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Eastern Rumors: Turner, Celtics, Raptors, Bulls

November 1st, 2013 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Two title hopefuls meet in Brooklyn tonight, as the Nets prepare to host the Heat in their home opener. While we look forward to what could be a playoff preview, here are a few of the latest items from around the Eastern Conference:

  • Although other extension candidates negotiated right up until last night’s deadline, Evan Turner told reporters, including Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, that he had no talks whatsoever with the Sixers. “I didn’t expect anything, because [Sam] Hinkie is not my GM,” Turner said. “I didn’t come up with Hinkie or anything. He has his own plan for stuff, and that’s pretty much it.”
  • The Celtics are viewed league-wide as a strong candidate to pursue Gordon Hayward next summer, given Hayward’s ties to coach Brad Stevens, writes Shams Charania of RealGM.com.
  • Following up on Marc Stein’s report about the Raptors exploring trade options, ESPN.com’s Chad Ford tweets that no one covets Canadian prospect Andrew Wiggins more than Toronto GM Masai Ujiri.
  • Within Stein’s piece on Jameer Nelson, the ESPN.com scribe also noted that the Bulls had been trying to acquire a first-round pick for Marquis Teague throughout October, to no avail.
  • Howard Beck of Bleacher Report spoke to Bucks owner Herb Kohl and GM John Hammond about Milwaukee’s roster-building model and the franchise’s aversion to tanking.
  • Solomon Jones suffered a torn meniscus and will be sidelined indefinitely after he undergoes surgery, according to a press release from the Magic. The injury is bad news for Jones, who had beat out several other camp invitees to earn a roster spot, and for the Magic, who may end up having to guarantee Jones’ non-guaranteed contract depending on how much time he misses.
    I didn’t expect anything, because Hinkie is not my GM,” Turner said. “I didn’t come up with Hinkie or anything. He has his own plan for stuff, and that’s pretty much it.
    Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20131102_Sixers_pick_up_contract_options_on_Wroten__Moultrie.html#RdDCwEmmje8mZ2qB.99
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Draft & D-League: Top Five, Smart, 66ers, Czyz

October 31st, 2013 at 9:14pm CST by Alex Lee

With David Stern putting all his weight behind the positive evolution of the D-League, it’s only natural for that avenue of player development to be contrasted with the more traditional one. Let’s take a look at Thursday night’s news and notes from the draft and the D-League here:

  • The kickoff of the NBA season isn’t complete without our first wave of NBA mock drafts. Chad Ford provides ESPN insiders a look at what the first round might look like in June 2014. In what some pundits are dubbing the best draft since 2003, Ford predicts a top five of Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, Joel Embiid and Dante Exum.
  • Speaking of Oklahoma State’s Smart, the sophomore point guard is still unsure that he made the right decision to return to school last April, writes ESPN’s Myron Medcalf. Considering the shocking results of last June’s draft, it probably isn’t far fetched to say that Smart would have been the best player on the board when the Cavs went on the clock.
  • The Tulsa 66ers, the Thunder‘s D-League affiliate, have acquired the number one pick in tomorrow night’s D-League draft along with Ben Uzoh in a three team deal with the Iowa Energy and Springfield Armor, writes Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside. Along with other picks tomorrow night, Diante Garrett and Lorenzo Brown were also involved in the deal.
  • Polish forward Olek Czyz has signed a deal to join the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League, Sportando reports on Twitter. The Bucks, who use Fort Wayne as their D-League affiliate, cut Czyz on Saturday after he spent training camp with the team, indicating that they protected his D-League rights. Czyz played at Duke and Nevada before going undrafted in 2012. He played last season for Virtus Roma of the Italian League.
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Odds & Ends: Adams, Carmelo, Wiggins, Pistons

October 18th, 2013 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Few NBA teams use their D-League affiliate more actively than the Thunder, who shuttled players like Jeremy Lamb, Daniel Orton, and Perry Jones III back and forth between OKC and Tulsa throughout the 2012/13 season. However, it doesn’t sound like the team is currently planning for rookie big man Steven Adams to spend significant time with the 66ers, as Royce Young of Daily Thunder details.

“It’s something that we never talked about,” coach Scott Brooks said of Adams and the D-League. “We just focus on what we do here. If players go down and play in the D-League in Tulsa that decision is made during that time. But right now, I’m not even going that way with any of our guys.”

Brooks’ comments leave the door open for Adams to join Tulsa at some point this season, and I’d be surprised if he didn’t make at least one D-League stop, but perhaps the team intends to get the Pittsburgh product more involved in OKC than rookies Lamb and Jones were a year ago.

Here’s more from around the NBA:

  • In his latest piece for SBNation.com, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com identifies a few contract trends, concluding that teams are less inclined than they were a few years ago to tie up their cap with long-term, overpriced contracts for mid-level type players.
  • Carmelo Anthony made a few more comments about his potential free agency today, noting that he’s assured coach Mike Woodson it won’t bother him during the season, and adding that he doesn’t expect to receive a recruiting pitch from Kobe Bryant this year. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com has the details.
  • Andrew Wiggins is an excellent prospect, but he’s not a mortal lock to be the No. 1 pick in 2014, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Insider-only link).
  • Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival takes a look at Nikola Mirotic, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Kostas Papanikolaou, three notable overseas prospects who have been drafted (or acquired) and stashed by the Bulls, Nets, and Rockets, respectively.
  • In his weekly mailbag at MLive.com, David Mayo explores whether the Pistons need to acquire more shooting, among other questions.
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Odds & Ends: Seattle, Kyrie, Sixers, Wiggins

August 31st, 2013 at 10:59pm CST by Spencer Lund

Earlier this month it was discovered Chris Hansen, the venture capitalist behind the Seattle group bidding for the Kings franchise, had funded an Anti-Kings-Arena group. Many believed the news would derail any future NBA franchise in Seattle. While others wrote that it would not affect a future team in the former home of the Supersonics. 

Today, 95.7 The Game radio host Ric Bucher spoke with an influential NBA owner about whether the Hansen discovery would have any bearing on Seattle landing an NBA franchise. The anonymous owner's response, via Sulia, "none."  

But, Bucher goes on to write – with an important caveat that the translation might have been altered in the text – that the Seattle group might have to write a $1 billion check for the expansion fee.

Bucher adds that he did not think expansion was going to happen during the Sacramento-Seattle back-and-forth, but that the $1 billion cost lining the coffers of the NBA owners would be hard to pass up if Hansen and his group agreed to pay. If the Seattle group balks at the price, then no harm no foul – and, no 31st team.

Here's what else is happening around the league as we come up on just a month remaining before training camps start…

  • Moke Hamilton of HoopsWorld believes the future is now for the Cavs and it's time for Kyrie Irving to lead them to the playoffs for the first time since LeBron James donned the No. 23.
  • Marc Porcaro of Secret Rival went through the short- and long-term futures of the Sixers and Suns on Twitter tonight, discussing their current draft picks over the next three offseasons, and possible changes to their current rotations.
  • At the FIBA Americas tournament in Venezuela, tournament favorites Puerto Rico beat Canada after a strong fourth quarter, reports the Toronto Sun's John Chick.
  • If Canada qualifies for the FIBA World Cup in Spain next summer, Andrew Wiggins' AAU coach Tony McIntyre told SNY.tv (via ZagsBlog.com) Wiggins will play along with fellow Canadians: No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett, Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk and incoming Syracuse freshman point guard Tyler Ennis.
  • J.R. Smith tells Newsday's Will Sammon he doesn't know whether he'll be ready for the Knicks' training camp in the first week of October. 
  • Jonathan Givony of Draft Express posted part 1 of his detailed scouting reports on the top of the 2014 high school class. The first part focuses on point guards like Tyus Jones and Australian Emmanuel Mudiay, the latter of whom may skip college to declare for next summer's NBA Draft.
  • Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman tweets that DeAndre Liggins was arrested in Oklahoma City tonight on complaint of domestic abuse. Liggins is on a non-guaranteed minimum contract this season, so he'll have to make the team to earn that money.
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Odds & Ends: Joseph, West, Delany, Wiggins

August 14th, 2013 at 6:50pm CST by Alex Lee

Here are a few odds and ends from around the NBA on Wednesday night:

  • Kris Joseph, who was waived last month by the Celtics, is weighing international offers in Italy, Russia and France as well as a few NBA invites, tweets Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest. 
  • Haynes also tweets that free agent guard Delonte West has impressed at a coach's camp in Las Vegas.  West, who spent some time in the D-League last year, hasn't played in the NBA since his 2011/12 campaign with the Mavericks.  West has also played with the Celtics and Cavs. 
  • The Heat have named advance scout Pat Delany the head coach of their D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. 
  • Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM evaluates the prospects of the eight 2010 first-round picks that are currently not on NBA rosters – Cole Aldrich, Xavier Henry, Luke Babbitt, Craig Brackins, Elliot Williams, Damion James, Dominique Jones and Lazar Hayward.
  • Andrew Wiggins has the potential to single-handedly turn around an NBA franchise, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, adding that his ceiling has teams lining up to better their chances for his services. Kennedy names the Sixers, Magic, Suns, Bobcats, Kings and Jazz as the six teams who have positioned themselves for Wiggins, and Celtics and Raptors as outside possibilities. 
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Odds & Ends: Union, Lucas, Draft, Brown

August 12th, 2013 at 9:30pm CST by Zachary Links

With the offseason winding down, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld identified who the real contenders will be in 2013/14.  The back-to-back champion Heat top the list with some of the other usual suspects, including the Spurs and Thunder.  The Bulls should be vaulted back into contention with the long-awaited return of Derrick Rose.  The Clippers are a bona fide contender after re-signing Chris Paul, landing Doc Rivers as coach, and adding J.J. Redick.  The Nets, who now boast the most expensive roster in the NBA by far, hope to be among the league's elite with first-time coach Jason Kidd at the helm.  And of course, the Rockets will be one of the most intriguing teams to keep an eye on after luring Dwight Howard away from L.A.  Here's more from around the Association..

  • NBPA executive committee member Jerry Stackhouse told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that LeBron James' comments about the union felt like a "kick in the stomach".  "I don't think he's had any dialogue with anybody since the All-Star break, but it is what it is," Stackhouse said. "To make that statement about where we are as a union right now, he was misinformed."
  • Point guard John Lucas III was a safe choice for the Jazz, in the sense that he won't threaten Trey Burke or expect to be the main one-guard for the long-term.  However, Utah believes they have more than a capable stop-gap and more than a positive locker room influence in the veteran, writes Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune.
  • Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) runs down the 2014 NBA Draft and notes that its remarkable depth could make it the best ever.  Ford's latest big board has Andrew Wiggins at the top, followed by Kentucky's Julius Randle, Australian Dante Exum, Duke's Jabari Parker, and Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart.
  • Sean Deveney of the Sporting News gives his immediate and long-term outlook for the league's 13 new coaches.  The list starts with the latest hire, 76ers coach Brett Brown.
  • Jordan Hill's summer assignment is to become the stretch four that the Lakers need, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.  Hill missed 53 games last year, mostly because of back and hip trouble.
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Poll: Which Top 2014 Prospect Falls Before Next Year’s Draft?

August 10th, 2013 at 8:13pm CST by Spencer Lund

The 2014 NBA Draft is said to be the deepest in league history. Multiple prospects who would have gone as the top pick in previous drafts may now be relegated to a lower draft position. With such an influx of talent, Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld details some of the favorites in next summer's heralded class. 

Brigham attempts to sift through the brightest prospects to provide a blueprint for how the order might play out a year from now. The players he spotlights include incoming college freshman, Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Julius Randle (Kentucky), Jabari Parker (Duke), Aaron Gordon (Arizona), Oklahoma State sophomore Marcus Smart and Australian Dante Exum. 

But even with these players as supposed locks for the lottery, things can change. As Brigham notes in his piece, last year's two prized players expected to be the top two picks in the 2013 Draft, Shabazz Muhammad and Cody Zeller, both fell after the following college basketball season concluded despite neither suffering a major injury. Muhammad even fell out of the top 10 all the way to the Timberwolves (by way of the Jazz) with the 14th pick.

It stands to reason that one of the players Brigham mentions will see his draft stock plummet before June even if all of them stay healthy. If all of these prospects stay healthy next season, and if Exum enters the draft without playing a year at an American university, which one will drop? 

 

Poll: Which Top 2014 Prospect Falls In Next Year's Draft?
Andrew Wiggins 22.00% (220 votes)
Dante Exum 18.40% (184 votes)
Marcus Smart 17.80% (178 votes)
Aaron Gordon 17.80% (178 votes)
Jabari Parker 16.70% (167 votes)
Julius Randle 7.30% (73 votes)
Total Votes: 1,000
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Odds & Ends: Wiggins, Kings, Hinkie, Mavs

May 14th, 2013 at 9:30pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Knicks are staring at a 3-1 deficit after falling to the Pacers for the second game in-a-row tonight in Indiana, 93-82. The Pacers will look to close out the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Thursday in game 5 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup.

While the now-less exciting second round of the NBA playoffs trundles on with the Spurs back at the cozy confines of AT&T Arena in San Antonio for game 5 against the Warriors, we've got more Andrew Wiggins and Sam Hinkie news, and some reports from the predraft NBA combine starting in Chicago tomorrow and going through Sunday..

 

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Andrew Wiggins To Attend Kansas

May 14th, 2013 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

Top high school recruit Andrew Wiggins has announced he'll attend the University of Kansas when he begins his freshman year in the fall, according to Keith Morehouse of WSAZ-TV (via Twitter). Wiggins, who ranked No. 1 on Rivals.com's list of this year's recruits, is widely considered the favorite to be drafted first overall in 2014, and could have even gone first overall in this year's draft if he were eligible.

"Everyone last year was trying to figure out a way to get him next year," a longtime NBA scout and ex-player told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports last month. "Teams are plotting and preparing for when he gets out of school. Character. Demeanor. Athleticism. Coachable. He makes the game look like it's insanely too easy. While everyone is sweating, he isn't and he jumps over your head. The total package."

We typically don't cover the college game too extensively on Hoops Rumors until the draft rolls around, but as Gregg Doyel of CBSSports.com tweets, the 18-year-old Wiggins represents perhaps the best high school prospect since LeBron James, so it'll be worth keeping an eye on his progress as a Jayhawk next season. A year from now, there's a good chance we'll be referring to the draft lottery as the "Andrew Wiggins sweepstakes."

Wiggins, who was born in Canada, chose Kansas over a list of potential schools that included Kentucky, North Carolina, and Florida State. According to Morehouse (via Twitter), Wiggins' decision came down to Kansas and Florida State.

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Draft Notes: Smith, Wiggins, 2014 Draft

April 23rd, 2013 at 8:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Yesterday, Luke Adams went over the owed draft picks for 2013 that won't be changing hands thanks to the protections tied to them.  The Bulls have a first round pick from the Bobcats coming their way thanks to the 2010 Tyrus Thomas trade, but they won't see that pick, which has a ~20% chance at being the No. 1 selection in June, come their way this year.  Chicago may have to wait a while as it is top 10 protected in 2014, top eight protected in '15, and not completely unprotected until '16.  Here's today's roundup of draft news..

  • Russ Smith is feeling the tug of both Louisville and the NBA, writes Rick Bozich of WDRB.  Smith, who is set to make his decision tomorrow, still quantifies the odds of him jumping into the 2013 draft at 50/50.  Smith is ranked the 57th best prospect in this class by ESPN.com's Chad Ford but is projected to go No. 33 overall by DraftExpress. 
  • Hoops prodigy Andrew Wiggins is ready to take Canadian hoops to the next level, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.  Meanwhile, teams are already salivating over the projected No. 1 pick of the 2014 draft.  "Everyone last year was trying to figure out a way to get him next year," a longtime NBA scout and ex-player said. "Teams are plotting and preparing for when he gets out of school. Character. Demeanor. Athleticism. Coachable. He makes the game look like it's insanely too easy. While everyone is sweating, he isn't and he jumps over your head. The total package."
  • Earlier tonight, I profiled N.C. State forward C.J. Leslie in the latest installment of our Prospect Profile series.
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