Anfernee Simons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Trade Candidates, N. Robinson, Simons

January 16th, 2018 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic has been the subject of more trade rumors than virtually any other NBA player over the last several weeks, but he’s not the only “sell-high” trade candidate around the league, writes Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com. In an Insider-only piece, Pelton identifies several players whose trade value may not get higher than it is right now, including Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans, Suns center Alex Len, and Nets teammates Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris.

Those players may not be on the move before next month’s trade deadline – Pelton admits that the idea of dealing Dinwiddie would be a “particularly tough sell” for the Nets – but it would make sense for those clubs to at least explore the possibilities.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former NBA guard Nate Robinson has officially signed a BIG3 contract and joined Tri-State – Jermaine O’Neal‘s team – as a co-captain, the league announced today (Twitter link). We heard as recently as last month that Robinson hadn’t given up on the idea of getting back to the NBA.
While top prospect Anfernee Simons may commit to a college for the 2018/19 season at some point, he’s also considering making the leap directly to the NBA this year, as Jared Weiss of USA Today details. Simons reportedly intends to test the 2018 draft waters in the same way that Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo did a year ago.
Kristaps Porzingis is one of the few active NBA players capable of potentially matching the 48-point, 17-rebound stat line that Anthony Davis posted in Madison Square Garden on Sunday. While Porzingis isn’t at Davis’ level, Ian Begley of ESPN points to the development of the Pelicans star as evidence that the Knicks should be patient with Porzingis’ own development.
Former Mavericks guard Gian Clavell, who was on a two-way contract with Dallas earlier this season, has signed with Turkish team Sakarya Buyuksehir for the rest of the 2017/18 campaign, per international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link). Clavell appeared in seven games for the Mavs.

Anfernee Simons May Skip College, Enter Draft

November 18th, 2017 at 9:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anfernee Simons, projected as a top 10 recruit in the high school class of 2018, is “strongly considering” bypassing college and entering the NBA draft, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Simons would be eligible because he is in the middle of a post-graduate year at IMG in Florida, which amounts to a fifth year of high school. The 6’4″ shooting guard graduated from high school last year, his prep school coach confirms, and will turn 19 in June, which meets the NBA’s qualifications for the draft.

“Some people have brought it to my attention,” Simons told ESPN. “As long as the opportunity is there, I will do it. I can see myself going to the NBA combine, if I have enough teams to actually invite me or recommend me for the combine and enough teams want to bring me for workouts. I really need to hit the weight room hard and get a little stronger.”

Currently listed as No. 8 in ESPN’s ranking of the top college prospects, Simons has already attracted the attention of several NBA teams. Six franchises sent scouts or executives to watch him at this weekend’s National Prep Showcase in Connecticut.

Givony doesn’t expect Simons to help a team right away, adding that anyone who selects him would be getting a long-term prospect. However, players in similar situations have been taken early before, with the Bucks’ Thon Maker a recent example, and someone might be willing to gamble on Simons if he decides in April to put his name in the draft.