- North Carolina power forward Isaiah Hicks (projected at No. 56 by NBADraft.net) headlined a batch of prospects that the Lakers worked out Friday. Joey Ramirez of the Lakers’ official website has scouting reports on all involved.
- Despite the fact that his name is often floated in trade rumors, Jordan Clarkson is determined to keep his head down and keep grinding. Mark Medina of the Orange County Register writes that, if the Lakers draft a point guard, D’Angelo Russell could slide over to Clarkson’s natural position at the 2.
Lakers Maintain Brandon Ingram Is Not Available
The Lakers reportedly haven’t ruled out the possibility of trading this year’s second overall pick, but last year’s No. 2 pick is staying put. The Lakers have maintained during recent discussions with teams that Brandon Ingram is not available, according to Mark Medina of The Orange County Register.
Ingram’s status doesn’t come as a surprise, as 2016’s second overall pick was viewed as perhaps the only untouchable player on the Lakers’ roster heading into the team’s first offseason with Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka at the helm. Although Ingram’s rookie season wasn’t exceptional, the Lakers are encouraged by the “steady growth” he has shown with his defense, shooting, and aggressiveness, per Medina.
In 79 games (40 starts) last year, Ingram averaged 9.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 2.1 APG. The former Duke Blue Devil looked better down the stretch — after entering the starting lineup for good on February 6, he averaged 12.2 PPG and shot 46.6% from the field. He had made just 35.9% of his field goal attempts up until that point.
Medina also reports that the Lakers have heard from prospects that they would like to play alongside Ingram, who is still just 19 years old.
Lakers Rumors: No. 2 Pick, Ball, Kennard
On Thursday, we learned that the Lakers are “taking and making calls” about the No. 2 overall pick, and according to ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider-only link), one scenario in particular has piqued the team’s interest. Ford reports that the Lakers have had internal discussions about trading back to No. 4 if the Suns are willing to offer them a 2018 first-round pick. The Suns are currently in line to have two first-rounders next year, with Miami’s top-seven protected pick coming their way, but that’d still be a steep price to move up two spots.
According to Ford, the Lakers are unwilling to trade their No. 2 overall pick if it involves dropping out of the top five entirely, since they want to land at least one prospect with star potential next Thursday. The most likely scenario involves the team simply keeping the pick, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, who hears from team sources that a trade remains a long shot.
- Lonzo Ball, who will work out for the Lakers again on Friday, is considering talking to other lottery teams that want to meet with him, according to Ramona Shelburne. Ball’s preference is to land in Los Angeles, but if the team doesn’t give him any indication after Friday’s meeting that he has “separated himself” from other contenders for that No. 2 pick, he may explore more options, per Shelburne.
- Former Duke sharpshooter Luke Kennard is starting to be considered alongside several second-tier prospects in this draft, according to Chad Ford, who reports that the Knicks are “seriously considering” Kennard at No. 8. One GM tells Ford that his team has Kennard ranked higher than Monk on its board, while a Lakers source says Kennard would be the favorite for L.A. if the club could acquire a second top-10 pick.
Pacific Notes: Griffin, Divac, Suns Pre-Draft Workouts
The Clippers could be a drastically different team next season as Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and J.J. Redick could leave for greener pastures this offseason. While Paul is a long shot to depart, Griffin and Redick are far from guaranteed to stay in Los Angeles. James Blancarte of Basketball Insiders examines Griffin’s options as he considers potential suitors.
The Celtics are an intriguing possibility as they have the No.1 pick in the NBA Draft, a budding superstar in Isaiah Thomas, and a young core of talented assets. Griffin, 28, can think long-term with a younger team in Boston and if Thomas departs after next season, he could become the primary option in Beantown.
Additionally, the Heat are a possibility as the team’s history luring LeBron James and Chris Bosh to Miami shows a commitment to winning. While the Heat lack Boston’s young assets, Blancarte explains that playing under Erik Spoelstra — who is known to bring out the best in his players — and being the definitive centerpiece in South Beach is an appealing proposition.
Here are additional links around the Pacific Division:
- The Kings own the fifth and 10th overall picks in the draft and general manager Vlade Divac broke down the team’s strategy heading into next Thursday’s event. Speaking to the Sacramento Bee, Divac explained that the team is confident the fifth pick will yield a player the team likes and that a trade to move up in the draft would cause more headache than results.
- The Kings are set to welcome Kobi Simmons (Arizona), Derrick Walton (Michigan), Troy Caupain (Cincinnati), T.J. Cline (Richmond), Jacob Wiley (Eastern Michigan), Reggie Upshaw (Middle Tennessee), and Ivan Rabb (California) for pre-draft workouts tomorrow.
- FSU’s Jonathan Isaac and Gonzaga’s Zach Collins worked out for the Suns earlier this week and told reporters, including Doug Haller of The Arizona Republic, about their experience.
Lakers Taking, Making Calls Involving No. 2 Pick
The Lakers have been “taking and making calls” in recent weeks about the possibility of trading their No. 2 overall pick, a source tells Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. According to Ganguli, in addition to having trade scenarios presented to them, the Lakers have offered their own.
With Markelle Fultz expected to come off the board first, the Lakers would likely have their choice of players like Lonzo Ball, De’Aaron Fox, and Josh Jackson at No. 2. The club has shown real interest in all three of those players, bringing them to Los Angeles for workouts and meeting them elsewhere.
[RELATED: Lonzo Ball to meet with Lakers again on Friday]
If the Lakers decide they’d be happy with any of those players – or another top prospect – it would make sense for the team to attempt to move down a little in the draft order and pick up some extra assets in the process. There have been rumblings that the Kings (No. 5) might like to move up to land one of the top point guards in the draft, and at least one report has suggested the Suns (No. 4) are hoping Ball falls to them.
As for what sort of asset the Lakers might be able to acquire if they agree to move down, there are a number of possibilities. While picking up an extra draft pick or a player would be the most logical move, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the club tries to attach a player with an expensive contract – such as Luol Deng or Timofey Mozgov – to their No. 2 pick in any deal.
Lakers Hoping OG Anunoby Falls To No. 28?
Elsewhere in his piece, Deveney provides updates on OG Anunoby and Luke Kennard, writing that the Lakers are holding out hope that Anunoby will fall to them at No. 28, though he’s receiving interest from plenty of teams picking earlier. As for Kennard, one scout who spoke to Deveney wasn’t overly bullish on Kennard’s ability to sneak into the top 10.
Draft Notes: Josh Jackson, Fultz, Smith Jr., Heat
Kansas forward Josh Jackson paid a visit to Kings today, but didn’t go through a workout, tweets Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Jackson is expected to be one of the first players selected next week and probably won’t be around for Sacramento’s pick at No. 5. There have been rumors that the Kings would like to move up, but a report today said they aren’t willing to give the Sixers the fifth and 10th picks to get No. 3.
There’s more from a full day of draft workouts:
- Washington’s Markelle Fultz, projected as the top pick, has decided not to visit the Kings, according to Voisin (Twitter link).
- Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer examines which top three team might have given Jackson a guarantee. A report Monday by John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 suggested that either the Celtics, Lakers or Sixers has promised to take Jackson if he’s still on the board when their pick comes up. Jackson canceled a workout this week with Boston and agreed to a second session in L.A.
- Along with a second workout for Lonzo Ball, the Lakers will audition six other players on Friday, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Their names have not been released.
- North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr. may be in danger of slipping on draft night, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. However, some members of Philadelphia’s front office are intrigued by Smith and the team may trade down to get him, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now.
- UCLA’s T.J. Leaf will visit Miami on Thursday to work out for the Heat, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The Heat see him as a stretch four who can hit 3-pointers and rebound and will give him serious consideration with their No. 14 pick, Jackson adds.
- Duke’s Harry Giles canceled a workout with the Heat that was scheduled for Thursday, Jackson relays in the same story.
- Kentucky’s Bam Adebayo will be part of a group workout for the Nuggets on Friday, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
- The Nuggets will host six players Thursday, the team announced in an email. Participating will be Florida’s Canyon Barry, Air Force’s Hayden Graham, Miami’s Kamari Murphy, Baylor’s Johnathan Motley, Arizona’s Kobi Simmons and Gonzaga’s Nigel Williams-Goss.
- Wisconsin’s Bronson Koenig, who has upcoming sessions with the Lakers and Warriors, is impressing teams with his shooting, Scotto relays (Twitter link).
- Creighton’s Cole Huff has workouts set for the Celtics on Thursday and the Lakers on Monday, tweets Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.
- North Carolina’s Justin Jackson has workouts lined up with the Knicks, Hornets, Bucks and Trail Blazers, according to Begley.
- Jackson will be part of a Pacers workout Thursday, along with Clemson’s Jaron Blossomgame, Houston’s Damyean Dotson, Marquette’s Luke Fischer, Vanderbilt’s Luke Kornet and Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell, the team announced on its website.
- Northeastern’s T.J. Williams has an upcoming workout with the Knicks and has already auditioned for the Jazz, Lakers, Clippers, Timberwolves and Raptors, Begley writes in a separate piece.
- Iowa’s Peter Jok, IUPUI’s Darell Combs, Syracuse’s Andrew White III, Connecticut’s Amida Brimah, Siena’s Marquis Wright and Lehigh’s Tim Kempton Jr. will work out Thursday for the Wizards, the team announced on its official blog.
- The Hawks hosted six players for a workout earlier today, according to the team. Participants were Kempton, California’s Jabari Bird, Loyola-Chicago’s Milton Doyle, Gonzaga’s Przemek Karnowski, Middle Tennessee State’s Reggie Upshaw and Colorado’s Derrick White.
- Six players worked out today for the Jazz, the team tweeted. On hand were Indiana’s James Blackmon, Dayton’s Charles Cooke, Weber State’s Jeremy Senglin, Eastern Washington’s Jake Wiley, Alabama’s Jimmie Taylor and Texas A&M CC’s Rashawn Thomas.