Maverick Notes: Draft, Ntilikina, Matthews
The Mavericks currently own the fourth spot in our Reverse Standings, meaning if the season ended today, they would have an 11.2% chance at the No. 1 overall pick. Chad Ford of ESPN.com believes there’s a good chance the team opts to take a point guard with its first round selection. If the franchise ends up picking in the 6-10 range, a source tells Ford that the Mavs are very high on France’s Frank Ntilikina. The scribe hears that Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball are the only point guards higher than Ntilikina on their board.
Here’s more from Dallas:
- The Mavs haven’t been successful in the draft in quite some time due to the team trading away first-round picks in foolish deals, Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News writes. Cowlishaw adds that the team hasn’t nailed many of the picks it hasn’t dealt away but he believes this year will be different because of the talent at the top of the draft.
- The Mavs should deal Wes Matthews if the price is right, Cowlishaw contends. The scribe also argues that the team should trade Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut for whatever it can get back in return.
- Bogut reiterated that he’s not looking to be traded as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News relays. “My agent said [a trade] probably [is] not going to happen, but I’m not the right guy to ask,” Bogut said. “The only thing I can tell you is I’m not banging on [Mark] Cuban’s door or Donnie’s [Nelson] door asking for a trade, contrary to what was [written] last month.”
- Coach Rick Carlisle is pleased with Bogut’s game lately, as Sefko passes along in the same piece. “I really like the way he’s played the last two nights,” Carlisle said. “He’s a big positive when he’s in the game because of his impact defensively, and he’s doing some good things on offense. All in all, I’m very pleased with where he is right now.”
Draft Notes: Fultz, Ball, Smith, Jackson, Monk
The 2017 NBA draft is still more than five months away, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start looking ahead to see which players might come off the board first. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders did just that today, publishing his first mock draft of the year. It’s a bare-bones edition of the 2017 mock, since there’s still plenty of time for players to improve their draft stock, and for teams to move up or down in the draft lottery standings. Nonetheless, Kyler’s first mock has Markelle Fultz coming off the board at No. 1, with Dennis Smith Jr. and Lonzo Ball right behind him.
Here are a few more draft-related items to pass along:
- Although Fultz went first in Kyler’s mock draft, ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link) suggests that the field for that top pick is “wide open.” According to Ford, he has heard from executives and scouts that seven different prospects hold the No. 1 spot on at least one NBA team’s draft board. Ford and ESPN’s Kevin Pelton have Fultz and Ball first and second on their respective boards, in some order, with Smith, Josh Jackson, Malik Monk, and Jayson Tatum also earning top-five consideration.
- Fultz, Ball, Smith, and top prospect De’Aaron Fox are all point guards, creating a deep and talented draft class at that position. ESPN’s Jeff Goodman spoke to 15 NBA executives about the group, and passed along some of the more interesting comments. “It’s not an easy decision,” one NBA general manager said of the top four point guards. “They could all go in the top 10. Whoever gets any of them has a chance to have a guy you can build around.”
- Bobby Marks of The Vertical examines how the new Collective Bargaining Agreement will impact first-round picks — Marks focuses on both future first-rounders and players selected in the top 30 in recent years.
- Be sure to check out our Reverse Standings feature to see how the 2017 draft class currently looks.
And-Ones: Labor Talks, Draft, D-League, McGrath
The NBA’s $24 billion in television money has helped to preserve labor peace in the league, writes TNT’s David Aldridge. The TV contract, which runs through 2025, removed the financial incentive for either the owners or the players to force a work stoppage. The salary cap has nearly doubled over the past three years and the league just came off a summer of free agency with unprecedented levels of spending. Not only are player salaries rising, but so are the valuations of teams. Aldridge cites a recent Forbes Magazine article that estimates the value of all 30 teams at $1.25 billion, up 13 percent from a year ago. Both sides have the right to opt out of the current deal until December 15th, but all indications are that talks are going well and a new CBA will be announced soon.
There’s more basketball news tonight:
- Kansas forward Josh Jackson remains on top of the list of top 100 draft prospects compiled by ESPN’s Chad Ford. He describes the 6’8″ freshman as a “super athletic wing” with a high basketball IQ. Rounding out Ford’s top five are Washington point guard Markelle Fultz, UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball, North Carolina State point guard Dennis Smith and Duke power forward Harry Giles.
- Sioux Falls point guard Briante Weber is the most likely D-League player to get an NBA callup, according to Chris Reichert of Fansided. The 23-year-old is known for his energy and defense, although shooting remains an issue. Weber played six games with Memphis and one with Miami last season. The Heat waived Weber in the preseason, but promised to monitor his progress in the D-League.
- Donnie McGrath of the Nets’ D-League affiliate in Long Island has turned down overseas offers to remain with the team, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. The 32-year-old has attracted interest from Spanish teams Fuenlabrada and Betis.