Northwest Notes: Borrego, Tomic, Williams
The Thunder and James Borrego are in talks for the former Magic interim coach to join Billy Donovan‘s coaching staff in Oklahoma City, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports. The 37-year-old coach was recently replaced in Orlando by Scott Skiles, who has offered Borrego the opportunity to remain with the Magic as an assistant, Stein adds. But the Thunder and the Magic may have competition for his services, with the Pelicans also expressing interest in adding Borrego to the team’s coaching staff, the ESPN scribe notes.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Jazz draft-and-stash prospect Ante Tomic is still waffling on whether or not to leave FC Barcelona for the NBA, Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. “It’s neither yes nor no,” Tomic told Gigantes.com when asked about his NBA plans. “It’s difficult to summarize. Sometimes I see myself there and others no. I still have time to think it over.” Tomic, who had previously suggested that this offseason was likely going to be his last opportunity to enter the NBA, was reported to be considering signing a three year extension with Barcelona back in April.
- The extra benefit that the Thunder will receive from adding former Pelicans coach Monty Williams to Donovan’s staff is his strong relationship with forward Kevin Durant, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman writes. The two men bonded during their time spent last summer with Team USA, Slater notes. “We’d always been around each other, but we’ve never talked,” Williams said. “When we talked this summer, we realized how much we had in common. His mom I think went to my high school. I think Kevin is a wonderful person and is always doing the right thing. We just had some really good conversations about life and basketball.” Durant is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, so any advantage that OKC can garner in regards to retaining its star is certainly a boon to the franchise.
Q&A With Michigan St. Forward Branden Dawson
Throughout the spring and summer, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with Michigan State forward Branden Dawson, whom Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks No. 87 in this year’s class (Chad Ford of ESPN.com does not have him ranked in his top 100 list).
No. 7 seed Michigan State upset a number of teams this spring on its way to a Final Four appearance thanks in large part to the play of forward Branden Dawson. Throughout his career at Michigan State, Dawson has been a key cog on the team, ascending from a ~20 minute per night player to a starring role. Now, after earning his degree, Dawson is turning his attention to the NBA. Dawson spoke with Hoops Rumors last week about his collegiate career and how his skill set will translate at the next level.
Zach Links: At 6’7″ with a 6’11” wingspan, you have size that could translate to either playing small forward or something of an undersized power forward. What position do you think suits you best in the NBA?
Branden Dawson: I would say the small forward position is my best position. I can play either the 3 or the 4, but I think I do better at the 3. I played small forward for the first three years at Michigan State and I find that I can use my strength and my size as an advantage there. Still, if you put me at the 4, I’m going to be faster than most other power forwards.
ZL: Between your athleticism and your wingspan, do you feel like you’re equipped to guard multiple positions at the next level?
BD: Yeah. I have the length and the mobility to do that. I can be strong and physical but also speedy enough to stay in front of smaller guys. I feel like I’m pretty versatile in that regard.
ZL: With serious leaping ability and speed, do you feel like you can out-rebound taller opponents pretty regularly?
BD: That’s something I was able to do in college a lot, but that’s not how it’s going to be in the NBA because you’re going against other elite athletes. I’m not going to be able to rebound how I did in college every single night, but I can definitely do quality work on the glass.
ZL: This year you helped lead Michigan State, a seven seed, all the way to the Final Four. What was it like to go out on such a high note?
BD: It meant a lot to me. Just to make it to a Final Four, it meant so much. Last year we had Adreian [Payne] leading the way and we still came up short of the Final Four, so we wanted to accomplish that. At the same time, a lot of people questioned whether we’d even make it to the tournament. There was a lot of pressure on us and a lot of adversity and to do it the way we did was amazing.
ZL: Back in April, Magic Johnson tweeted out that he’s looking forward to seeing you in the NBA. What did it mean to get that kind of endorsement and support from one of the game’s all-time legends?
BD: It was huge. He’s just a great guy. Magic always comes around when we’re in the tournament and he comes back and talks to us. It gives me a lot of confidence and really motivates me to succeed. If he sees great potential in me then other people will see it, too.
ZL: How often do you speak with him?
BD: Every so often, usually around tournament time. This year he checked in on us before the Sweet 16 and [again before] the Final Four. He gave us some great Dodgers hats and gear. … Just him coming back and showing his support, that means a lot to us.
ZL: How has playing under Tom Izzo prepared you for the challenges of the NBA?
BD: It has prepared me very well, I think. He’s the type of guy that just wants to see you succeed. We have a million plays and we run an NBA-type offense, so i think that’ll help my transition. When I went to the NBA combine and had my first workout with the Suns, we ran a lot of plays and drills that were exactly like what we do at Michigan State. I was like, “This is not new to me,” and I think that helped me out a ton.
ZL: How long did it take for your to rehab from your freshman year left ACL tear?
BD: It was about six months from when I tore it to when I got back on the court. I came back faster than I thought I would. Everyone was calling me Superman and the doctor said that I healed really fast, I had a quick recovery.
ZL: Did you ever consider declaring for the draft as an underclassman?
BD: No, I don’t think I ever seriously considered that. In my junior season I asked around about what I should do, but I always told my mom I’d get my degree. I’m the first in my family to graduate college and that was important to me. No one around me ever pressured me to go pro early.
ZL: Any individual team workouts coming up?
BD: I have about seven more to go. I [worked out] for the Celtics on June 1st and I have the Timberwolves coming up.
ZL: What teams have shown interest in you so far?
BD: My agent mentioned that the Lakers really like me. The Pelicans and the Clippers like me, too. I interviewed with a lot of different teams at the combine, so we’re gonna see what happens.
ZL: What led you to choose Jim Tanner and the folks at Tandem to represent you?
BD: Just the kind of people that they are. They’re great people and my mom liked them and it just made sense for me. I had that same feeling as when I committed to Michigan State. … I met with other agencies too, but they stood out to me the most. I think I made the right decision.
ZL: Defense is what you’re known for but it looked like your jump shot improved in your senior season. Was that the case? What changes did you make to improve your shot?
BD: Over the summer I was putting in more reps. People have been surprised by my progress. It all comes from repetition and building confidence, I think.
ZL: You mentioned wanting to play the small forward position and to do that, you have to have a bit of range. Are you working to develop an outside shot?
BD: If I’m gonna play the small forward position, it’s something I’m going to have to do. I see a guy like Tony Allen; he’s the type of guy who is not the best shooter, but he works hard and does everything else for his team. He goes around and just gets it done on both ends. I look at guys like him and they motivate me a lot.
ZL: In the DraftExpress recap of the combine, they noted that you displayed some ball-handling ability, which we didn’t see much of at Michigan State. Do you feel like you’re a better ball handler than most people realize?
BD: Yeah, definitely. At Michigan State our offense didn’t call for me to handle the ball a whole lot. Now I get to show that off a little bit and I think that’ll be important in the NBA.
Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Mavs, Grizzlies
The Pelicans and Celtics assistant coach Darren Erman have an agreement in principle for Erman to join Alvin Gentry‘s coaching staff in New Orleans, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported overnight that the Pelicans were aggressively pursuing Erman, a detail-oriented defensive whiz who complements Gentry’s offensive acumen. The Raptors also recently made a run at Erman, sources told Wojnarowski. New Orleans is poised to hire Thunder assistant coach Robert Pack for Gentry’s staff, too, as Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times hears (Twitter link). However, Wojnarowski, whose story appeared later, writes that the Pelicans and Pack are in talks but makes no mention of a deal. Regardless, new Thunder head coach Billy Donovan is unlikely to keep Pack on his staff, Wojnarowski adds. Here’s more from around the Southwest Division:
- San Diego State small forward Dwayne Polee worked out for the Mavericks late last month, as he tells Zach Links of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link). Michigan State’s Travis Trice, Stanford’s Chasson Randle, Dayton’s Jordan Sibert and Harvard point guard Wesley Saunders showed off for Dallas today, tweets Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.
- Big men highlight the Grizzlies workout scheduled for Wednesday, with Kentucky center Dakari Johnson and French center Mouhammadou Jaiteh on the docket, writes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal in a subscription-only piece. Centers Youssou Ndoye from St. Bonaventure and Charles Jackson from Tennessee Tech, Connecticut point guard Ryan Boatright and Boise State shooting guard Derrick Marks are the others in the workout, as Tillery details.
- Florida’s Michael Frazier is auditioning for the Spurs today, Scotto reports, and the team will also get a look at North Carolina’s J.P. Tokoto, according to Pincus (Twitter links).
- Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders adds the Rockets to the list of teams working out N.C. State shooting guard Trevor Lacey (Twitter link).
And-Ones: Booker, Clippers, Sanders
Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker will work out for the Thunder on Tuesday, Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman tweets. Oklahoma City owns the No. 14 overall pick. The Suns, who have the No. 13 pick, brought in Booker for a workout on Monday. according to a tweet from Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.com. Dez Wells, Josh Richardson, Derek Cooke, Vince Hunter and Jarvis Summers also participated in Phoenix’s workout, according to Scotto.
In other news around the league:
- The Clippers, who don’t have a pick in the draft, nonetheless brought in several prospects for workouts on Monday, including Chris Walker, Dwayne Polee, Ralston Turner, Keifer Sykes, Shannon Scott and Richaun Holmes, Dan Woike of the Orange County Register reports.
- Trevor Lacey, Dakari Johnson, Rayvonte Rice, Corey Hawkins, Kenneth Smith and Alpha Kaba worked out for the Lakers on Monday, according to the Lakers’ Twitter feed.
- Jerian Grant and Delon Wright participated in the Wizards’ first pre-draft workout, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.
- Larry Sanders has no regrets walking away from the Bucks and the NBA, he tells Gus Turner of Complex.com in a lengthy feature article. Sanders left approximately $27MM but has found peace and happiness outside of basketball, Turner adds. “I couldn’t function outside of the gym and my studio,” he told Turner. “I couldn’t be around my family; I couldn’t be around anybody else. I was creating from a place of anxiety and fear, suffering. I wasn’t creating from a place of joy or happiness or freedom. Everything I did was pure avoidance.”
- Alvin Gentry’s four-year deal to coach the Pelicans is worth a total of $13.75MM, and that includes a team option of $4MM for the final season, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Pelicans Hire Alvin Gentry As Coach
SUNDAY, 8:17am: The hiring is official, the team announced overnight. Gentry will take his new position after the Finals.
11:08pm: Gentry will receive a four-year contract, Spears tweets.
7:55pm: Although Thibodeau was rumored to be a candidate for the job, there was no communication between the Pelicans and him, Amick reports.
SATURDAY, 6:40pm: Alvin Gentry will be named the new coach of the Pelicans, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Gentry, the lead assistant under Steve Kerr with Golden State, will take over in New Orleans after the NBA Finals (Twitter link).
This will be Gentry’s fifth head coaching job in the NBA. He previously coached the Heat, Pistons, Clippers and Suns and has a career record of 335-370. Last summer, he signed a three-year deal to be an assistant with the Warriors. Gentry will replace Monty Williams, who led the team to 45 victories and a playoff spot, but was fired shortly after being swept by Golden State in the first round.
Gentry was in New Orleans Friday for his second interview with the franchise, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune. Other coaches who were rumored to be in the running for the job, according to Reid, were ABC/ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy, former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and ex-Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro. Wolves assistant Sam Mitchell was also interviewed, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link), and only Gentry and Van Gundy received second interviews. The hiring of Gentry likely means that Thibodeau will be out of coaching for at least a year, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
Reid reported last week that Gentry saw the chance to coach young NBA first-teamer Anthony Davis as a career defining opportunity. Gentry has a reputation as an offensive-minded coach, leading Phoenix to a league-best 110.2 points per game during the 2009-10 season, and is reportedly very interested in the chance to mold Davis into an offensive force.
Mike D’Antoni and Luke Walton are intriguing possibilities to become the Warriors’ new lead assistant, tweets Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group. D’Antoni has been out of coaching since resigning from the Lakers after the 2013/14 season. Walton is already an assistant on Kerr’s staff. Former Nuggets coach Brian Shaw would also be interested in the position, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Southwest Notes: Davis, Gentry, Ariza, Beverley
The Pelicans‘ Anthony Davis will be fully unleashed under new coach Alvin Gentry, writes Ben Golliver of SI.com. Golliver expects Gentry to bring an up-tempo attack to New Orleans, which had previously been one of the slowest teams in the league. He can foresee Davis thriving in that type of system, taking his athleticism and already impressive stats to new levels.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Gentry was a safe pick for the Pelicans, according to Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune. Smith writes that Gentry will be agreeable with GM Dell Demps‘ unorthodox method of building a roster, which often involves dealing draft picks for young players with experience. The columnist would have preferred a strong-willed coach like Jeff Van Gundy, who was reportedly a finalist for the position, or Tom Thibodeau, whom the team didn’t pursue. Smith contends that the hiring of Gentry means Demps is more secure than ever in his general manager’s position.
- Trevor Ariza sees a bright future for the Rockets, even after a disappointing performance in the Western Conference Finals, writes Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle. Ariza was brought in as a free agent last summer to improve the team’s defense after Chandler Parsons signed with the Mavericks. Ariza inked a four-year, $32MM deal and is hopeful that Houston can take the next step while he is part of the franchise. “Not every team comes together and wins straight away,” Ariza said. “When you do have that and you do find something that works, you want to continue. You want to build on that. Hopefully for us, we’ll be one of those teams that builds on what we accomplished.”
- Parsons is trying to get former teammate Patrick Beverley to join him in Dallas, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Beverley will be a restricted free agent this summer, just as Parsons was last season, and the former teammates could reunite with the Mavericks. “I hear from Chandler every day,” Beverley said. “It’s hard, but I try not to think about it. I can’t talk about contracts. It’s going to be a fun summer.”
Pelicans Interview Alvin Gentry, JVG
MAY 29TH, 7:30pm: Gentry was in New Orleans today for a second interview with the team, Fletcher Mackel of WDSU NBC New Orleans tweets. Van Gundy is also still in contention for the job, Mackel adds.
MAY 22ND, 6:04pm: The Pelicans interviewed Van Gundy on Tuesday, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. The two sides had previously spoken over the phone, but this was the first face-to-face meeting, Wojnarowski’s sources relayed.
10:16pm: Van Gundy has expressed interest in coaching the Pelicans, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
MAY 21ST, 12:50pm: Gentry sees the chance to coach Davis as career-defining and is “more than interested” in the job, a source close to Gentry told John Reid of The Times-Picayune. The source pointed to clear indications that Gentry will meet again with Pelicans management after the season is over for the Warriors, Reid adds. New Orleans wants a coach who’ll install an exciting, up-tempo attack while further developing Davis, Reid hears from league sources, and Gentry’s last NBA head coaching gig came with the fast-paced Steve Nash-era Suns.
8:34pm: Gentry is being interviewed by Pelicans president Mickey Loomis and GM Dell Demps tonight in San Francisco, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Gentry, who was granted permission by the Warriors to interview in between playoff series, will try to sell the Pelicans’ brass on offensive strategies that he would institute to expand Anthony Davis‘ game, Wojnarowski continues. Loomis is also interested in Thibodeau, who is waiting to hear from the Bulls about his future with the franchise, but Demps isn’t as sold on the hard-edged Chicago coach after having endured much internal conflict with former coach Monty Williams, Wojnarowski hears. The Pelicans have also made calls on Jeff Van Gundy and have an interest in Scott Brooks, Wojnarowski adds.
5:11pm: There was a lot of talk at the combine that the Pelicans would be hesitant to give up compensation to Chicago in return for the Bulls allowing them to hire Thibodeau, Johnson reports (Twitter link). That doesn’t mean the team will necessarily hire Gentry instead, but it supports the idea that the Pelicans will wait to see how things shake out between the Bulls and Thibs, Johnson tweets.
4:40pm: The Bulls and Thibodeau are still operating as though Thibs remains Chicago’s coach, Stein writes in a full story. Stein still says the sides are widely expected to part ways. It’s unclear just when Gentry’s interview with the Pelicans will take place, Stein notes.
MAY 18TH, 4:15pm: The Pelicans have received permission from the Warriors to interview assistant coach Alvin Gentry, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Most of the reports regarding the New Orleans vacancy have centered on Tom Thibodeau, so it appears the Pels are expanding their base of candidates. Gentry is reportedly a front-runner for Chicago should the Bulls part ways with Thibodeau, so perhaps the Pelicans’ interest in Gentry is brinksmanship of sorts to entice the Bulls to let Thibs go for minimal compensation, though that’s just my speculation.
Gentry has reportedly drawn interest from the Nuggets and Magic, too, as he helps head coach Steve Kerr guide the Warriors toward a title. The sought-after candidate has made it clear he enjoys coaching in Golden State even though he’d like to return to a head coaching capacity. Gentry is a veteran of parts of 12 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Heat, Pistons, Clippers and Suns. He took Phoenix, where he made his last head coaching stop, to the Western Conference Finals in 2009. Gentry left a job as an assistant for the New Orleans franchise, then known as the Hornets, after one season in 2004 to join Mike D’Antoni‘s staff with the Suns, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic points out (on Twitter).
New Orleans was reportedly waiting for clarity on Thibodeau’s situation with the Bulls as of last week. There’s apparent mutual interest between Thibs and the Pelicans, and a pair of reports Friday indicated that if he’s not coaching in Chicago, he’ll most likely end up on the Pelicans bench. However, his contract with the Bulls runs through 2016/17, so Chicago controls his fate if he wants to coach in the NBA anytime soon. Thibodeau isn’t about to walk away from the money remaining on his deal, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link), an amount Stein last week pegged at close to $9MM. Still, Johnson suggests it’s possible that Thibodeau will sit out next season if the Bulls indeed decide to go with someone else.
Poll: Best Fit For Pelicans Coaching Position?
With today’s announcement that Scott Skiles would be taking over as the new coach of the Magic, there are now currently three coaching vacancies in the NBA: the Bulls, the Nuggets, and the Pelicans. Two of those vacancies may already be filled, with the Bulls rumored to be nearing an arrangement with Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg, and Denver reportedly leaning toward removing the interim tag from coach Melvin Hunt. This potentially leaves New Orleans as the lone vacancy still in play for a new head coach.
New Orleans has already interviewed a number of candidates, including Skiles, and more interviews could be on the horizon. I’ve listed below a number of candidates who have either already been interviewed, been mentioned in connection with the post, or who could emerge as candidates in the near future. Take a gander at the list and cast your vote for who you believe would be the best man to lead Anthony Davis and company next season and beyond…
- Vinny Del Negro: The former coach of the Bulls and the Clippers interviewed with the Pelicans earlier this week. He owns a career regular season record of 210-184, and a playoff record of 10-19. Del Negro last coached during the 2012/13 season with the Clippers, leading the team to a record of 56-26 before being fired and subsequently replaced by Doc Rivers.
- Jeff Van Gundy: The Pelicans interviewed Van Gundy on Tuesday, but the meeting was described as being very preliminary, with the two sides beginning to familiarize themselves with one another. One potential obstacle in bringing Van Gundy on board could be his reported desire for an arrangement similar to the one that brother Stan Van Gundy has with the Pistons in which he coaches and runs the front office. His career regular season coaching record is 430-318, and is 44-44 during the postseason.
- Alvin Gentry: The Warriors assistant interviewed with the franchise last week, and will reportedly get a second interview prior to the NBA Finals commencing. Gentry is a veteran of parts of 12 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Heat, Pistons, Clippers and Suns. His career regular season record is 335-370, and his postseason mark is 12-9. Gentry has reportedly drawn interest from the Nuggets and Magic, and was reportedly a front-runner for the Bulls spot, though it would appear that post is Hoiberg’s to lose.
- Tom Thibodeau: Prior to his ouster in Chicago, Thibodeau had been mentioned as a possibility for the vacancy, though the Pelicans were reportedly reluctant to give up draft pick compensation in return for Thibs. With Thibodeau free to join any team without compensation, rumors regarding a Thibodeau-Pelicans pairing could heat up. It’s unclear if the negative comments the Bulls’ front office made regarding their former coach’s lack of communication skills, and the well-documented difficulties between he and Chicago’s front office, will lower Thibodeau’s stock around the league. Thibs’ regular season record stands at 255-139, and his playoff mark is 23-28.
- Mark Jackson: Jackson’s name hasn’t been mentioned in conjunction with the Pelicans coaching position just yet, but the former Warriors coach could certainly become a candidate in the near future. While Jackson’s communication skills and ability to get along with other coaches and front office personnel came into question after his ouster in Golden State, his 121-109 regular season record should warrant him getting another NBA coaching opportunity at some point. It was reported that Jackson would meet with the approval of Davis, which certainly doesn’t hurt Jackson’s sales pitch for the job.
- Michael Malone: Malone has been out of work since being fired by the Kings in December. The coach was reportedly let go because the franchise wanted a faster paced offense, and Malone is known as being a hard-nosed defensive coach. His 39-67 coaching record isn’t all that impressive, but he wasn’t working with a playoff-ready roster in the brutal Western Conference. Malone also reportedly had a good working relationship with center DeMarcus Cousins, who hasn’t cultivated a reputation of being easy to coach, which speaks voumes about Malone’s ability to relate to players. He is certainly a coach who should warrant another shot at a head coaching position, and New Orleans could be a solid match for both sides.
- John Calipari: There were conflicting reports regarding Calipari’s potential interest in leaving Kentucky and returning to the NBA. While Calipari appears entrenched at Kentucky, the grind of recruiting, and desire to erase the sting of his 72-112 record while he was coaching the Nets, may nudge him back toward the pros. Plus, coaching Davis, a former player of his, wouldn’t be a bad way to start the next phase of Calipari’s coaching career.
Vinny Del Negro Interviews With Pelicans
Pelicans GM Dell Demps discussed the team’s head coaching vacancy with Vinny Del Negro, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Del Negro has emerged as a candidate based upon his successful five-year run as head coach of the Bulls and the Clippers, Wojnarowski adds.
Del Negro is the latest name to surface in connection with the open position in New Orleans that was freed up when the team parted ways with former coach Monty Williams. Jeff Van Gundy, who is reportedly seeking an arrangement similar to the one that brother Stan Van Gundy has with the Pistons in which he coaches and runs the front office, also interviewed with the team. As did Scott Skiles, who is reportedly the front-runner to fill the Magic’s head coaching position, and Clippers assistant coach Alvin Gentry spoke with Demps as well.
Wojnarowski also notes that the current front-runners to land the Pelicans job are Van Gundy and Gentry. But former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has also been mentioned as a candidate, and with Chicago no longer being in the position to request compensation for Thibs, he will likely be under stronger consideration now as well.
The former Bulls and Clippers coach has a career regular season record of 210-184, and a playoff record of 10-19. Del Negro last coached during the 2012/13 season with the Clippers, leading the team to a record of 56-26 before being fired and subsequently replaced by Doc Rivers.
Draft History: Dell Demps
The 2015 NBA draft is just under a month away, and for teams that aren’t still participating in the NBA playoffs, the focus is on using that event to build toward a better future. Now that the NBA Draft lottery is complete, the speculation can truly begin as to which player each franchise will pin its hopes on for the future. Of course, having one of the top selections in any draft doesn’t guarantee that a team will snag a future All-Star. Team executives and scouts still have the difficult task of making the correct call with their picks.
With this in mind we at Hoops Rumors will be taking a look back at the draft history of the primary basketball executive for each NBA team. Their names, reputations, and possibly employment will be on the line as a result of the decisions to come on June 25th, and we’ll be examining what they’ve done in previous years in charge of a club’s front office. Note that many of them have played other sorts of roles within a team’s executive structure, but this won’t take that into account. We’ll continue onward with a look back at the calls made by Pelicans GM Dell Demps.
Pelicans (July 2010-Present)
2011 Draft
- No first-rounder. Pick No. 19 overall (Tobias Harris) owned by the Bucks).
- Traded the No. 45 overall pick (Josh Harrellson) to the Knicks for cash.
Players passed over or available at draft slot: Harris (No. 19), Kenneth Faried (No. 22), Nikola Mirotic (No. 23), Reggie Jackson (No. 24), Jimmy Butler (No. 30), Chandler Parsons (No. 38), and Isaiah Thomas (No. 60).
2012 Draft
- No. 1 Overall — Anthony Davis: 199 games, 19.7 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and 2.5 BPG. .525/.111/.789.
- No. 10 Overall — Austin Rivers: 206 games, 7.0 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 2.1 APG. .397/.326/.624.
- No. 46 Overall — Darius Miller: 102 games, 3.1 PPG, 1.3 RPG, and 0.9 APG. .420/.351/.841.
Players passed over or available at draft slot: Bradley Beal (No. 3), Damian Lillard (No. 6), Andre Drummond (No. 9), Draymond Green (No. 35), and Khris Middleton (No. 39).
2013 Draft
- *No. 6 Overall — Nerlens Noel. Noel was later dealt along with a 2014 first round pick to the Sixers in exchange for Jrue Holiday and the rights to the No. 42 overall pick (Pierre Jackson).
- No second-rounder. Pick No. 35 overall (Glen Rice Jr.) owned by Wizards.
Players passed over or available at draft slot: Noel (No. 6), Michael Carter-Williams (No. 11), Kelly Olynyk (No. 13), Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 15), Mason Plumlee (No. 22), and Rudy Gobert (No. 27).
2014 Draft
- No first-rounder. No. 10 overall pick (Elfrid Payton) owned by the Magic.
- No second-rounder. No. 40 overall pick (Glenn Robinson III) owned by the Timberwolves.
Players passed over or available at draft slot: Payton (No. 10), Zach LaVine (No. 13), K.J. McDaniels (No. 32), and Jordan Clarkson (No. 46).