Northwest Notes: Lillard, Blazers, Hernangomez, Nuggets
While it doesn’t look at this point like the Trail Blazers will seriously explore Damian Lillard trades this offseason, that doesn’t mean they’re not getting calls about their All-NBA point guard. Front office sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer that the Heat, Kings, Knicks, Rockets, and Sixers have been the most aggressive suitors for Lillard as of late.
With no Lillard trade request imminent, the Blazers are more likely to pursue upgrades around the star guard, though O’Connor notes that the team’s trade assets are somewhat limited. Portland doesn’t have any draft picks this year and rival teams aren’t particularly high on young players like Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little, according to O’Connor. The club’s best bet for a deal that reshapes the roster and increases its ceiling might involve CJ McCollum and Ben Simmons, O’Connor adds.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Former WNBA guard Edniesha Curry has joined Chauncey Billups‘ new Trail Blazers coaching staff, tweets Jason Quick of The Athletic. Curry had been an assistant for the men’s basketball team at the University of Maine since 2018.
- When Juan Hernangomez dislocated his left shoulder earlier this month, it appeared to end his chances of playing for Spain at the Tokyo Olympics. However, Spain’s final 12-man roster for the games includes the Timberwolves forward, a signal that Hernangomez’s injury isn’t as serious as initially believed. Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press has the story.
- The Nuggets brought in Miles McBride, Joshua Primo, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Alan Griffin, Damien Jefferson, and Zaccheus Darko-Kelly for a pre-draft workout on Monday, then hosted David Duke, Jalen Crutcher, Aaron Henry, Colbey Ross, Terry Taylor, and Ethan Thompson for a group workout on Tuesday, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter links).
Draft Workouts: Wizards, Springer, Kuminga, Pacers, Hornets, Bezhanishvili
The Wizards own the No. 15 pick and they’ve been very busy working out players. Guards Chris Duarte of Oregon, Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois and Josh Christopher of Arizona State visited last week, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. They brought in some less heralded prospects on Tuesday, a list that includes Mitchell Ballock (Creighton), D.J. Carton (Marquette), Matt Coleman III (Texas), Ryan Daly (St. Joseph) and Mark Vital (Baylor), according to a team press release.
Potential first-round Jaden Springer (Tennessee) heads the list of prospects who will work out for the club on Thursday, Hughes tweets. They’ll also take a look at Zane Martin (Towson), Asbjorn Midtgaard (Grand Canyon), Eugene Omoruyi (Oregon), Micah Potter (Wisconsin) and Guilherme Santos (Minas-Brazil).
We have more draft workout info:
- Jaden Springer, a point guard currently ranked No. 27 on ESPN’s Best Available list, has also worked out for the Knicks, Spurs, Thunder and Pelicans, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report tweets.
- G League Ignite forward Jonathan Kuminga, ranked No. 5 by ESPN, worked out for the Cavaliers on Wednesday, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. The Cavs hold the No. 3 overall pick.
- Jose Alvarado (Georgia Tech), Dalano Banton (Nebraska), Chaundee Brown (Michigan), Sharife Cooper (Auburn), Jalen Crutcher (Dayton) and Mac McClung (Texas Tech) will work out for the Pacers on Thursday, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets.
- The Hornets hosted Vrenz Bleijenbergh (Antwerp Belgium), Feron Hunt (SMU), D.J. Stewart (Mississippi State), Ethan Thompson (Oregon State), Romeo Weems (DePaul) and Marcus Zegarowski (Creighton), the team’s PR department tweets.
- Illinois big man Giorgi Bezhanishvili is working out for the Hawks Thursday, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweets. He’s also worked out recently for the Bucks and Grizzlies.
Draft Notes: Garza, Mike, Thompson, Ross, Crutcher
Iowa star Luka Garza has withdrawn from the NBA Draft and is set to return with the Hawkeyes for his senior season, he announced on social media Sunday.
Garza is an early frontrunner for National Player of the Year, with the 21-year-old center hoping that his team can compete for a championship next season. He averaged 23.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game this season, leading the Hawkeyes to a 20-11 record.
“My heart is in Iowa City,” Garza said in a statement. “I love this place too much to leave it. I love my teammates, coaches, community, fans and university. I don’t care how many games we were able to play, I want to be here and wear IOWA across my chest one more time. It would have been too hard to close the book without the last chapter. I have decided to return to the University of Iowa for my senior season.”
Here are some other draft-related notes tonight:
- SMU junior Isiaha Mike has signed with Chemnitz in the German BBL, agent Adam Papas told Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Mike will decide on October 6 whether to stay in the 2020 NBA Draft, Goodman notes. “Isiaha has a child that he was ready to provide for,” Papas said. “He feels like a year of pro development gets him closer to a NBA roster next season either via a draft and stash this season or being in next year’s draft. There’s too much uncertainty with the G League/2-ways.”
- Oregon State swingman Ethan Thompson has withdrawn from the NBA Draft and is set to return to school, Jeff Goodman of ESPN tweets. Thompson averaged 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game this season.
- Pepperdine guard Colbey Ross is withdrawing from the draft, he told Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Ross held per-game averages of 20.5 points and 7.2 assists last season, shooting 40 percent from the field and 35% from deep.
- Dayton guard Jalen Crutcher will return for his senior season and withdraw from the draft, as relayed by David Jablonski of the Dayton Daily News (Twitter link). Crutcher averaged a career-high 15.1 points this past season, raising his shooting percentage to 47%.
205 Early Entrants Declare For 2020 NBA Draft
The NBA has released the official list of early entrants for the 2020 NBA draft, announcing in a press release that 205 players have filed as early entry candidates. Of those prospects, 163 are from colleges, while 42 are international early entrants.
That number falls just short of the previous record for early entrants, established in 2018. Two years ago, 236 early entrants declared for the draft, though ultimately only 91 of those prospects remained in the draft by the final deadline. A year ago, 233 early entrants declared, with 98 remaining in the draft.
This year’s total of 205 early entrants also figures to shrink significantly by June 3 and again by June 15, the two tentative deadlines for players to withdraw their names from the draft pool — assuming those dates aren’t pushed back. But it still looks like the pool will remain crowded, with the eventual number of early entrants likely to exceed 60, the number of picks in the draft.
Our list of early entrants is now up to date and can be found right here. Here are today’s updates:
College underclassmen:
The following players were listed on the NBA’s official breakdown today, but weren’t yet noted on our own list.
- Timmy Allen, F, Utah (junior)
- Nojel Eastern, G, Purdue (junior)
- Tony Goodwin II, G/F, Redemption Academy (N/A)
- Jalen Hill, F/C, UCLA (sophomore)
- Jay Huff, F, Virginia (junior)
- Chance Hunter, G, Long Beach State (sophomore)
- Damien Jefferson, G/F, Creighton (junior)
- Dakari Johnson, G, Cape Fear CC (freshman)
- Jalen Johnson, F, Louisiana (junior)
- Colbey Ross, G, Pepperdine (junior)
- Joe Saterfield, G/F, Ranger CC (freshman)
- Justin Smith, F, Indiana (junior)
- Ben Stanley, F, Hampton (sophomore)
- Justin Thomas, G, Morehead State (junior)
- Ethan Thompson, G, Oregon State (junior)
- Alonzo Verge Jr., G, Arizona State (junior)
- Ibi Watson, G, Dayton (junior)
The following players reportedly declared for the draft or planned to, but weren’t named in the NBA’s official announcement today. As such, we’ve removed them from our list.
- Paul Atkinson Jr., F, Yale (junior)
- Chaundee Brown, G, Wake Forest (junior)
- Devon Daniels, G, North Carolina State (junior)
- Ceasar DeJesus, G, UCF (junior)
- Cartier Diarra, G, Kansas State (junior)
- Jimma Gatwech, G, Huntington Prep (N/A)
- TeShaun Hightower, G, Tulane (junior)
International players:
The following players were listed on the NBA’s official breakdown today, but weren’t yet noted on our list.
- Philippe Bayehe, F, Italy (born 1999)
- Vinicius Da Silva, C, Spain (born 2001)
- Imru Duke, F, Spain (born 1999)
- Michele Ebeling, F, Italy (born 1999)
- Dut Mabor, C, Italy (born 2001)
- Sergi Martinez, F, Spain (born 1999)
- Joel Parra, F, Spain (born 2000)
- Mouhamed Thiam, C, France (born 2001)
- Andrii Voinalovych, F, Ukraine (born 1999)
Draft Decisions: Coffey, Tucker, Dotson, Grimes, Nwora
There’s little time left before tonight’s 11:59 pm EST NCAA withdrawal deadline. Below are some of the latest decisions:
Staying in the draft:
- Minnesota guard Amir Coffey will forgo his senior season and remain in the draft, per Evan Daniels of 247Sports.
- Rayjon Tucker, who recently committed to Memphis as a graduate transfer, will not play for the Tigers after all, as he will also keep his name in this year’s draft, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.
Withdrawing from the draft:
- A duo of Kansas players will head back to college, but only Devon Dotson will return to Lawrence (Twitter link), as Quentin Grimes has entered the transfer portal (per Daniels and Jeff Goodman of Stadium).
- Louisville forward Jordan Nwora will return to school for his junior season, he announced on Twitter.
- Kansas State guard Xavier Sneed will return for his senior season, he announced on Twitter.
- Penn State forward Lamar Stevens will return to school for his senior season, per Rothstein.
- Oregon State guard Ethan Thompson will return to Corvallis for his junior year, Rothstein tweets.
- Virginia Tech big man Kerry Blackshear will return to college, but it remains to be seen where he ends up after entering the transfer portal (per Rothstein)
As noted by Jonathan Givony of ESPN, Dotson, Nwora, and Grimes were ranked Nos. 59, 63, and 73 before their announcements.
Remember to check our early entrants list for a full list of all draft decisions.
Draft Workouts: Pistons, Sixers, Wolves, Kings
Centers Bruno Fernando (Maryland) and Daniel Gafford (Arkansas) were among the prospects the Pistons brought in on Tuesday, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets. Fernando is ranked the fifth-best center prospect by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and No. 34 overall. Gafford is right behind him among centers and No. 38 overall. Detroit currently holds the No. 15 and No. 45 picks. Shooting guards Fletcher Magee (Wofford), SG Jaylin Walker (Kent State) and Ky Bowman (Boston College) and wing Cody Martin (Nevada) also visited the Pistons’ practice facility on Tuesday.
We have more draft workout info:
- The Sixers took a look at point guard Tookie Brown (Georgia Southern), the Sun Belt Player of the Year, among others on Monday, according to a team press release. Forwards Terance Mann (Florida State) and Zylan Cheatham (Arizona State), guards Bowman and Max Strus (DePaul) and swingman Marial Shayok (Iowa State) were the other prospects at the Sixers’ facility.
- Wisconsin big man Ethan Happ and Syracuse swingman Tyus Battle were among the players the Timberwolves worked out on Tuesday, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP (Twitter links).
- The Kings will host a dozen players on Wednesday, according to a team press release. The first group includes guards Jalen Pickett (Siena), Andrew Nembhard (Florida) and Aubrey Dawkins (UCF), forwards Lamar Stevens (Penn State) and Isaiah Roby (Nebraska) and center Mamadi Diakite (Virginia). The second group includes guards Chris Clemons (Campbell), Payton Pritchard (Oregon) and Ethan Thompson (Oregon State), forwards V.J. King (Louisville) and Femi Olujobi (DePaul) and center Nathan Knight (William & Mary).
Draft Notes: Brazdeikis, Pistons, Pacers, Dort, Wooten
University of Michigan freshman forward Ignas Brazdeikis is strongly leaning toward staying the draft, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets. “Definitely leaning toward staying in,” he said while working out for the Pistons on Monday. Brazdeikis’ representatives have told him he’ll go anywhere from No. 20-40 in the draft, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets. ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony currently pegs the power forward at No. 46 overall.
We have more developments regarding draft prospects:
- The Pistons brought in two groups of prospects, including Brazdeikis, on Monday, Langlois notes in a separate tweet. The first group included centers Naz Reid (LSU) and Marques Bolden (Duke), point guards Justin Robinson (Virginia Tech) and Andrew Nembhard (Florida) and forward Louis King (Oregon) came in during the morning session; Shooting guards Quinndary Weatherspoon (Mississippi State), Ethan Thompson (Oregon State) and Ahmed Hill (Virginia Tech), forwards Martin Krampelj (Creighton) and Savion Flagg (Texas A&M) and point guard Phil Booth (Villanova) visited during the afternoon session.
- The Pacers will conduct a pair of draft workouts on Tuesday, the team announced in a press release. The first group includes Brian Bowen II (Australia), Ty Jerome (Virginia), Jaylen Nowell (Washington), Josh Perkins (Gonzaga), Dylan Windler (Belmont) and Justin Wright-Foreman (Hofstra). The second group includes Nicolas Claxton (Georgia), Carsen Edwards (Purdue), CJ Elleby (Washington State), Krampelj, Derrik Smits (Butler), and Lamar Stevens (Penn State). Edwards (No. 25) and Jerome (No. 29) are the highest-rated prospects among those groups, according to Givony.
- Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Luguentz Dort will work out for the Suns, Warriors, Trail Blazers and Jazz next week, Jordan Schultz of ESPN tweets. The 6’5” Dort (Arizona State) is rated No. 27 overall by Givony and No. 7 among shooting guard prospects.
- Oregon forward Kenny Wooten wrote on his Instagram account that he will remain in the draft, Steve Mims of DuckSports.com reports. Wooten averaged 6.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 2.2 BPG in his sophomore year. He is not listed among Givony’s Top 100 prospects.
Draft Notes: Thompson, Zagars, Ngom, Lecque
North Carolina State commit Jalen Lecque has announced his decision to declare for the 2019 NBA Draft, posting a video to his social media page today.
“I would like to thank god, my mom, my dad, my brothers and sisters and my extended family and friends,” Lecque said. “I would like to thank Christ School and Brewster Academy for providing me with the education and giving me the opportunity and making me the man I am today.”
Lecque also hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to NC State if he isn’t selected in the draft, Evan Daniels of 247Sports tweets.
Here are some other draft notes today:
- Oregon State guard Ethan Thompson has declared for the draft and will hire an agent, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Thompson started in 63 games during his two seasons at Oregon State, holding per-game averages of 11.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
- Latvian guard Arturs Zagars has entered his name to the draft, his agency You First Sports told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link). Zagars was the MVP of the FIBA U18 European Championship and has a strong chance of getting drafted, Givony adds.
- Ryerson University center Tanor Ngom has declared for the draft, head coach Roy Rana confirmed to Givony. Ngom, a 7’2″ native of Senegal, averaged 11.3 points and 5.6 rebounds on 64% shooting this season. He had notable performances against Duke during a preseason game last year and at the Nike Academy in August.