Draft Combine Update: Friday Evening
Kansas freshman power forward/center Cheick Diallo intends to sign with an agent and remain in the 2016 NBA Draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reports. “My time at Kansas was hard; the beginning was really hard,” Diallo said. “The NCAA stuff made it difficult for me, but even though I didn’t always play a lot, I loved being at Kansas and loved supporting my teammates. This is the time for me to go to the next level. And I’m trying to show the NBA the things I do well: block shots, rebound and run the floor. I can guard multiple positions.”
The 19-year-old is currently ranked No. 32 overall by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express, but Diallo is likely to climb in those rankings in the near future based on his strong showing during the combine, though that is merely my speculation. Here’s more from Chicago’s big event:
- A number of scouts still aren’t sold on Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere despite the reports he wowed teams with his solo workout at the combine, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. “A guy makes shots in an empty gym?” a league executive told Deveney. “That makes him top 10? I don’t think so. We know he is a pretty good shooter. I think he has a lot of potential. He could go in the lottery, and maybe top 10. But he has a lot to prove in workouts.“
- Former Providence point guard Kris Dunn said he’d love to play for the Pelicans if they were to select him this June, citing the presence of power forward Anthony Davis as his primary reason, Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com relays. “[It’s] definitely [appealing],” said Dunn. “For any point guard who’s going there. Who wouldn’t want to play with [Davis]? He’s definitely a superstar, up there with LeBron James, Kevin Durant and all those guys. To be able to play with a guy like that, it’s only going to help me. He makes the game a lot easier for point guards.”
- Both Jaylen Brown (California) and Gary Payton II (Oregon State) described their interviews with Kings executive Vlade Divac as “fun,” with Brown also noting that the mood was lighter and less stressful than other interviews he has participated in, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee relays (Twitter links).
- The Lakers interviewed Marquette freshman center Henry Ellenson today, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News tweets.
- Utah sophomore center Jakob Poeltl interviewed with the Pelicans, Brett Dawson of The New Orleans Advocate (Twitter links). New Orleans also sat down with Diallo, the scribe adds.
Northwest Notes: Stotts, Brown, Poeltl
Mason Plumlee said Thursday that he’ll be “shocked” if the Trail Blazers don’t give Terry Stotts an extension, and Damian Lillard said a renewed deal for the coach “would mean everything to me,” notes Jay Allen of WPOJ-AM (Twitter links). Portland and representatives for the coach will reportedly explore the idea of an extension, and every Blazers player at exit interviews Thursday said they think Stotts is deserving of an extension and a raise, as KFXX-AM relays via Twitter.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Gerald Henderson confirmed hints that he’d like to re-sign with the Blazers, Allen tweets. “I can’t imagine a better place,” Henderson said. Maurice Harkless, headed for restricted free agency, also wants to return to Portland, KFXX-AM notes (Twitter link).
- The Timberwolves interviewed Utah sophomore center Jakob Poeltl and UNLV freshman big man Stephen Zimmerman, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune relays (Twitter links).
- The Jazz have scheduled a workout with Memphis small forward Dedric Lawson and are expected to set up one with Purdue freshman forward Caleb Swanigan, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune relays (Twitter links).
- The Jazz interviewed Jaylen Brown (California) and Troy Williams (Indiana) today, and the team has scheduled meetings for Saturday with Malachi Richardson (Syracuse) and Isaiah Whitehead (Seton Hall), Jones relays in a series of tweets. The scribe also notes that Utah really likes freshman power forward Marquese Chriss (Washington), a potential lottery pick, and that the 18-year-old impressed the team during his interview.
- The Wolves held a workout earlier this week that included Ben Bentil (Providence), Abdul Malik-Abu (North Carolina State), Abdel Nader (Iowa State), Trevon Bluiett (Xavier) and James Robinson (Pittsburgh), Zgoda tweets.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Atlantic Notes: Dunn, Trimble, Wiltjer, Hart
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.
Northwest Notes: Allen, Crabbe, Dudley
Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen regaled his team with an emotional speech regarding how proud it made him by overachieving this season, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com relays. “What he said came from the heart,’’ point guard Damian Lillard said. “You could hear it in his voice. He really meant what he was saying. He saw that we left it out there, and he saw how bad we wanted it. And he felt it, he felt what we did.’’ The players noted that the owner’s faith in them never wavered, even when the team struggled early in the campaign, Quick adds. “All owners aren’t connected to their teams like that,” swingman Gerald Henderson noted. “To a lot, their teams are just an investment. But he is committed and invested into the team, not just with his money. He is a clear basketball fanatic, a Blazers fanatic. I think he loves his players, and that’s pretty cool.’’
It remains to be seen just how impressed Allen was by Portland’s 2015/16 campaign, as the team is reportedly set to open extension talks with coach Terry Stotts this summer. Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Allen Crabbe is excited about his upcoming restricted free agency this summer but had all positives to say about the Trail Blazers, his incumbent team, in exit interviews today, notes Erik Gunderson of The Columbian (Twitter link). Henderson, who’s hitting unrestricted free agency, was a reserve this season for the Blazers but said he places less of a priority on starting than he used to, instead favoring a chance to win and play a role that fits, Gunderson tweets.
- The Jazz want to arrange interviews and workouts with University of Utah center Jakob Poeltl and Weber State power forward Joel Bolomboy, as Walt Perrin, the team’s vice president of player personnel, told Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- In response to a fan’s question on Twitter, soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Jared Dudley noted that the Timberwolves‘ young roster reminded him of the Bucks’ and that he could envision himself playing in Minnesota next season if the team is interested in his services.
- The Wolves interviewed former North Carolina power forward Brice Johnson today, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN relays (via Twitter).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Prospect Profile: Jakob Poeltl (Part Two)
PROJECTED DRAFT RANGE: Poeltl is projected to come off the board within the top 10 picks, with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranking him No. 8 overall while Chad Ford of ESPN.com slots him tenth and has the big man penciled in as the top available center in this year’s draft. His biggest draft competition is likely to be Marquette freshman big man Henry Ellenson, whose offensive skills and higher upside could trump Poeltl’s abilities in the eyes of scouts.
RISE/FALL: The premium that the league places on athletic big men who can protect the rim makes it difficult to envision Poeltl dropping out of the top 10 on draft night. Poeltl had a legitimate shot at being a lottery pick in 2015, so it would certainly be a shock to see him tumble out of the top 14 picks this season. The significant increase in Poeltl’s productivity from his freshman campaign at Utah to this season’s numbers certainly bode well for his future and illustrate that the best is still to come from the 20-year-old. Poeltl’s predraft workouts will be vital in determining where he lands come June. If the Austrian shows scouts that he can regularly connect on his midrange shots and demonstrate solid footwork in the post while on offense, he could creep into the top seven selections, though it may take a team reaching for fit for him to come off the board that high.
I don’t see Poeltl landing outside the lottery unless he appears to be severely overmatched physically during his workouts, assuming he even agrees to compete against other players instead of limiting himself strictly to individual showcases. His medical assessments will also play a part, given that teams are especially wary of big men who have lower body issues. Poeltl has no reported medical or physical problems, but NBA medical exams have been known to turn up previously undiagnosed maladies, so some level of uncertainty always exists in this area.
FIT: There aren’t many teams that couldn’t benefit from adding a player with Poeltl’s skills and potential. The Bucks immediately come to mind as a prime destination, since he’d be a solid fit alongside Greg Monroe, provided Milwaukee doesn’t trade Monroe this summer. Orlando could also use some interior help, though the Magic are looking to add veteran depth and may well end up trading their first-rounder. The Bulls are also a strong possibility with the futures of Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah unresolved, and Poeltl’s athleticism would blend well with coach Fred Hoiberg‘s system.
FINAL TAKE: There will always be work in the NBA for skilled big men, so Poeltl shouldn’t have to wait too long on draft night to hear his name called. His intriguing size, rebounding ability, shot-blocking acumen and coordination in the pick-and-roll should make him a serviceable player for seasons to come. Still, Poeltl will need to add strength and improve his post arsenal if he hopes to become more than simply a rotation player in the NBA.
(For Part One of Jakob Poeltl’s prospect profile, click here.)
Prospect Profile: Jakob Poeltl (Part One)
OVERVIEW: Austrian big man Jakob Poeltl was projected as a borderline lottery pick in the 2015 NBA draft, but the center decided to return to Utah for his sophomore campaign, a move that should pay off handsomely for him this June. Not only is the 20-year-old now virtually assured of being a top-10 pick, but his game is now better suited to succeed at the NBA level thanks to the extra year in school. Poeltl made some significant strides during his sophomore campaign. His confidence level and efficiency were noticeably improved. He’s still far more valuable as a defender than as an offensive weapon at his current stage of development, but Poeltl has shown flashes of the potential to evolve into the two-way threat that NBA scouts crave when analyzing big men.
STATS: In 35 appearances for Utah this season, Poeltl averaged 17.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 blocks in 30.4 minutes per outing. His slash line on the year was .646/.000/.692.
STRENGTHS: The first thing that stands out about the 7’1″ Poeltl’s game is how fluid and deceptively athletic he is. While he’s not an athletic freak in the vein of a Karl-Anthony Towns or Kristaps Porzingis, two distinguished members of the draft class of 2015, Poeltl is certainly mobile and quick enough to effectively guard players on the perimeter, which is an uncommon skill for big men. Poeltl is quite effective when running in transition, and his soft hands allow him to make some difficult catches in traffic. It’s extremely tough to prevent him from scoring when he gets close to the rim, though he’ll need to develop a stronger and more diverse post game if he hopes to be a consistent offensive threat in the NBA. Poeltl has shown the potential to be an elite defender at the NBA level, though I don’t necessarily believe he’ll be a dominating rim protector in the league during his career. His true defensive value will come from his ability to play effective team defense, his high motor and basketball IQ, as well as his ability to be extremely effective against the pick-and-roll.
WEAKNESSES: Poeltl has demonstrated the ability to score close to the basket, but he still has a ways to go in his offensive development. The big man hasn’t shown the ability to create his own offense, and he’ll need to continue to work at improving his midrange jump shot, which has the potential to become an effective weapon for him down the line. Poeltl’s offensive output during his rookie campaign is likely to consist primarily of putbacks and transition buckets and he shouldn’t be counted on to produce much initially. He’s not rail-thin at 240 pounds, but he’ll need to add strength and bulk if he hopes to survive prolonged exposure to the NBA’s elite big men on a nightly basis. Poeltl also needs to improve his decision-making when facing multiple defenders, as his 2.1 turnovers per game are a touch high for a player not generally tasked with handling the ball or facilitating an offense.
(For Part Two of our Jakob Poeltl Prospect Profile, click here.)
Utah C Jakob Poeltl Declares For Draft
University of Utah sophomore center Jakob Poeltl will enter this year’s draft and plans to hire an agent, the school announced. The 7’1″ 20-year-old is the No. 8 prospect in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings and No. 10 with Chad Ford of ESPN.com. He’ll lose his college eligibility once he signs with an agent, so it appears he won’t withdraw from the draft by the NCAA’s May 25th deadline.
It’s no surprise that Poeltl is in this year’s draft to stay, given his intriguing size, his rebounding and shot-blocking acumen, and his coordination in the pick-and-roll, attributes Ford lists among the big man’s many strengths. He averaged 17.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game as he picked up Consensus All-American and Pacific-12 Player of the Year honors. His 64.6% shooting led the conference and was eighth in NCAA Division I.
Poeltl’s low-post game could use some work, according to Ford, but he scored a career-high 32 points against NCAA Tournament-bound Temple in a game this past November. Poeltl came to Utah from Vienna, competing on the amateur level in Austria and representing the country in international competitions.
And-Ones: Jones, All-Stars, Draft Picks, Inglis
The Timberwolves have assigned rookie point guard Tyus Jones to the D-League, the team tweeted tonight. The former Duke star was drafted 24th overall by the Cavaliers in June and then shipped to Minnesota in a draft-night trade. He has played just 14 minutes in two games with the Wolves, with 1 point, 1 rebound and 1 assist. Minnesota officials had previously announced their intention to have Jones spend part of the year in the D-League to get more playing time. Jones will be sent to the Idaho Stampede, the affiliate of the Jazz. Wolves GM Milt Newton will address the situation Sunday, according to a tweet from the team.
There’s more from around the basketball world:
- Pistons center Andre Drummond heads a list of most likely first-time all stars compiled by Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. With Drummond averaging more than 18 points per game and leading the league in rebounds, Brigham considers the fourth-year center a shoo-in for the February 14th contest in Toronto. Potentially joining him from the Eastern Conference are Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis, the Hornets‘ Kemba Walker, the Celtics‘ Isaiah Thomas and the Heat’s Hassan Whiteside. Brigham’s five picks for the Western squad are the Warriors‘ Draymond Green, the Spurs‘ Kawhi Leonard, the Suns‘ Eric Bledsoe and/or Brandon Knight and the Jazz’s Derrick Favors.
- LSU’s Ben Simmons looks like the clear No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, Brigham writes in a separate story analyzing the top six contenders for that honor. Brigham cites the Australia freshman’s versatility on offense, where he possesses the skills of a point guard but the 6’10” frame of a power forward. Also on Brigham’s list are Kentucky freshman Skal Labissiere, California freshman Jaylen Brown, Duke freshman Brandon Ingram, Providence junior Kris Dunn and Utah sophomore Jakob Poeltl.
- The Bucks recalled Damien Inglis from the Canton Charge of the D-League, tweets Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He was sent to Canton on November 22nd.
- The Raptors recalled Bruno Caboclo and Delon Wright from Raptors 905, the team tweeted today. Neither was active for today’s game with the Warriors.
Woelfel On Thibodeau, Carter-Williams, Middleton
The Magic‘s coaching job would be Tom Thibodeau‘s if he wants it, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times hears. Others nonetheless speculate that Thibodeau would prefer to coach the Pelicans, Woelfel notes. Thibodeau still has two years left on his contract with the Bulls, the team he’s coaching in the conference semifinals, though there have been no shortage of rumors indicating that his time left in Chicago is short. The Magic have made little progress in their coaching search so far and haven’t begun formal interviews, while Monty Williams remains the coach in New Orleans. As we wait to see just how Thibodeau’s future plays out, Woelfel has more Bucks-centric rumors to go along with his news linking Brook Lopez to Milwaukee. We’ll pass along some highlights, though Woelfel’s entire piece is a must-read, especially for Bucks fans:
- Some higher-ups around the league tell Woelfel that the Bucks aren’t totally convinced Michael Carter-Williams is their guy at point guard, just as the team had its doubts about Brandon Knight before trading him in February as part of the deal that netted Carter-Williams. Still, there isn’t as much financial urgency with last year’s Rookie of the Year, who has two more seasons left on his rookie scale contract, as there was with Knight, who’s set for restricted free agency this summer.
- The Bucks had significant interest in University of Utah center Jakob Poeltl before he became the highest-profile prospect in this year’s draft to decide against entering, sources tell Woelfel. The 7-footer will be a sophomore next season.
- A front office official for an Eastern Conference team who spoke with Woelfel estimated that Bucks soon-to-be restricted free agent Khris Middleton would make salaries of around $9MM on his next deal, as Woelfel relays on the “Sports Junkies” video segment. The executive expressed doubt about the offer of a $15MM annual salary that another executive recently told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that Middleton was in line to draw.
Jakob Poeltl Decides Against Entering Draft
8:15am: Poeltl confirmed that he’s staying out of this year’s draft in an announcement released through the school (hat tip to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com).
7:58am: Projected lottery pick Jakob Poeltl has decided not to enter this year’s draft, report Kyle Goon and Matthew Piper of The Salt Lake Tribune. The freshman center from the University of Utah is the No. 11 prospect in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings, and Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him 14th. Poeltl is so far the most highly regarded prospect for this year’s draft to opt against entering, though he’ll have until Sunday to enter if he changes his mind.
The Austrian-born 19-year-old impressed defensively against top-two prospect Jahlil Okafor in the NCAA Tournament, holding the Duke big man to just six points on 3-of-6 shooting, even though Poeltl’s Utes lost to the eventual national champion Blue Devils. Poeltl didn’t put up strong numbers offensively, averaging just 9.1 points in 23.3 minutes per game and shooting just 44.4% from the free-throw line this season. The 7-footer could stand to refine his game some more in college, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors wrote in our latest Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Power Rankings, advocating for Poeltl to stay in school as he’s apparently decided to do.
This year’s draft is top-heavy with big men, so it would seem Poeltl stands a better chance of being selected more highly next year. There aren’t many centers projected to go in the back half of the first round this year, so teams that have needs on the interior and a mid first-round pick are probably disappointed.