Pistons Notes: Downtown Move, Kennard, FA Workouts
The Detroit City Council voted on Tuesday in favor of several key agreements related to the Pistons’ move downtown, as Christine Ferretti and Jennifer Chambers of The Detroit News report. However, while Tuesday’s votes finalized approvals for the Pistons’ new practice facility and headquarters, there are more roadblocks that will need to be cleared before the club’s move to the Little Caesars arena is fully approved.
On June 20, the Detroit city council is scheduled to vote on the issuance of $34.5MM in proposed taxpayer-funded DDA bonds. Shortly after Tuesday’s city council session took place though, a federal judge granted a June 19 lawsuit that seeks to halt that June 20 vote, per Louis Aguilar of The Detroit News. As Aguilar explains, that lawsuit seeks to allow Detroit and Wayne County residents to vote on whether taxpayer money should be put toward the new arena and team facilities.
As the Pistons wait for resolution to the legal battle over their potential new arena, here are a few more items related to the team:
- Duke sharpshooter Luke Kennard has been linked to the Pistons frequently in mock drafts, and the team will get a first-hand look at him on Saturday, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Ellis reports that Kennard, Harry Giles, and John Collins – all viewed as first-round prospects – will be visiting Detroit in the coming days.
- The Pistons also brought in a handful of interesting prospects on Tuesday, including Bam Adebayo, Ivan Rabb, Justin Jackson, Andrew White, James Blackmon Jr., and Isaiah Briscoe (Twitter link via Rod Beard of The Detroit News). According to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link), Rabb is battling an injury and didn’t participate in Detroit’s workout.
- In addition to checking out potential draft targets this week, the Pistons also had a number of free agents in for a mini-camp. Beard (via Twitter) has the full list of participants, which includes former NBAers such as Marcus Thornton, Henry Sims, John Jenkins, Pierre Jackson, Manny Harris, Ben Bentil, and Eric Moreland.
Workout Notes: Nets, Bulls, Evans, Dorsey
The Nets worked out several prospects today, according to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Jaron Blossomgame, Devin Robinson, Wesley Iwundu, Damyean Dotson, London Perrantes and Tarik Phillip all participated in drills for Brooklyn.
There’s more news on prospects meeting with teams. Here’s the latest:
- The Bulls had Luke Kennard, Shane Hammink, Isaiah Briscoe and Isaiah Hicks in for a workout today, Scotto tweets. Chicago owns the No. 16 and No. 38 overall draft selections.
- Jawun Evans will work out for the Blazers on Thursday and the Thunder on Friday, according to Scotto (Twitter link). The scribe adds that Evans will meet with the Jazz on Saturday.
- Tyler Dorsey worked out for the Sixers today, Jessica Camerato of Comcast Sportsnet tweets. Dorsey will also work out for the Blazers, Kings, Pelicans, Hornets, and Spurs before the June 22 draft.
- Sindarius Thornwell, Dotson, P.J. Dozier, Johnathan Motley, Semi Ojeleye and L.J. Rose will all work out for the Lakers on Friday, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times relays (Twitter link).
Ford’s Latest: Celtics, Lakers, Sixers, Suns
ESPN’s Chad Ford has updated his mock draft, publishing the sixth version of 2017’s mock on ESPN.com today (Insider link). According to Ford, Markelle Fultz is the top player on the Celtics‘ board, as expected, but he’s not the only player the team is considering. Sources tell Ford that Lonzo Ball, De’Aaron Fox, Josh Jackson, and Jayson Tatum are also on Boston’s radar, though a strong workout and interview with the C’s will likely seal the deal for Fultz.
Here are several more tidbits of note from Ford’s mock:
- The Lakers are “going out of their way” to downplay the idea that they’ve landed on Lonzo Ball. While that’s partly about controlling the narrative, the team’s front office is also somewhat split on the pick, according to Ford, who says L.A. hasn’t ruled out De’Aaron Fox or Josh Jackson.
- There’s an ongoing debate between the Sixers front office and coaching staff about which player they should take at No. 3, says Ford. If the team opts for the best player available, that probably means selecting Jackson or Fox, despite the fact that Malik Monk or Dennis Smith Jr. would be a better fit.
- The Suns are hoping Ball falls to them at No. 4, but will likely end up picking between Josh Jackson, De’Aaron Fox, and Jayson Tatum, per Ford.
- There’s some talk within the Kings‘ organization about packaging the 5th and 10th overall picks to move up and land Fox, who is viewed as a strong complement to Buddy Hield. However, that would be a steep price to pay, as Ford notes.
- Although the Mavericks have scouted French point guard Frank Ntilikina more than any other team in the NBA, Ford believes it would be hard for Dallas to pass up Dennis Smith Jr. if he’s available at No. 9.
- Former Duke sharpshooter Luke Kennard is drawing interest from teams picking as high as No. 8 (Knicks), and is a strong candidate for Detroit at No. 12, since the Pistons will likely target a shooter if they keep the pick.
Pistons Notes: Redick, Kennard, S. Johnson
The Pistons have indicated since the regular season ended that adding outside shooting to their roster will be a priority this offseason. However, while a veteran sharpshooter like J.J. Redick – who is a free agent and played for Stan Van Gundy in Orlando – looks like an ideal fit on the surface, Detroit’s cap situation will make it difficult to pursue a player of that caliber, writes Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press.
As Ellis explains, the Pistons will be well over the cap if they retain Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and would only have the mid-level, bi-annual, and minimum salary exceptions at their disposal to add free agents in that scenario. The bi-annual and minimum exceptions are too modest to add an impact player, and even the MLE – which is expected to rise in value to about $8.4MM – likely wouldn’t be enough to land someone like Redick. That means Detroit may have to get creative in trades or target under-the-radar free agents in order to acquire the shooting help they need.
Ellis’ entire piece, which touches on a handful of Pistons-related offseason topics, is worth checking out. Here are a few more items out of Detroit:
- One shooter who may be attainable for the Pistons is Duke’s Luke Kennard, who is a candidate to be selected in the lottery by Detroit or another club. Brendan Savage of MLive.com examines Kennard’s potential fit with the Pistons.
- After a solid rookie year, former eighth overall pick Stanley Johnson took a step backward in 2016/17. While Johnson’s development remains a work in progress, he wasn’t discouraged by his underwhelming sophomore season, and the Pistons remain hopeful that he can blossom into a key piece for the team, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
- In a separate piece for The Detroit News, Beard previews this week’s draft combine from the Pistons’ perspective and passes along a few quotes on the subject from Van Gundy.
Draft Notes: Blackmon, Ford, Fox, Colette
Indiana guard James Blackmon has decided to remain in the draft, Jon Rothstein of FanRagSports.com reports. Blackmon confirmed on his Twitter feed that he will sign with an agent. Blackmon, who averaged 17.3 PPG and shot 42.3% on 3-point attempts, is essentially betting on himself and could wind up overseas if not in the D-League. He is not ranked among the Top 100 by DraftExpress or ESPN Insider Chad Ford. Blackmon joins two other Hoosiers who have declared for the draft — forward OG Anunoby, a potential lottery pick, and center Thomas Bryant. Indiana junior guard Robert Johnson will decide this week whether to remain in the draft, Rothstein adds.
In other draft-related nuggets:
- Washington guard Markelle Fultz remains atop Ford’s latest Big Board with UCLA’s Lonzo Ball holding the second spot. Gonzaga center Zach Collins moved from No. 11 to No. 9 and Duke guard Luke Kennard advanced from No. 17 to No. 15. Previously unranked Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell, who recently hired an agent, moved into the first round at No. 22.
- Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox believes he’s the top defensive guard in the draft, as he told ESPN’s Chris B. Haynes in a Q&A session. “For me, it’s not about offensive scoring, I want to shut the other guy down,” Fox boasted to Haynes. Fox is considered a sure-fire Top 10 pick, ranked No. 5 by both DraftExpress and Ford.
- A handful of NBA scouts and executives polled by Gery Woelfel of WoelfelsPressBox.com believe there are nine impact players in the draft. That front-office group named 21 potential lottery picks and generally view this draft as much deeper in quality than the 2016 version.
- Utah forward David Collette is expected to return to school, Rothstein tweets. The junior forward averaged 13.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG last season. Collette, a Utah State transfer, did not make the Top 100 lists.
Heat Notes: Wade, Bosh, J. Johnson, Draft
Udonis Haslem and Tyler Johnson made a public appearance today to help Dwyane Wade sell sneakers, but they avoided questions about whether their former teammate might rejoin them with the Heat, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Wade is considering whether to opt out of his $23.8MM contract with the Bulls for next season. If he does, many believe he will decide to return to Miami, where he spent his first 13 seasons. Haslem and Johnson have both been in touch with Wade since Chicago was eliminated from the playoffs last week. “He’s going to have to make the best decision for him,” Johnson said. “I know he wants to be in a situation where he’s playing for a team that’s kind of established. I don’t think he wants to go through a rebuilding process.”
There’s more news out of Miami:
- The Heat are expected to petition the league office soon to have Chris Bosh‘s salary removed from their cap. Bosh was kept on the roster all season after failing a physical in training camp over blood clot problems that have plagued him for the past two seasons. Haslem tells Winderman in the same story that he has contacted Bosh but hasn’t discussed his NBA future. “Chris is one of those guys, when he puts his mind it, he can do anything,” Haslem said. “So he doesn’t lack opportunity. He’s going to have a lot of opportunity to do a lot of things. He’s a very well-rounded guy. And whatever he does, he’s going to be great at it.” If Bosh is able to play enough games for another team, his $52MM salary would be put back onto the Heat’s cap.
- Free agent forward James Johnson may not be guaranteed a starting job if he
re-signs with the Heat this summer, Winderman speculates in another piece. With Dion Waiters and Goran Dragic both starting, Johnson may give Miami too many
players on the court at the same time who need to handle the ball. Also, Justise Winslow may claim one of the starting forward slots
when he returns from injury. - Winderman examines who the Heat might take if they keep the No. 14 pick in the May 16th lottery. Players who have been linked to Miami in that spot include Duke’s Harry Giles, UCLA’s T.J.
Leaf, North Carolina’s Justin Jackson, California’s Ivan Rabb, Florida State’s Jonathan Isaac, Gonzaga’s Zach Collins, Indiana’s OG Anunoby, Duke’s Luke Kennard, Wake Forest’s John Collins and two overseas players, Terrence
Ferguson of Australia and Frank Ntilikina of France.
Luke Kennard Declares For 2017 NBA Draft
Duke shooting guard Luke Kennard has elected to enter the 2017 NBA draft, the school announced today (Twitter link). The sophomore will hire an agent, forgoing his remaining years of NCAA eligibility.
[RELATED: 2017 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]
Although Kennard didn’t have a great performance in this year’s NCAA tournament, he enjoyed an excellent second season at Duke overall, increasing his production across the board after a solid freshman year. The 20-year-old racked up 19.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 2.5 APG on .489/.438/.856 shooting in 2016/17.
Kennard ranks as the 21st-best prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at DraftExpress.com, with Chad Ford placing him at No. 32 on ESPN’s top 100. Ford views Kennard as a potential first-round pick, noting that the Blue Devils guard is a great outside shooter in a draft class that isn’t necessarily packed with great outside shooters.
[RELATED: Jayson Tatum to enter 2017 NBA draft]
Duke continues to wait on a decision from Grayson Allen, who may also opt to leave school early and enter the draft. However, ESPN’s Jeff Goodman tweets that he recently heard there’s a “decent chance” of Allen remaining with the Blue Devils for another year.
Jayson Tatum To Declare For 2017 NBA Draft
Duke forward Jayson Tatum is the latest NCAA underclassmen to confirm that he’ll declare for the 2017 NBA draft. The school made it official today, announcing in a tweet that Tatum would test the draft waters. According to Evan Daniels of Scout.com, Tatum is also expected to hire an agent, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.
“It’s extremely exciting,” Tatum said. “It’s just another step closer to a life long dream that I’ve always had and it’s the next step and I’m happy to be taking it.”
Tatum’s decision comes as no surprise, since he is viewed as one of the top prospects on the board for the 2017 draft. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com and Chad Ford of ESPN.com both have the freshman ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect on their respective top 100 lists.
In his first – and likely only – year at Duke, Tatum filled up the stat sheet, averaging 16.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, and 1.1 BPG. According to Ford, the 6’8″ forward has “all the physical tools” to be a dominant small forward in the NBA, and there’s a good chance Tatum will be a top-five pick in June.
Tatum could ultimately be joined in the draft pool by some early-entry teammates from Duke. However, at this point, Luke Kennard and Grayson Allen are “up in the air” about testing the draft waters, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Draft Notes: Williams, Kuzma, Wilder, Ball
Texas A&M freshman forward Robert Williams decided to remain in college because he wants to be the top pick, a source told Evan Daniels of Fox Sports and Scout.com (Twitter link). Williams also believes he’s not mature enough yet to enter the league, the tweet adds. Williams averaged 11.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG and 2.5 BPG during his freshman season for the Aggies. The 6’9” Williams was considered a late lottery pick, ranked as the 10th-best overall prospect by DraftExpress and 13th in Chad Ford’s top 100 at ESPN.com.
In other news involving the draft:
- Utah forward Kyle Kuzma will enter the draft but won’t hire an agent, Kyle Goon of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. Kuzma is ranked No. 73 among the top 100 prospects by DraftExpress and doesn’t make Ford’s top 100 list. The 6’9” Kuzma averaged 16.4 PPG and 9.3 RPG for the Utes in his junior season.
- Western Michigan’s Thomas Wilder will also test the draft waters, Jeff Goodman of ESPN tweets. The 6’3” guard averaged 19.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 3.8 APG in his junior season. He is not rated among the top 100 by either DraftExpress or Ford.
- Seton Hall’s Angel Delgado and Khadeen Carrington will also enter the draft without hiring agents, Jon Rothstein of FanRagSports.com reports. Delgado, a 6’10” junior forward, averaged 15.2 PPG and 13.1 RPG this past season while Carrington, a 6’4” junior guard, averaged 17.1 PPG. Neither is considered a top 100 prospect.
- Former Virginia and Memphis forward Austin Nichols has declared for the draft and hired an agent, according to Evan Daniels of Scout.com. The 6’9” Nichols played two seasons at Memphis, sat out a year, then played one game for the Cavaliers before he was dismissed from the team.
- UCLA freshman point guard Lonzo Ball and Kansas freshman small forward Josh Jackson have solidified their status as two of the three top prospects with their performances in the NCAA tournament, Ford writes in a stock watch column. Arizona freshman forward Lauri Markkanen and Michigan State freshman forward Miles Bridges are among the players who have improved their draft stock during the first two rounds of the tournament, according to Ford. Villanova senior guard Josh Hart and Duke sophomore guard Luke Kennard are among the players that Ford believes hurt their draft status with subpar tournament outings.