And-Ones: Dunn, Zubac, Delaney, Offseason
While Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram are the consensus top two prospects in this year’s draft class, in some order, ESPN’s Chad Ford is surprised by how much teams’ boards vary from Nos. 3 through 8. According to Ford, every player out of the second-tier group that includes Kris Dunn, Jamal Murray, Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss, Jaylen Brown, and Buddy Hield ranks as high as No. 3 on at least one club’s board and as low as No. 8 on another board. Of those six players though, Dunn appears third on the most boards, per Ford.
Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from across the NBA…
- The sports agency formerly known as Relativity Sports is being relaunched as Independent Sports and Entertainment, with billionaire Ron Burkle tabbing former Madison Square Garden CEO Hank Ratner to lead the company, reports Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg Sports. The group has retained several top agents and over 300 MLB, NFL, and NBA clients.
- Croatian big man Ivica Zubac, who worked out for the Pistons today, has also gotten a look from the Grizzlies and Celtics, and has a workout on tap with the Raptors, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. According to Langlois, Zubac chose those four teams because they had shown the most interest in him.
- Former Virginia Tech guard Malcolm Delaney, who has played overseas for the last several years, turned down a two-year, $5MM offer from Barcelona in the hopes of landing with an NBA team this year, reports Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net. If Delaney can’t find the right NBA situation, he may end up in China, where he has a “huge offer” on the table, per Varlas.
- In a piece for The Vertical, former Nets executive Bobby Marks examines how teams prepare for the draft, from setting a draft board to medical reviews to trade talks.
- ESPN’s Kevin Pelton identifies five key offseason storylines to watch in the coming days and weeks.
Ford On Sixers, Lakers, J. Brown, Celtics
The NBA world may still be recovering this morning from an incredible Game 7 in Oakland on Sunday night, but that recovery will have to happen fast — we’re only three days away from the 2016 NBA draft. As we quickly transition into the 2016 offseason, let’s round up a few of the highlights from Chad Ford’s latest mock draft at ESPN.com (Insider link), which features a handful of interesting draft tidbits…
- The Sixers have had “vigorous internal debates” about the No. 1 pick, with Brandon Ingram and Kris Dunn – who would both be good fits on the roster – receiving consideration. But, as Ford writes, the team keeps coming back to the fact that Ben Simmons is the best prospect in the draft in terms of “sheer talent and upside.” Ford adds that head coach Brett Brown believes he could find a way to use Simmons as a point guard of sorts.
- Although there has been some talk of the Lakers eyeing Marquese Chriss and Jaylen Brown at No. 2, Ford believes those prospects would only be in play for L.A. if the club acquired another lottery pick. Either Simmons or (more likely) Ingram figures to be the pick for the Lakers.
- The Celtics have come up empty so far in their trade talks involving the No. 3 selection. That doesn’t mean Boston will definitely keep the pick, but the team doesn’t have a deal it likes for the time being. If they keep the pick, the Celtics may be leaning toward Brown, who had a “terrific” workout in Boston, says Ford.
- The four players strongly in the mix for the Timberwolves at No. 5 are Brown, Kris Dunn, Jamal Murray, and Dragan Bender, according to Ford.
- While the Kings are “praying” that Buddy Hield falls to No. 8, Ford says Domantas Sabonis could be a dark horse candidate for that spot, since Sacramento is very high on him.
- We heard last week that Malachi Richardson may have received a promise from the Grizzlies at No. 17, and Ford’s mock draft does send Richardson to Memphis. However, the ESPN.com scribe notes that the Grizzlies are also very fond of Croatian big man Ivica Zubac, who could be in play for that slot.
Draft Update: Celtics, Spurs, Hornets, Jazz, Hield
The Celtics have trimmed their list of candidates if they keep the No. 3 pick in Thursday’s draft, writes Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com. Director of player personnel Austin Ainge said during workouts Saturday that the team has a good idea of who it will select if no trades work out by draft night. “We’ve been narrowing at this point,” Ainge said. “We have them in groups more than specific [players]. Maybe for our first pick we have it narrowed to these three or four guys, the second group a little bigger – eight or 10, because you don’t know whose going to be there. You do your best at guessing and debating the groups.” Petraglia names Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield, Bosnian power forward Dragan Bender and Providence point guard Kris Dunn as the top candidates for the third selection, with Kentucky combo guard Jamal Murray and California power forward Jaylen Brown possibly getting consideration. The Celtics also own picks No. 16 and 23 in the first round.
There’s more draft-related news this morning:
- The Spurs are working hard to move up in the draft, according to NBADraft.net (Twitter link) and Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (link). San Antonio currently owns the No. 29 pick.
- The Hornets are also making an effort to improve their draft position, tweets Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Charlotte has the 22nd pick.
- Several teams have contacted the Jazz about trading for the No. 12 pick, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News.
- Providence power forward Ben Bentil has a draft promise late in the first round, according to NBADraft.net (Twitter link). The Clippers, who hold the 25th selection, are mentioned as a possibility because of their connection with Friars assistant coach God Shammgod.
- Hield made his case to be taken second overall after his workout Saturday with the Lakers, writes Joey Ramirez of NBA.com. It was Hield’s second session for L.A. after a private workout earlier. “I’m just what the franchise needs,” he said. “The Lakers are losing Kobe [Bryant] and need a scorer. Why not? Why not come in and fill in the spot? I’m a confident player. That’s what I’ve been. I’ve been under pressure my whole life; just overcoming obstacles and I know L.A.’s in the market and everybody says about the Lakers how they expect to win. I’m a player coming in and expecting to win right away.”
Atlantic Notes: Hornacek, Kilpatrick, Dunn
Power forward Kristaps Porzingis was surprised when the Knicks hired Jeff Hornacek, but believes the new head coach can maximize the talent that is on the team’s roster, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays. “I think he’s a very smart coach. He knows how to use his players and that’s exactly what we need,” Porzingis said of Horncek. “And we’ll see if we can get some more players this offseason. But I think we have enough talent and having [Carmelo Anthony] makes everybody better. So if we know how to go from there, using Melo, myself and involving everybody, using everybody’s strengths and putting it all together, then we’ll be a different team. We’ll be able to succeed.”
“I think Hornacek can be that coach for us,” Porzingis continued. “Of course, you need a long-term coach to be able to win. He needs to know the players, the personalities, [players’] strengths on the court, off the court, everything. We need some time to build something and I think he can be the guy.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Sean Kilpatrick is grateful to the Nets for seeing something in him that other NBA teams did not, vowing to reward the franchise for its faith in his potential, NetsDaily relays. “I remember going through the Star-Spangled Banner and when I was going through it I was just thinking, wondering ‘What did [GM] Sean Marks see in me that everyone else didn’t see and remember a tear dropping,” said Kilpatrick. “I mean after all this hard work, you had finally found a home. You found somewhere where someone actually believe in you and someone actually wants to help you get better to be the best you can possibly be. So I’m going to continue to make sure that everyone in this building know who I am and why I play this game.”
- Former Providence point guard Kris Dunn disputes the reports that he doesn’t want to play for the Celtics or any other team with a point guard already entrenched, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe writes. “I mean, it would be unbelievable to be selected by the Celtics,” Dunn said earlier today. “My dream is just to get drafted, and that I have a chance to be a top-five player, it’s a blessing. “I think that’s just a rumor going around. That never came out of my mouth, that I didn’t want to play for any team.”
Sixers Rumors: Saric, Draft, Dunn, Okafor
New 76ers general manager Bryan Colangelo has been managing expectations when it comes to the arrival of Dario Saric in Philadelphia, suggesting that there are plenty of hurdles to clear before the possibility of Saric becoming a Sixer in 2016/17 turns into a reality.
Still, even though it might make more financial sense for Saric to wait one more year, Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com has talked to several people with knowledge of the forward’s situation who believe it’s very likely he joins the Sixers this year. According to Bodner (Twitter links), even though Philadelphia has been noncommittal about it, people close to the situation with Efes (Saric’s team in Turkey) believe the former No. 12 overall pick will make the leap to the NBA this summer.
Here’s more on the Sixers:
- With Jaylen Brown having come in for a solo workout with the 76ers on Tuesday, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if it’s a signal that the club is serious about acquiring a second top-10 pick in this year’s draft. Brown, of course, isn’t viewed as a real candidate for the No. 1 overall pick, but perhaps Philadelphia is just doing its due diligence.
- The other players the Sixers worked out on Tuesday are potential second-round or undrafted players, as Pompey writes. Philadelphia doesn’t have a second-round pick this year, but the club will keep an eye on prospects that could be added to its D-League squad.
- If the Sixers do acquire another top pick, one target could be Providence’s Kris Dunn. According to Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), Philadelphia “absoutely loves” Dunn.
- The 76ers announced in a press release that they’re hosting another pre-draft workout today, with six prospects in attendance: Stephen Zimmerman (UNLV), Bryn Forbes (Michigan State), Grandy Glaze (Grand Canyon), Stefan Jankovic (Hawaii), Retin Obasohan (Alabama), and David Walker (Northeastern). With the exception of Zimmerman, who ranks 35th on DraftExpress.com’s big board, today’s workout group consists of players likely to go undrafted.
- Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders spoke to Jahlil Okafor about his rookie season and about the trade rumors that have swirled around him all year.
Kyler’s Latest: Rose, Bulls, Valentine, Draft
A Monday report from ESPN indicated that the Timberwolves are eyeing Jimmy Butler as a trade target, but the Bulls may not be willing to deal their star forward. In fact, league sources at the annual Adidas Eurocamp in Italy tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that Chicago is much more open to the idea of trading Derrick Rose, rather than Butler.
With Rose entering a contract year and attached to a cap number of $21MM+, it’s not clear how much interest he’ll generate, or whether any teams have made a real offer yet. However, Kyler writes that there’s a sense around the NBA that teams unable to land a starting point guard in free agency could turn to the Bulls as a potential trade partner.
Kyler passed along a few more tidbits from Italy, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…
- Prospects like Wade Baldwin and Demetrius Jackson are viewed as potential targets for the Bulls at No. 14, particularly if the team gets serious about moving Rose, writes Kyler.
- Kyler makes note of several draft prospects whose medical issues could have an impact on their value, writing that one NBA team compared Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine to Danny Granger due to questions about his knee. While Kyler’s sources still believe Valentine will be a first-rounder, many teams believe that knee could be a problem.
- Kris Dunn is believed to have a “soft promise” in the top six, while Domantas Sabonis appears to have a similar promise from a top-12 team. A handful of international prospects, including including Ivica Zubac, Ante Zizic and Juan Hernangomez, are also believed to have promises later in the first round, according to Kyler.
- More and more executives around the NBA believe the Celtics will take either Jamal Murray or Jaylen Brown at No. 3 if they keep that pick. A. Sherrod Blakely suggested earlier this week that Boston was strongly considering Brown.
- Malachi Richardson and Demetrius Jackson are two prospects the Grizzlies have their eyes on, though their pick at No. 17 may come down to who’s still on the board at that point.
And-Ones: Robinson, Bargnani, Draft, Dunn
Former NBA guard Nate Robinson, who has expressed interest in making the leap from the NBA to the NFL, is getting his first shot at an audition. According to Master Tesfatsion and Mike Jones of The Washington Post, Robinson is trying out for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks on Monday, getting a look from the team as a defensive back.
Robinson, who last appeared on an NBA court in a couple games for the Pelicans this past season, is only 5’9″ and turned 32 last month, so the idea of him earning a spot on an NFL roster seems far-fetched. However, the Seattle native did play football at the University of Washington in 2002, playing 13 games at cornerback. For more on Robinson’s pursuit of an NFL roster spot, check out the story from our sister site, Pro Football Rumors.
Here are a few more Monday odds and ends:
- Former No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani, who is expected to consider NBA and international opportunities this offseason, has some interest in playing in Spain next season, sources tell Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Bargnani is also drawing interest from Turkey’s Darussafaka Dogus, who are now being coached by David Blatt.
- Spanish forward Juan Hernangomez, French power forward Guerschon Yabusele, and French wing Isaia Cordinier are keeping their names in the draft, reports ESPN’s Chad Ford (all Twitter links). Hernangomez and Yabusele could come off the board in the first round, while Cordinier, who hopes to play in the NBA right away, projects as a second-rounder.
- As international early entrants make their decisions on whether or not to remain in the draft, one NCAA underclassmen has made an interesting decision of his own. According to Ford, Providence point guard Kris Dunn has refused to work out for NBA teams unless he’s given the opportunity to compete one-on-one against Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram, or Jamal Murray. As such, Dunn has yet to work out for any clubs.
- Dragan Bender‘s previously-reported workouts with the Timberwolves, Suns, and Celtics will take place on June 16th, 18th, and 21st, respectively, tweets international basketball reporter David Pick.
- Brad Ames, a player agent working for Priority Sports & Entertainment, has relinquished his certification as an NBA player rep, the NBPA’s Daren Jenkins tells Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter link).
Draft Updates: Dunn, Suns, Celtics, Pelicans
Last month, we heard that former Providence point guard Kris Dunn may refuse to release his medical records to the Celtics and Suns, since he prefers not to land with a team with a young point guard or two already in place. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM is hearing similar rumblings, tweeting that Dunn isn’t interested in working out for Phoenix or sharing his medical records with the Suns — Gambardo hears that the point guard would like to land with the Timberwolves.
Let’s check out a few more draft-related updates…
- While the Celtics may not be Dunn’s preferred destination, ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link) has the Providence product going to Boston at No. 3 in his latest mock draft, writing that he thinks the C’s will choose one of Dunn, Jamal Murray, or Marquese Chriss. Dragan Bender, who has also been viewed as a candidate for that No. 3 pick, goes sixth overall in Ford’s latest mock, with the ESPN.com scribe writing that the Pelicans are believed to be “pretty big fans” of the 18-year-old big man.
- Also within his mock draft, Ford writes that Kings GM Vlade Divac and owner Vivek Ranadive love Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, and suggests that the Raptors have been “secretly hoping” Chriss falls to them at No. 9, which appears increasingly unlikely.
- Former Seton Hall point guard Isaiah Whitehead has workouts with the Nuggets and Pistons lined up for June 10th and 15th, respectively, and will work out for the Bulls and Nets after that, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
- After working out for Philadelphia on Thursday, Daniel Hamilton (UConn) will work out for the Rockets, Warriors, and Bucks, while Alex Caruso (Texas A&M) will work out for the Knicks, Wizards, and Celtics, per Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter links).
Sixers Notes: Noel, Okafor, Simmons, Ingram
The Sixers’ need at point guard and the Celtics’ desire for help in the front court make them natural trading partners, says Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. In a TV interview, she addressed rumors of a possible swap between the teams that would include Boston’s No. 3 pick and one of Philadelphia’s young big men, Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel. Camerato thinks the Celtics would have to throw in a player — someone like Marcus Smart or Avery Bradley — and it would be a fair exchange because Boston would be getting a recent draftee who already has NBA experience. The Sixers would probably target Kris Dunn of Providence or Jamal Murray of Kentucky with that third pick.
There’s more out of Philadelphia:
- If the Celtics have a choice in the deal, they should take Noel, opines Josue Pavon of WEEI. Pavon believes the 22-year-old Noel would be the rim protector that Boston needs and would be a better alternative than chasing Hassan Whiteside or Bismack Biyombo in free agency. Pavon speculates that the Sixers would ask less for Noel than for Okafor, and that the Celtics might be able to obtain him for the No. 3 pick, multiple second-round choices and a prospect such as Terry Rozier or James Young.
- The Celtics shouldn’t give up too much for either Noel or Okafor, says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. Blakely notes that Boston has been slowly working its way into contender status, and he doesn’t believe either player significantly accelerates that process.
- Ben Simmons hasn’t made a public comment since the Sixers won the draft lottery last week, writes John Smallwood of The Philadelphia Daily News. Smallwood says he can’t find a statement from Simmons on anything since he signed with the Klutch firm in March. In contrast, Duke’s Brandon Ingram, considered the other top candidate for Philly’s No. 1 choice, interviewed with the Sixers at the draft combine earlier this month. Smallwood says Simmons’ actions add to the perception that he wants Philadelphia to bypass him so he can go to the Lakers with the second pick. Still, the Sixers have a “strong preference” for Simmons, tweets Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com, and he should be considered a heavy favorite to go at No. 1.
Draft Rumors: Dunn, Pacers, Trimble
- Oakland University point guard Kay Felder is among six players working out for the Pacers on Monday, according to the team’s official Twitter feed. Felder is considering a second-round prospect by both Ford (No. 43 overall) and Givony (No. 58). Purdue power forward Caleb Swanigan, Providence power forward Ben Bentil, Tennessee shooting guard Armani Moore, North Carolina State point guard Anthony Barber and Maryland shooting guard Rasheed Sulaimon are the other prospects working out for Indiana.
- Maryland point guard Melo Trimble will make his final scheduled workout with the Hawks on Monday before deciding whether to stay in the draft, according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman (Twitter link). Trimble is ranked No. 71 by Ford and No. 76 by Givony.
- Xavier sophomore forward Trevon Bluiett is likely to withdraw from the draft and return to school, a source told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Bluiett was not ranked among the Top 100 draft prospects by either Ford or Givony.
- Villanova’s Josh Hart will work out for the Hawks on Tuesday and then decide whether to stay in the draft, Zagoria tweets. The junior shooting guard is ranked No. 46 by Ford and No. 43 by Givony.