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Draft Notes: Okafor, Upshaw, Vezenkov

May 20th, 2015 at 9:56pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Duke center Jahlil Okafor is more concerned about finding the right fit than what draft spot he is selected at, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays. “I don’t know that I should go No. 1,” Okafor said to SI Now’s Maggie Gray. “I don’t care. I just want to go to the right environment for me and the right team. I think the hype about No. 1 is more for the fans.” With the recent report that Okafor prefers to go to the Lakers rather than the Wolves, Okafor’s statement could potentially be construed as the player angling to be bypassed by Minnesota in June’s draft in favor of Los Angeles, who holds the No. 2 overall pick, though that is merely my speculation.

Here’s the latest regarding the 2015 NBA Draft:

Big man Robert Upshaw has a wealth of potential, but him having been dismissed from two college teams due to substance abuse issues has put a damper on his draft stock, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes in his profile of the player. Upshaw is currently ranked as the No. 29 overall prospect by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) places him 38th.
Early second-round prospect Aleksandar Vezenkov, who is expected to withdraw from this year’s draft, is garnering interest from a number of European teams, Vezenkov’s agent Nick Lotsos told Sportal.bg (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). “So far some teams showed interest in Vezenkov but there are no concrete proposals yet. We are not in a hurry to decide the future. We’ll consider carefully what is the best for him to develop as a player. Barcelona? It is one of the teams interested and Aleksandar is interested as well, but as I’ve said it is too early,” Lotsos relayed.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com looked at a number of players, including Jerian Grant, Kristaps Porzingis, and Willie Cauley-Stein, who have improved their draft stock over the past year.
Draft prospect George Lucas, who is also known as George de Paula, said the hardest part of the draft combine was the interviews since he is still learning English, Kennedy writes in his profile of the player. “The language is the most hard,” Lucas said. “I’m trying to learn English the best that I can, so it’s a long process for me and I’m trying to communicate with other people. I’ve always had an English class since high school, but I haven’t had a lot of conversations with other people.”

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Thunder, Lopez

May 20th, 2015 at 5:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Timberwolves secured the top pick in Tuesday night’s NBA Draft lottery, and though the franchise is unlikely to trade the pick, team owner Glen Taylor indicated that the idea will at least be discussed internally, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes. “You never know what it could mean, if you could get the right one or two guys that could change your team,” Taylor said. “When you already have a bunch of young guys, you have to look at this type of stuff. But I think it’s a very hard decision to make.”

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Wolves owner also noted that the Cavs were reluctant to part with Andrew Wiggins, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, in the deal for Kevin Love, Berger adds. “They didn’t want to do that,” Taylor said. “I can tell you, because I ended up negotiating with their owner. They didn’t want to do that, because you just don’t know how good Wiggins could be in the future and you’re going to hear about that forever and ever and ever. So I think it’s probably highly unlikely, but I think it’s part of the discussion.”
The Thunder achieved payroll flexibility as a result of the James Harden trade, and while the deal hasn’t resulted in an NBA title as a result, it has allowed the franchise to add a number of useful players to its roster, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes.
Robin Lopez is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and the big man indicated that he would like to return to the Blazers for the 2015/16 campaign, Mike Richman of The Oregonian writes. “Nothing’s 100% certain,” Lopez said. “Obviously I’ve loved my time here in Portland. I would love to come back. I’d be very open to coming back, but it’s hard to say 100%. You just never know what’s going to happen.“
With the Timberwolves having secured the top overall pick in June, Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders breaks down Minnesota’s potential choices and what each player could bring to the franchise. The three players who make the most sense for the franchise to potentially take are Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, or Emmanuel Mudiay, Brigham opines.

Northwest Notes: Okafor, Towns, Thunder, Gee

May 20th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities believes Jahlil Okafor is the guy at No. 1 for the Timberwolves (Twitter link), who won last night’s lottery, though he cautions that nothing is set in stone. That jibes with the feeling Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune had as of a week ago, when he said he thought the Wolves would go with the Duke center. However Chad Ford of ESPN.com and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress top their mock drafts with the Wolves picking Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns instead. Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders played coy Tuesday night, not even deigning to narrow the field to those two, Zgoda notes.

“It’s not that simple,” Saunders said. “We have an idea but there are a lot of different directions we can go. … We have to rely on our ability to select the right players. This will give us great flexibility. Every spot you move up in the draft, you have more control over what’s going to happen and you have more people talking to you.”

Saunders did make it clear that the team almost certainly won’t trade the pick, as Zgoda relays. Here’s more from the Northwest:

Persistent rumors indicate that Jahlil Okafor has his heart set on becoming a Laker, according to Givony, who wonders if agent Bill Duffy, who also represents Andrew Wiggins and who is college buddies with Saunders, will let Okafor work out for the Wolves.
Thunder GM Sam Presti is pleased with the depth of the draft and said that while he’ll have exploratory talks about trading the team’s pick, at No. 14 overall, with all sorts of teams, he’d probably wait until draft night to make a move if he indeed makes one. Presti made those comments and many others to Royce Young of Daily Thunder, who provides a full transcript of their conversation.
Alonzo Gee has been on the roster of a half dozen NBA teams in the past 12 months, but Joe Freeman of The Oregonian will be surprised if he sticks in Portland with a tumultuous summer ahead for the Blazers, as Freeman writes in a roundtable piece examining Gee’s future. Gee becomes an unrestricted free agent in July.

And-Ones: Calipari, Wolves, Knicks

May 19th, 2015 at 10:36pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Knicks were the only team to fall in the draft lottery, sliding to the No. 4 overall pick. GM Steve Mills said that the team could still nab a good player at that spot, but also noted the team would listen to trade offers for the pick, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com relays (Twitter links). Mills also said that the team would likely select a guard or a wing in the draft, which will cause New York to target big men via the free agent market, Begley adds.

Here’s more from around the league:

South Korean prospect Jong-Hyun Lee will remain in the 2015 NBA draft, his agent Mike Naiditch told Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Twitter links). Lee is completing his military service and will be available for workouts after June 13th, Sierra adds. The 21-year-old isn’t currently projected to be selected in June’s draft, and he is the No. 47 ranked international prospect according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
There were conflicting reports earlier today regarding Kentucky coach John Calipari‘s desire to make the jump to the NBA with the Pelicans. Calipari issued a statement denying his interest, and Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link) notes that while Coach Cal is a master of putting a spin on news reports, the ESPN scribe doesn’t believe he’ll end up in New Orleans next season.
Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders said that winning the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery will give the team flexibility, but the franchise won’t trade the pick, Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets.
The Thunder are still high on their domestic draft-and-stash pick Josh Huestis, who made a D-League arrangement with the franchise prior to having been selected with the No. 29 pick in last year’s NBA draft, Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman relays (Twitter links). When asked if Huestis would be on the team’s roster next season, GM Sam Presti said, “He’s someone that we think very highly of. We think he has a future with the team. He could be [on the roster] as early as next season.“

Ricky Rubio’s Camp Pushing For Trade?

May 19th, 2015 at 2:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:28pm: Rubio’s camp isn’t making any such push in the wake of this season, Wolfson clarifies (on Twitter). Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune nonetheless believes that Fegan has probably wanted a Rubio trade for a while and probably negotiated the extension with the knowledge that other teams would be willing to take on the revised terms of Rubio’s contract in a swap (Twitter links).

1:24pm: Ricky Rubio‘s camp has been pushing for a trade for some time, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in his weekly chat with readers. However, the push isn’t as strong as it was before the point guard signed a four-year, $55MM extension this past fall, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). That deal triggered the Poison Pill Provision, which would make it difficult for any trade to meet the salary-matching requirements between the time the sides signed the extension and the end of June this year.

The Wolves are in the midst of a rebuilding project, having compiled the league’s worst record, though the presence of Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, who made Minnesota the only franchise with two All-Rookie Team selections this year, together with Rubio, signal a brighter future. Still, it’s not entirely clear if the team’s chances of winning are the reason why Rubio’s people have apparently wanted a swap.

Minnesota and the Dan Fegan client closed a large gap in extension negotiations between Rubio’s apparent initial ask of the max and Minnesota’s original four-year, $44MM figure. The Kings asked the Wolves about the idea of trading for Rubio prior to the extension, as Wolfson reported months ago, but it’s not clear just how strong the trade market for the former No. 5 overall pick would be at this point, after yet another injury-shortened season. Rubio played in only 22 games and shot 25.5% from behind the three-point line this season, both career lows. He missed 25 games in each of his first two NBA seasons before playing all 82 in 2013/14.

Northwest Notes: Garnett, Aldridge, Abrines

May 19th, 2015 at 11:20am CST by Chuck Myron

The Timberwolves got their apparent wish to receive Thaddeus Young in the final version of the Kevin Love trade instead of the Heat’s protected first-round pick this year, and Minnesota flipped Young for Kevin Garnett at this year’s trade deadline. The Sixers, who ended up with that protected Miami pick instead, have about a 9% chance to end up with it as a lottery pick this year, as the lottery odds show. Still, it’s more likely that it ultimately winds up going to Philadelphia next year as a late first-rounder, given the Heat’s strong chance to field a better team next season. Wolves coach and president of basketball operations Flip Saunders doesn’t have any regrets about trading for a aging superstar who’s mentoring rookies and veterans alike, as he told Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck in part two of a lengthy oral history on Garnett.

“What KG brings, the other things, how he might help these other guys analytically be better, is more important than a low first-round pick or whatever it is,” Saunders said.

Here’s more from around the Northwest Division:

LaMarcus Aldridge finally had the surgery on his left thumb that he put off in late January, the Trail Blazers announced. He’s expected to be able to return to basketball activity in about eight weeks, and while that would carry into July, when he’s set to become a free agent, it shouldn’t affect his stock, given how well he played while he was dealing with the injury, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Spurs, Mavs, Knicks, Lakers and Celtics are reportedly among the teams gearing up for a run at the Blazers star.
Thunder draft-and-stash prospect Alex Abrines has officially signed an extension with Barcelona of Spain that carries through the 2018/19 season, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Orazio Cauchi). Jose Ignacio Huguet of Mundo Deportivo first reported the deal, though it remains unclear what sort of NBA outs, if any, are in the contract.
The Thunder let some of the top shooting prospects know that shooting is an area of need for the team, and Oklahoma City’s interviews at the combine also revealed that the club is focusing on point guards, as The Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry examines.

Wiggins, Mirotic, Noel Lead All-Rookie Teams

May 18th, 2015 at 1:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

Andrew Wiggins was a unanimous All-Rookie First-Team selection, the league announced as it revealed the media voting results for the honors. Nikola Mirotic was the second-leading vote-getter, followed by Nerlens Noel, Elfrid Payton and Jordan Clarkson, all of whom comprise the first team. Marcus Smart, Zach LaVine, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jusuf Nurkic and Langston Galloway make up the second team.

Wiggins far outpaced all other contenders for Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 16.9 points in 36.2 minutes per game this season for the Timberwolves, who acquired the 2014 No. 1 overall pick in the Kevin Love trade. Minnesota, which finished with the league’s worst record this season and has a 25% chance to win the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, is the only team to place two players on the All-Rookie teams, with LaVine on the second team despite having garnered 22 first-team votes. Every member of the second team received at least three first-team votes.

Payton, the 10th overall selection, is the only first-round pick from 2014 to appear on the first team. Mirotic was a draft-and-stash selection from 2011, Noel was the sixth overall pick in 2013 but qualified as a rookie this season because he sat out all of 2013/14 with injury, and Clarkson was the 46th pick last year, having gone overlooked through all of the first round and half of the second.

Galloway made the second team despite having gone undrafted and not having made his debut until January 7th, after he had signed a 10-day contract with the Knicks. New York followed up with another 10-day deal and finally a multiyear pact for the surprisingly effective point guard.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Lottery, Durant

May 17th, 2015 at 11:55am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Wolves have done a lot of background work on Kevon Looney and he could be a potential target if Minnesota decides to trade into the back-end of the first round, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities speculates (Twitter link). The Wolves own the 36th overall pick in the draft as a result of the Corey Brewer trade in addition to the 31st selection, so they have the ammunition to trade up if they choose to.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune chronicles Minnesota’s poor luck in the lottery. The Wolves have 18 previous lottery experiences, but they have never moved up in the draft and have moved back 10 times. The team has a 25% chance at the top selection this year and is guaranteed to pick no lower than fourth.
Kevin Durant will become a free agent next offseason and Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman believes his impending decision will linger over the team for the next 14 months. Slater compares the potential situation to the Heat in 2011 when LeBron James first joined and this year’s Cavs.
The Thunder’s defensive shortcomings this season should, in part, be attributed to Durant’s absence, Slater argues in a separate piece. The team has a 99.5 defensive rating during the 913 minutes that the forward played this season. Oklahoma City defensive rating jumped to 104.3 without last season’s MVP on the court. The Thunder seem to be prioritizing offense over defense, particularly outside shooting, in this year’s draft.

Northwest Notes: Freeland, Jazz, Draft

May 15th, 2015 at 9:39pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Center Joel Freeland can become a restricted free agent this summer if the Blazers tender him a qualifying offer worth $3,766,890, and Sean Meagher of the Oregonian, along with a panel of writers, runs down the case for the team to retain the big man. While Freeland’s numbers don’t stand out, he can be a solid backup when healthy, the panel notes. Working against Freeland is the fact that he is relatively easy to replace, though there is mutual interest in the 28-year-old returning to Rip City next season, the writers add.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Jazz interviewed UNLV’s Christian Wood, Arizona’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Chris McCullough of Syracuse, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune relays in a series of tweets. Also scoring an interview with Utah was Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant, Jones adds.
Arizona forward Stanley Johnson is set to interview with representatives from the Jazz on Saturday, Jones tweets.
The Jazz also have an interest in Cameron Payne, and the team is expected to bring him in for an individual workout, Jones adds (Twitter link). Utah also wants to schedule individual workouts with Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky and Kansas swingman Kelly Oubre, Jones relays.
The Trail Blazers interviewed Arkansas’ Bobby Portis and Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell, both forwards, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com relays (Twitter links).
Duke point guard Tyus Jones met with the Timberwolves today, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune writes. Jones, who is a native of Minnesota, dished on his excitement about joining the NBA, Zgoda relays. “Every kid who plays basketball dreams it, but it’s one of those things that might not seem realistic,” Jones said. “You don’t necessarily see a lot of guys from Minnesota go to the NBA. Especially for me, being out of Apple Valley, it doesn’t seem like it’s possible. But it’s just one of those things: If you work hard, put your mind to something, you can do it. I’m proud to be from Apple Valley, Minnesota, and I’m very excited about this opportunity.”

Draft Notes: Lyles, Anderson, Wood

May 14th, 2015 at 5:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The 2015 NBA Draft combine is underway in Chicago and Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) offers up a primer for all of the scheduled events. The return of five-on-five play to the event has scouts and GMs excited, but that anticipation is tempered by the fact that only one player ranked in the top 30 — Terry Rozier, will be participating in the scrimmages, Ford notes.

Here’s more regarding the 2015 NBA Draft:

Kyle Tucker of The Courier-Journal caught up with ESPN’s Chad Ford to talk about the Kentucky Wildcats’ seven NBA Draft hopefuls. Ford spoke highly of Trey Lyles, but says that he needs to prove himself in workouts between now and the draft.
Former Virgina swingman Justin Anderson met with the Celtics today, and the player has a workout scheduled with the team on June 1st, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets.
The Wolves interviewed UNLV big man Christian Wood, and are also expected to sit down with Texas center Myles Turner, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets.
Arizona forward Stanley Johnson interviewed with the Hornets today, and Johnson touted himself as “the best two-way player in the draft,” Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer notes (Twitter link).
Former Syracuse forward Rakeem Christmas met with the Bucks, Magic, and Suns today, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Twitter links). Christmas is also scheduled to workout for the Sixers, but he will not interview with the team at the combine, Pompey notes.
Projected second-rounder J.P. Tokoto interviewed with the Cavaliers, Clippers, and Pistons on Wednesday, Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays (via Twitter). The guard met with the Hawks, Nets, and Mavs today, Gardner adds.