Buddy Hield Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Richardson, Jackson, Hield

May 16th, 2016 at 9:25pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Shooting guard Malachi Richardson, who saw his stock rise higher than any other player during the combine, will not return to Syracuse. He will remain in the draft after hiring Andy Miller of ASM Sports, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Though, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Richardson will sign with Stephen Pina of ASM Sports.

“Deciding to stay in the draft was a family decision and [I] thought it was a great one. Doing what was best for me was the most important thing,” Richardson said to Goodman (ESPN Now link).

Richardson entered the draft last month, but had not hired an agent at that time. Chad Ford of ESPN.com has Richardson at No. 13 in his rankings. He’s the 37th best prospect, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

Justin Jackson has withdrawn his name from the NBA draft and he will return to North Carolina for his junior season, Goodman passes along (Twitter link).
Ian Baker tells Goodwin (Twitter link) that he has decided to withdraw from the draft and return to New Mexico State.
The Celtics are expected to address the backcourt should they fall outside the top-2 in the lottery and sources tell Chad Ford of ESPN.com that they are tempted by Buddy Hield. Ford adds that Hield would be ready to step in and play right away.
The Celtics are expected to workout power forward Abdul-Malik Abu on Wednesday, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets. Abu is expected to withdraw from the draft before the deadline and return to NC State.

Atlantic Notes: Dunn, Trimble, Wiltjer, Hart

May 12th, 2016 at 10:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Coach Brett Brown has promised Providence sophomore point guard Kris Dunn a chance to play right away if the Sixers draft him, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Dunn met with Sixers officials Wednesday and both he and the team appeared to come away impressed. “They made me feel like they really wanted me there,” he said. “We all were very engaged. We talked about a lot of things. I appreciate them having me.” Philadelphia notched the NBA’s worst record this season and has a 26.9% chance at landing the top overall pick. That will probably be LSU’s Ben Simmons or Duke’s Brandon Ingram, but the Sixers will also get the Lakers’ pick if it falls outside the top three, which is where they might take Dunn.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers are interviewing a lot of guards, including Maryland sophomore point guard Melo Trimble, Pompey tweets.
Gonzaga senior power forward Kyle Wiltjer will work out for the Sixers later this month, Pompey tweets.
Villanova junior shooting guard Josh Hart plans a workout with the Sixers, tweets Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com. Hart is undecided on whether to stay in the draft or return to school. Philadelphia will also work out freshman small forward Dedric Lawson of Memphis on Monday (Twitter link).
The Celtics have met with several top prospects, including Ingram, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Other projected top-10 players that Boston has interviewed include Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, Kentucky’s Jamal Murray and California’s Jaylen Brown. The team has also scheduled an interview with Utah center Jakob Poeltl. According to Himmelsbach, the Celtics have either met with or are planning interviews with Oakland’s Kay Felder, Maryland’s Diamond Stone, Vanderbilt’s Wade Baldwin, New Mexico State’s Pascal Siakam, Michigan State’s Deyonta Davis, China’s Zhou Qi, Syracuse’s Malachi Richardson, UNLV’s Patrick McCaw, Louisville’s Chinanu Onuaku, Vanderbilt’s Damian Jones, Mississippi State’s Malik Newman, North Carolina State’s Cat Barber, Kansas’ Cheick Diallo, Wisconsin’s Nigel Hayes and high school prospect Thon Maker.
Seton Hall sophomore point guard Isaiah Whitehead, who has met with the Sixers, Celtics, Knicks and Nets among others, will “100%” leave college if a team offers him a first-round guarantee, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. “You can’t give up opportunities like that,” Whitehead said. “I mean, when they tell you it’s time to go, you just gotta go.”
Assistant GM Allan Houston conducted the Knicks‘ meeting with Whitehead as team president Phil Jackson apparently skipped the draft combine, Zagoria writes in a separate piece.
Diallo is scheduled to meet with the Knicks, Celtics and Raptors on Friday, Zagoria tweets.

Draft Combine Updates: Thursday Afternoon

May 12th, 2016 at 1:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The NBA draft combine began Wednesday and kicks into high gear today. The players have been measured, with the the NBA releasing the results on its website, and drills and five-on-five action will take place for willing participants. The general rule is this: The more highly regarded the prospect, the fewer combine events in which he takes part. Cameron Payne was the only eventual 2015 lottery pick who did any basketball activity at last year’s combine, notes Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Top-pick contender Ben Simmons is among those who are skipping the combine altogether, while lottery prospects Kris Dunn and Deyonta Davis will be limited participants, Givony and Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com report (Twitter links). Interviews with teams are a key part of the combine, as The Vertical’s Bobby Marks details, but teams don’t directly select the players they interview, as Marks explains.

Here’s more news on the draft:

Givony, writing for The Vertical, said the private workout Skal Labissiere had Wednesday was one of the best he’s ever seen. The big man from Kentucky also interviewed with the Sixers on Wednesday, a source told Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly (Twitter link).
Top-10 prospects Brandon Ingram, Buddy Hield and Jamal Murray are among those interviewing with the Celtics, reports Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald (Twitter link).
First-round prospect DeAndre’ Bembry will work out for the Sixers on Monday, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The small forward from St. Joseph’s met with the Nets on Wednesday, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link), and Bembry also interviewed with the Thunder, Wizards, Spurs, Pelicans and Knicks, Pompey adds (via Twitter).
St. Joseph’s power forward Isaiah Miles worked out for the Celtics this week and will do so for the Nets on May 19th, Pompey also reports. The Mavericks, Spurs, Rockets, Bucks and Knicks will also work him out, according to Pompey, who adds that he’ll interview with the Pacers and Wizards at the combine and previously interviewed with the Mavs, Spurs, Magic and Grizzlies at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a showcase for seniors.
The Nets are among the teams working out Kentucky combo guard Isaiah Briscoe, sources tell Evan Daniels of Scout.com (Twitter link), who also echoes previous reports of his workouts with three other teams.
Oklahoma senior shooting guard Isaiah Cousins will work out Tuesday for the Pacers, Zagoria tweets.
Oakland University point guard Kay Felder met Wednesday with the Suns, Pelicans, Jazz, Nuggets, Cavaliers, Celtics and Nets, reports Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
Evansville center Egidijus Mockevicius will work out for the Nets, Bulls and Pacers, reports Daniel Allar of the Courier & Press (Twitter links). The Nuggets, Cavaliers and Magic are also interested in scheduling workouts with him, Allar adds.

Atlantic Notes: Ferrell, Hield, Scola

May 11th, 2016 at 7:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Knicks don’t own a pick in this year’s NBA draft, but the team is looking to acquire one from another franchise, Ian Begley of ESPN.com notes. One player New York may be targeting is former Indiana University point guard Yogi Ferrell, who has a workout scheduled with the team on June 10th, Begley notes. Ferrell is a potential second-rounder, with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranking him No. 66 overall, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com rates him 99th. The Knicks still have up to $3.3MM that they can spend to purchase a draft pick if they are unable to swing a deal involving a player for one.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers have an interview scheduled with former Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield for this evening and one on Thursday with Duke freshman small forward Brandon Ingram, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Team personnel will also sit down and speak with Syracuse freshman swingman Malachi Richardson on Friday, Pompey tweets.
Despite not having a pick in this year’s draft, the Nets have sent a large contingent of personnel to the scouting combine in Chicago, NetsDaily relays (Twitter link). Like the Knicks, Brooklyn could be looking to swing a deal to acquire a pick, the scribe notes.
Raptors power forward Luis Scola is struggling to find his place in the team’s playoff series versus Miami, which has been made more difficult by both teams going with smaller lineups due to numerous injuries, writes Bruce Arthur of The Toronto Star. “It’s not fun,” Scola admitted. “It’s not fun. I’m positive. I believe that you have to do the right thing every day, regardless of the situation. When it’s going well, it’s easy. Now it’s a little bit more difficult. It’s part of the challenge, it’s part of the growth, it’s part of the process. And to stick with it, to turn it around, it’s one of the things you enjoy as an athlete, as a professional basketball player.” Scola earned $2.8MM this season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Draft Updates: Hield, Korkmaz, Whitehead

May 11th, 2016 at 1:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

Former Oklahoma star Buddy Hield is taking part in day-one activities at the NBA draft combine today, but he’ll leave for graduation ceremonies and miss the athletic testing portion of the predraft showcase that runs through Sunday, reports Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Twitter link). So, the combine for the shooting guard will consist of interviews with teams, measurements and medical tests, Ford notes. The ESPN scribe has Hield at No. 6 in his prospect rankings, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress pegs him seventh.

See more from the draft scene:

European superagent Misko Raznatovic has negotiated an NBA buyout clause into the contract of each of his draft entrants (Twitter link), including first-round prospect Furkan Korkmaz. Givony, who first reported the existence of Korkmaz’s clause, pegs its value at $2MM. The 18-year-old shooting guard would likely withdraw from the draft if he doesn’t get assurances that he’ll become a lottery pick, sources told Givony for a piece on The Vertical. Korkmaz is Ford‘s No. 15 prospect and No. 17 with Givony.
The Magic and Bulls have expressed interest in drafting Seton Hall sophomore shooting guard Isaiah Whitehead, and the Sixers have him on their radar as well, according to Jerry Carino of the Asbury Park Press. Still, Whitehead isn’t a contender for the lottery picks that those teams hold, as Carino points out. Instead, he’s a second-round prospect, ranking No. 35 with Ford and only No. 65 with Givony. He has the ability to pull out and return to college ball within the next two weeks if he doesn’t hire an agent.
Kent State junior forward Jimmy Hall has withdrawn from the draft, as he announced on Twitter (hat tip to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com). Hall was a long shot to be drafted, ranking outside the top 100 on Ford’s and Givony’s lists.
Junior college power forward Emmanuel Malou has hired agent Daniel Moldovan and is staying in the draft, as Moldovan told ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla (Twitter link). Signing with an agent wipes out his remaining college eligibility, but concern had already existed about whether the NCAA would clear the 6’9″ Australian who’d committed to Iowa State, Goodman notes (on Twitter).

And-Ones: ‘Melo, Batum, Hield

April 22nd, 2016 at 12:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Carmelo Anthony wasn’t at the Knicks triangle seminar this week after all, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post and Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, despite an earlier report that he was. Some say the seminar was mandatory and others called it voluntary, Isola hears, adding that one player said team president Phil Jackson only invited a few Knicks. Anthony is believed to be receiving therapy on his left knee, Berman writes, and the triangle sessions were mostly review, a source told the Post scribe, who downplays the significance of ‘Melo’s absence. Still, 10 other Knicks took part, Berman hears, including Kristaps Porzingis, who’s recovering from a shoulder strain and recently had a routine visit at the Hospital for Special Surgery, notes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (ESPN Now link). The other attendees, according to Berman, were Jerian Grant, Cleanthony Early, Langston Galloway, Tony Wroten, Sasha Vujacic, Jose Calderon, Robin Lopez, Kyle O’Quinn and Kevin Seraphin.

See more from around the NBA:

Nicolas Batum isn’t definitively out for the rest of the Hornets‘ first-round series against Miami, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, dispelling an earlier report, but he’s unlikely to return unless it goes at least six games, Bonnell says. Batum is poised for free agency this summer.
Indiana freshman small forward OG Anunoby won’t enter this year’s draft, the school announced (Twitter link). He was a late second-round prospect for this year, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who ranks him the 50th, but the 6’8″ 18-year-old has first-round potential for next year, as Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress slots him 20th in his 2017 mock draft. Anunoby saw limited action this season, putting up 4.9 points in 13.7 minutes per game.
Long-shot draft prospect Moustapha Diagne will enter this year’s draft, but he’ll do so without an agent so he can retain his college eligibility, a source told Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The 6’8″ 20-year-old from Northwest Florida State, a community college, is a former Syracuse commit, Rothstein notes, and he was 68th in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index coming out of high school last year. Neither Ford nor Givony ranks him among the top 100 draft prospects.
Top-10 prospect and former Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield has signed with agent Rob Pelinka of Landmark Sports, a source told Darren Rovell of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link).

Draft Notes: Labissiere, Hield, Dunn

April 17th, 2016 at 11:27am CST by ChrisCrouse

Washington State power forward Josh Hawkinson, point guard Ike Iroegbu and center Conor Clifford have all declared for the draft, according to a school press release. All three have declined to hire an agent, so they will all be eligible to return to school if they withdraw their names by the May 25th deadline. None of the three are expected to be drafted.

Here’s more on the prospects in the upcoming draft:

Skal Labissiere has signed with Travis King of Relativity Sports, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
UConn sophomore Daniel Hamilton has signed with Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports, Goodwin reports in a separate tweet.
Buddy Hield hasn’t convinced the league that he has star potential, but if he can prove that he can be more of a facilitator during the predraft process, he could improve his stock, as one scout tells Derek Bodner, who writes a piece for USA Today.
Kris Dunn is excited for the predraft process and views it as a opportunity to make believers out of the doubters, as he tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “Every player in the draft wants to show what they can do and prove all of their doubters wrong. I’ve been doubted my whole life – on and off the court. I’m used to that and it definitely fuels my fire,” Dunn said.

Prospect Profile: Buddy Hield (Part Two)

April 11th, 2016 at 9:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

PROJECTED DRAFT RANGE: Hield made a steady climb on the major draft boards, thanks to his brilliant senior campaign. He’s now No. 5 overall and the top shooting guard prospect on ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s Big Board, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress pegs him at No. 7. He’s firmly ahead of the other college seniors on their draft boards. NBA.com’s David Aldridge also ranks Hield No. 1 among shooting guards. Hield could go as high as No. 4, according to Ford, who doubts that Hield will slip past the No. 7 slot.

RISE/FALL: Freshman phenoms Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram are expected to be the top two picks in the draft and it’s difficult to see that changing. As a well-established player with a proven track record, Hield could conceivably inch his way up to No. 3. International teenage power forward Dragan Bender is ranked third by both Ford and Givony but he posted modest stats in Israel and will have to prove himself in predraft evaluations and workouts. Hield could also benefit from the teams in the third or fourth spot having a major need for a shooter. On the flip side, Hield’s defensive shortcomings, relative lack of size for his position and penchant for turnovers could make him slide a few notches. Most NBA analysts agree that Hield is not a superstar talent and that’s what most teams at the top half of the lottery are seeking.

FIT: Quality shooters like Hield can enjoy long careers in the current NBA landscape. The increased emphasis on 3-point shooting makes him a prized commodity. Virtually every team with a projected Top 10 lottery pick could use a player like Hield to stretch the defense. The Sixers need outside shooting to complement their stash of young big men. The Lakers, should they wind up with the No. 3 pick, desperately need a shooter to pair up in the backcourt with D’Angelo Russell. The Kings have been seeking a quality shooting guard for years. The Celtics, Timberwolves and Nuggets all rank in the bottom 10 in 3-point percentage. The Bucks could give themselves a formidable 1-2 wing punch with Khris Middleton and Hield. The Pelicans have all kinds of question marks at the guard spots, considering their injury and free agent situations.

FINAL TAKE: Hield could have been drafted in the first round last season but his decision to go back to school will pay off handsomely. He’s a surefire Top 10 selection and should be an immediate rotation player for the team that drafts him. According to Ford, Hield is comparable to the Trail Blazers’ C.J. McCollum, who developed into a 20-point scorer in his third NBA season. Hield is not a transcendent talent but he can be a starter on a championship-caliber team.

(For Part 1 of Buddy Hield’s Prospect Profile, click here.)

Prospect Profile: Buddy Hield (Part One)

April 11th, 2016 at 8:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Robert Deutsch / USA Today Sports Images

OVERVIEW: Buddy Hield demonstrated the benefits of staying in school and working on his game over a four-year period. The 6’4” shooting guard emerged as one of the Big 12’s best players as a sophomore and could have made the jump to the pros in each of the past two years. He chose to return to school both times and finished his college career with a marvelous senior campaign, leading Oklahoma to the Final Four. He averaged 25.0 points, second only to Howard’s James Daniel. Hield reached the 30-point mark a dozen times, including a 46-point explosion against Kansas that catapulted him into the national spotlight. He also had a 36-point outing against VCU and a 37-point outburst against No. 1 seed Oregon during the NCAAs and split up awards for the nation’s top player with Michigan State senior Denzel Valentine.

STRENGTHS: Hield improved from an above-average shooter during his first three college seasons to a nearly unstoppable force in his senior year. His overall field-goal percentage jumped from 41.6% to a whopping 49.6%, a stunning leap for a player who faced a variety of defensive strategies designed to shut him down. His 3-point percentage spiked upward in similar fashion, from 37.1% to 46.4%, and he averaged four makes per game. He’s adept at coming off screens or spotting up and makes defenses pay for any space given to him. He also has the body to succeed at the next level — long, athletic and yet powerful for his size. Not surprisingly, he’s an outstanding free-throw shooter and also rebounds well for his position, pulling down 5.6 boards per game as a senior. Topping off the checklist is his high character. As one talent evaluator told NBA.com’s David Aldridge, he’s an “elite shooter, elite human being.”

WEAKNESSES: For all of his offensive gifts, Hield does not shine at the defensive end. As Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress details in his evaluation of Hield, the NBA leans toward bigger wings who can guard multiple positions. Hield’s size limits his ability to switch defensively and he’s not adept at creating for others offensively. Hield’s passing metrics ranked third-worst among the 45 college guards or wings in Givony’s top 100 rankings. That’s part of the reason why Hield averaged 3.0 turnovers as a senior, a subpar figure for a shooting guard. He has improved as an off-the-dribble shooter, as Mike Schmitz of DraftExpress notes, but he still needs to attack more often and become a better finisher at the rim, according to ESPN Insider Chad Ford. These shortcomings are why Aldridge, through the talent evaluators he spoke with, believes that Hield is more of a complementary piece than a superstar talent that can turn around a franchise.

(For Part Two of our Buddy Hield Draft Analysis, click here.)

Draft Notes: Davis, Ingram, Hield, Trier

April 4th, 2016 at 6:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Michigan State freshman Deyonta Davis is “50-50” on entering the draft, his coach Tom Izzo told the Detroit News’ Matt Charboneau and other media members at the Final Four. Izzo isn’t sure if Davis is ready physically and mentally for the next level and believes he could benefit from staying in school, the story adds. The 6’10” big man is ranked No. 12 by ESPN Insider Chad Ford and No. 13 by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. “To me, if he is drafted 12 or 25, it doesn’t change my opinion,” Izzo said. “Maybe there is a little more money but I think it’s more what he can handle and what is good for him to get to the second contract. That’s how I’m going to give my final advice, but he’s gonna make his own decisions.”

In other news regarding this year’s NBA draft:

Duke freshman and potential top pick Brandon Ingram, who declared for the draft on Monday, isn’t quite the prospect that Kevin Durant was coming out of college but there are similarities, as Mike Schmitz of The Vertical examines in great detail. Ingram was more of a facilitator in his freshman year, though Durant has developed into a superior passer as a pro, Schmitz continues. Durant was a prolific scorer and threat from anywhere on the court at Texas while Ingram only showed flashes of taking over games in his season at Duke, Schmitz adds.
Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield gets the nod over Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine in NBA.com David Aldridge’s rankings of the top shooting guard prospects. Though scouts that Aldridge interviewed do not consider Hield a “turnaround kind of talent,” his shooting ability stands out among his peers. France’s Timothe Luwawu, who’s played in Serbia this season, is ranked third on Aldridge’s list.
Arizona shooting guard Allonzo Trier will return to school for his sophomore season, ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman tweets. The 6’5” Trier, who averaged 14.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in his freshman season, is rated No. 79 by Ford and No. 76 by Givony.