Mavericks Pondering Offer For Ricky Rubio
The Mavericks may decide not to address their need at point guard through the draft, tweets Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. Fisher says the team has conducted “in-house talks” about making an offer to get Ricky Rubio from the Timberwolves.
Rubio, who still has two seasons and more than $29MM left on his contract, was recently the focus of trade talks involving the Knicks, who tried to obtain him before the February deadline. The 26-year-old averaged 11.1 points and 9.1 assists in 75 games this season.
Fisher doesn’t mention what the Mavericks might offer in return, but the move would point toward a strategy of trying to find veteran help for what could be Dirk Nowitzki‘s final season.
The Mavericks have also had discussions about drafting French point guard Frank Ntilikina, Fisher adds. The Knicks have expressed a strong interest in Ntilikina as well and are one pick in front of Dallas at No. 8.
Northwest Notes: Westbrook, Jazz, Karnišovas
While Kevin Durant left the Thunder to join the Warriors in pursuit of a championship, Enes Kanter does not believe Russell Westbrook will do the same, the Turkish big man said to Sports Illustrated. Durant’s move proved wise as he captured his first NBA championship this season, leaving behind a legacy in Oklahoma City.
Westbrook enjoyed a historic season in 2016/17, averaging a triple-double (the first since Oscar Robertson in 1962) and is possibly the Most Valuable Player Award winner. Statistics and accomplishments aside, Kanter feels Westbrook best quality is loyalty.
“One thing I saw about him is he’s a loyal guy,” Kanter said. “I understand he’s from L.A., he loves L.A., he goes to L.A. every summer, but he’s a loyal player. I think he’s gonna finish his career in Oklahoma City.”
Westbrook signed an extension with OKC for three-years, $85.7MM last August, so his immediate future remains with the Thunder. However, the Los Angeles native still has strong ties to his hometown and that could be a factor in his NBA future.
Below are additional notes around the Northwest Division:
- The Jazz were swept by the Warriors in the postseason and none of the games were particularly close. However, Durant joined The Bill Simmons’ Podcast and talked about the series being a difficult because of the team’s interior defense and athleticism. “They are going to be really good,” Durant said of the Jazz. “I like them if they keep everything, that’s the thing.”
- Artūras Karnišovas remained with the Nuggets and was promoted to general manager and he’s happy to stay, per Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports (links via Twitter). Karnišovas shared an amusing story of not being allowed in the Nuggets draft room while the Bucks were courting him for their GM opening.
- Former Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns spoke to USA Today’s
- Speaking of Minnesota, Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen has visited with the T’Wolves for a pre-draft workout, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (via Twitter).
Wolves Attending Smith's Pro Day; No Isaac Workout Scheduled
- On his Scoop podcast this week, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN said that he’s been told Jonathan Isaac is currently only working out for teams picking in the top four. According to Wolfson, Isaac’s camp could have a change of heart, but for now he has no interest in working out for the Timberwolves or any other team outside of the top four (link via Dan Feldman of NBC Sports).
- Point guard prospect Dennis Smith Jr. will have a Pro Day today, according to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, who tweets that the Timberwolves, Knicks, Mavericks, Hornets, Pistons, and Heat will be in attendance.
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.
Draft Notes: Tatum, Kennard, Jefferson, Allen
Duke’s Jayson Tatum worked out today in Los Angeles for the Suns, who will give him strong consideration with their No. 4 pick, writes Doug Haller of The Arizona Republic. The 6’8″ forward may be the most offensively talented player in the draft, but he has shortcomings on defense, which is the prime concern in Phoenix. Still, he is ranked fourth or fifth in most mock drafts and could easily wind up in a Suns uniform.
There’s more news from a busy day of draft workouts:
- Duke’s Luke Kennard wants teams to think of him as more than just a shooter. In a video posted on The Detroit News website, Kennard tells reporters he can handle the ball and has the physical strength to play in the NBA. He worked out for the Pistons today and has upcoming sessions with the Magic, Knicks, Mavericks and Hornets.
- Duke teammate Amile Jefferson is going through a workout marathon, relays Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Jefferson, who was part of a six-player session with the Hornets today, hopes to work out for about half the league’s 30 teams before draft day. “I love every minute of it,” Jefferson said. “This is the only chance you get to do something like this. From state to state, really introduce yourself and show off your talents to 15 or more teams in the NBA. I’m cherishing all these places. I’m really thankful for this opportunity.” He has also held workouts for the Timberwolves, Jazz, Knicks, Rockets and Nuggets, with six more on his schedule.
- Texas center Jarrett Allen, who worked out for the Kings today, is trying to develop a more consistent outside shot, relays Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Allen watched Game 4 of the NBA Finals with team officials Friday night and said he enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere. “I like how they understand it’s a really busy time,” Allen said, “so they’re just trying to get into a relaxed situation; it helps us out a lot more than people think.” Sacramento also held a six-player workout today with Joe Rahon of Saint Mary’s, Milton Doyle of Loyola, Matt Williams of Central Florida, Semi Ojeleye of SMU, RaShawn Thomas of Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Eric Mika of BYU. Zach Collins of Gonzaga is scheduled for a session on Sunday.
- Terrance Ferguson, who committed to Alabama and Arizona before playing last season in Australia, was among the players who worked out for the Trail Blazers today, relays Mike Richman of The Oregonian. He is considered to be a first-round talent who can contribute as a “3 and D” wing player. “Every NBA teams needs shooting,” he said. “…Shooting and a coachable player and defense. I think I can bring that to the table.” Ferguson has also worked out for the Lakers, Pacers, Bulls and Nuggets and has visits remaining with the Hornets, Heat, Pistons, Nets and Bucks.
Jarrett Allen Could Be Good Fit For Timberwolves
- The Timberwolves worked out Jarrett Allen on Wednesday and the Texas forward profiles as a good fit for the organization, Jerry Zgoda of the StarTribune writes. Allen has been projected in the 10th-20th range, below Minnesota’s current No. 7 overall selection, but the team could always trade down.
Bucks Ready To Start GM Interviews
The Bucks are finalizing their list of GM candidates with interviews expected to start Monday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Assistant GM Justin Zanik remains a strong candidate to replace John Hammond, who left to become GM of the Magic. Sources tell Wojnarowski that Zanik has strong support inside and outside the Bucks organization.
Others expected to interview for the position are Minnesota assistant GM Noah Croom, Indiana vice president of basketball operations Peter Dinwiddie, Detroit assistant GM Pat Garrity, Denver assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas and Memphis VP of player personnel Ed Stefanski. Many of the names were already known, but Croom is a new addition, Wojnarowski tweets.
Sources indicate that Bucks owners Marc Lasry and Wes Edens will participate in the interviews. An original list of candidates was trimmed by a search firm.
Wolves May Consider Dealing No. 7 Pick For Vet
A Tuesday report suggested that the Pistons are open to the idea of moving their No. 12 overall pick for a more established veteran, and Detroit may not be the only team with that idea. According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, there’s a belief that the Timberwolves – who currently hold the No. 7 pick – would move their lottery selection for a win-now veteran in the right deal.
Interestingly, both the Pistons and Timberwolves employ a head coach who also has the final say in basketball decisions, which is one reason why those clubs may be more inclined than others to get short-term help instead of looking too far down the road.
Suns, Wolves, Hawks Expected To Have Interest In Andre Iguodala
While Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant will receive most of the attention among the Warriors free-agents-to-be, Andre Iguodala is also on track to reach the open market this summer, and figures to draw interest around the NBA. League sources tell Ramona Shelburne and Chris Haynes of ESPN that the Suns, Timberwolves, and Hawks are expected to be among the teams with an eye on Iguodala this offseason.
Iguodala has seen his scoring numbers dip since joining the Warriors in 2013, but has been a crucial piece of the team’s rotation as a solid defender and passed with the ability to make the occasional three-point shot. In 2016/17, the veteran swingman came off the bench in 76 games, averaging 7.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, and a .528/.362/.706 shooting line. He’s a finalist for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Iguodala’s skill-set and veteran leadership would be valuable to a number of teams, and it will be tricky for the Warriors to keep him around is Durant opts out and wants to sign a full maximum salary contract. However, Durant is said to be open to the idea of accepting less than the max, which would allow Golden State to hang onto Iguodala’s Bird rights and go over the cap to re-sign him.
Given the success Iguodala and the Warriors have enjoyed together in recent years, I’d expect Golden State to be the strong frontrunner to sign him to a new deal in July. If the Dubs hesitate at all though, there should be no shortage of rival suitors ready to swoop in with strong offers.
New D-League Team To Be Known As Iowa Wolves
- The Timberwolves announced on Tuesday that their new NBA D-League affiliate in Des Moines will be known as the Iowa Wolves, per the team’s official website. The T-Wolves finalized the purchase of the NBADL organization, formerly known as the Iowa Energy, on May 3.
- The Timberwolves announced on Tuesday that their new NBA D-League affiliate in Des Moines will be known as the Iowa Wolves, per the team’s official website. The T-Wolves finalized the purchase of the NBADL organization, formerly known as the Iowa Energy, on May 3.
- Michael Rand of the Star Tribune examines the Timberwolves‘ options at point guard in light of recent reports from Ian Begley centering on Ricky Rubio and Derrick Rose.