Michael Porter Jr. Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Top Prospect Michael Porter Jr. Cleared For Basketball Activities

February 23rd, 2018 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

Missouri power forward Michael Porter Jr. has received full medical clearance to participate in basketball activities, a source tells Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports.

Porter, projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2018 draft, underwent back surgery in November that was expected to sideline him for the entire college season. While he has been cleared for full contract, it’s uncertain whether he’ll return to the court for Missouri before season’s end, writes Jeff Goodman of ESPN.

In Porter’s absence, the Tigers have posted an 18-10 record, with an 8-7 mark in SEC play, putting themselves into the conversation for the NCAA tournament. So it’s possible Missouri’s season will run well into March, giving the freshman time to return.

Whether or not Porter plays another college game, his medial clearance represents an important step for his draft prospects. In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) had Porter coming off the board at No. 6 to the Bulls. However, Givony cautioned that the results of Porter’s medical examination will play a major role in where he’s ultimately drafted. According to Givony, NBA teams don’t currently seem overly concerned about the youngster’s long-term prognosis.

And-Ones: 2018 Draft, Ball Bros, Two-Way Deals

December 5th, 2017 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of NCAA freshmen, Duke’s Marvin Bagley III and Arizona’s DeAndre Ayton, are making strong cases to become the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft. For now though, Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link) still has Real Madrid point guard Luka Doncic coming off the board first, writing that the international star would be a nice fit for the Bulls.

Givony’s mock draft also features Michael Porter Jr., who recently underwent back surgery, slotting in as the No. 4 overall pick. There was some concern in the wake of Porter’s injury that his stock might fall precipitously, but Givony’s blurb on Porter going to the Hawks doesn’t even mention the young forward’s health situation, which suggests that it’s not viewed as a major red flag at this point. NBA teams will get a closer look at Porter’s back in the spring, at which point it will become clearer whether or not he’s still a top-five pick.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Lonzo Ball‘s younger brothers, LiAngelo Ball and LaMelo Ball, are exploring the possibility of signing with a team overseas, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports that representative Harrison Gaines has initiated contact with international teams. LiAngelo, who was pulled out of UCLA’s program this week, isn’t considered an NBA prospect. LaMelo is viewed as a probable pick in the 2019 draft, but he’s still just 16 years old and probably isn’t ready to compete at a professional level, says Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com.
Players on two-way contracts aren’t allowed to spend more than 45 days with their respective NBA clubs. However, the criteria for a day spent in the NBA are complicated, and most teams aren’t making service time information publicly available. That makes it difficult to keep tabs on how close two-way players are to their 45-day limits, as Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days details. One thing we know: Wednesday will mark Mike James‘ 45th day in the NBA, so the Suns will have to clear a roster spot in order to convert his contract to a standard NBA deal.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders spent time with the Northern Arizona Suns, Phoenix’s G League affiliate, and provides an all-access look at what a day in the G League looks like.

And-Ones: Porter Jr., T. Jones, Bad Contracts

November 22nd, 2017 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

With top 2018 prospect Michael Porter Jr. expected to miss the rest of the college season as he recovers from back surgery, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony explores what the injury might mean for Porter’s draft stock. As Givony notes, Porter has been one of the most heavily scouted college freshmen in recent memory, which works in his favor — NBA teams have already evaluated the young forward extensively and formed opinions on him.

Additionally, with Missouri suggesting that Porter is expected to make a full recovery, the 19-year-old could be ready to work out for NBA teams in the spring, which could go a long way toward assuaging any fears that clubs might have about his health.

Back issues will always be handled with caution, and if next year’s draft were held today, Porter may not be a top-five pick. But multiple NBA general managers believe he’ll still land in the top five if his back checks out in June, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former Rockets, Pelicans, and Bucks big man Terrence Jones is leaving the Qingdao Eagles, his team in China, after getting kicked out of practice, tweets international basketball reporter David Pick. Jones signed a contract with the Eagles in July, but he’ll be on the lookout for another opportunity as the new year approaches.
In an interesting piece for HoopsHype, Frank Urbina examines the most “untradable” contract for each NBA team. For some clubs, such as the Lakers (Luol Deng), Knicks (Joakim Noah), and Pelicans (Omer Asik), the choice is easy, but not every team has an obvious albatross on its books. For instance, Urbina’s pick for the Celtics is Al Horford‘s contract, based on its sheer size rather than on Horford’s performance, which has been excellent.
Pat Forde and Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports take a deep dive into NBA agent Andy Miller, whose ASM Sports agency has been connected to the FBI’s investigation into college basketball, exploring whether the scandal will impact the NBA.

Top Prospect Michael Porter Jr. Likely Out For Season

November 21st, 2017 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr. is set to undergo back surgery on Tuesday and will likely miss the remainder of the college season, the program announced today (via Twitter). According to the announcement from the school, the procedure – a microdiscectomy of the L3-L4 spinal discs – has a projected recovery time of three or four months.

Porter suffered the injury just two minutes into Mizzou’s season opener on November 10, and the team had been tight-lipped about the nature and severity of the ailment since then, simply calling it a leg injury. ESPN’s Jeff Goodman had reported on Monday (via Twitter) that Porter was meeting with a specialist, so the decision to undergo surgery may have been finalized at that point.

Porter, a freshman, is considered one of the top prospects for the 2018 NBA draft, with Jonathan Givony of ESPN recently ranking him second in the class, behind only Luka Doncic. While the school says (via Twitter) the 6’10” forward is expected to make a full recovery, back problems have a tendency to pop up again down the road — NBA teams will certainly be keeping a close eye on Porter’s rehabilitation process.

It remains to be seen how the injury will impact the freshman’s draft stock, with Doncic, Marvin Bagley III, and DeAndre Ayton among the other players who had been battling Porter for the No. 1 spot. For now though, the focus is on the youngster’s well-being, as Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin said in a statement.

“Our top priority as a program is the well-being of our student-athletes, so Michael beginning this process to be 100% healthy is important to all of us,” Martin said. “Our focus has been on Michael’s well-being, just like every other player in our locker room.”

And-Ones: NBA Draft, International Play, Oliver

November 19th, 2017 at 6:07pm CST by Austin Kent

The NBA Draft is seven months away but that doesn’t mean hoops writers can’t weigh in on what Sam Vecenie of The Athletic refers to as a year-round process. The scribe’s initial mock draft does a fine job weighing in on the biggest prospects on the draft radar while digging admirably deep for a comprehensive 60-pick projection.

Expected to fall in the No. 1 slot is the much-hyped Slovenian star, Luka Doncic. The Real Madrid swingman has shown a remarkable feel for the game at a young age and could make an impact for a team like the Bulls, who currently sit most likely to land that top spot come next June.

It’s after the first pick where Vecenie’s mock gets particularly interesting. The writer opts to put Arizona big man DeAndre Ayton in the No. 2 spot, ahead of the likes of Marvin Bagley III and Michael Porter Jr.

With analysis for each of the first 30 projections, the early look at the draft can’t be missed. Especially considering that he has college basketball’s biggest villain, Grayson Allen, falling directly into the laps of the world champion Warriors.

There’s more from around the league:

The number of fringe NBA players who opt to sign overseas in international leagues following NBA training camps has dropped precipitously. Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype writes that the trend can be attributed to a depressed European economy and the leaps and bounds that the G League has made over the course of the past 10 years.
The fifth edition of FIBA’s 3×3 World Cup will take place June 8-12, the governing body’s official site says. This year the competition will take place in the Philippines.
A Rockets training camp invitee has been picked up by the G League affiliate of the Bucks. Chris Reichert of 2 Ways, 10 Days tweets that the Wisconsin Herd have claimed Cameron Oliver off waivers.

And-Ones: Youth Movement, Asian Influence, Seattle

November 9th, 2017 at 9:30pm CST by Austin Kent

The current crop of NBA rookies is one of the best that hoops fans have seen in years, Spencer Davies of Basketball Insiders writes. The scribe cites Ben Simmons and Jayson Tatum as two first-year players who’ve looked poised and dominant in significant roles out of the gates.

It’s not just a top-heavy class either, however, all of Kyle Kuzma, Lauri Markkanen and Donovan Mitchell have impressed over the course of their first months in the NBA.

The youth movement may not be limited to the 2017/18 season though. Marc Spears of The Undefeated recently profiled the 12 best collegiate players who could make an impact at the NBA level as early as next season, going so far as to declare that Michael Porter Jr. should have greater star power than anybody in the 2017 class.

There’s more around the league:

As the world economy shifts, more and more prominent Asian businesses and billionaires are looking to buy into the NBA. Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune breaks down the trend that formally started when Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor sold a 5% stake in the franchise to Lizhang Jiang.
While Tim Leiweke remains confident that he and his Oak View Group represent Seattle’s best chance of regaining an NBA franchise, it’s not necessarily going to happen as soon as some fans would hope. He spoke on the topic at length with Q13’s Bill Wixey.
The BIG3 will add retired point guard T.J. Ford to its ranks, an ESPN report says. The guard averaged 11.2 points and 5.8 assists per game over the course of 306 NBA starts in eight seasons.

Central Notes: Shumpert, KCP, Holiday

July 1st, 2017 at 2:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The reported agreement between the Pistons and Langston Galloway has some speculating that the team may be willing to let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave as a restricted free agent, though, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press notes that the signing won’t necessarily affect Detroit’s dealings with the shooting guard (Twitter links). The Pistons will likely make additional roster moves in order to retain Caldwell-Pope, Ellis opines. By using more than $5.192MM of their mid-level exception to ink Galloway, the Pistons will have a hard cap of $125.266MM for the 2017/18 league year, which could create problems if another team gives Caldwell-Pope a maximum salary offer sheet.

With free agency well underway, here’s more of the latest news and rumors from the Central Division:

The Cavaliers are reportedly seeking to move Iman Shumpert via trade and several teams have had discussions with Cleveland regarding the shooting guard, Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype relays (via Twitter). The team reportedly wants to clear Shumpert’s salary of $10,337,079 off its books for the coming season.
The Bulls have expressed interest in signing unrestricted free agent Justin Holiday, Kennedy relays in a separate tweet. The Knicks, Mavs and Wolves are also among those interested in the swingman’s services.
The Bulls primary focus for this offseason and beyond is to land a top four pick in next June’s NBA Draft in order to have a shot at selecting Michael Porter Jr., Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times relays. “We’re not going to be throwing huge money at people right out of the gate,’’ VP of basketball operations John Paxson told reporters earlier this week. “We have to be disciplined and patient. You need the right veterans, guys who are good teammates and supportive of the young guys and can teach them how to be pros. If there was a young player who we thought fit our future, we would certainly look at that.’’

Draft Notes: Fultz, Ball, Hutchison, 2018

April 11th, 2017 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks currently have the sixth-best odds in the NBA draft lottery, which would give them a modest 6.3% chance to land the first overall pick. Despite those fairly long odds, potential No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz has considered the possibility of playing for New York, and was in attendance on Sunday at Madison Square Garden to take a first-hand look at the team and its triangle system.

As Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News details, Fultz said it would be “amazing” to be drafted by the Knicks, and didn’t express any reservations about the triangle.

“I think I could play in any system,” Fultz said. “I’m very versatile, so it was cool to see that. It’s a lot of openings and stuff like that, so that’s why I came to see that in person.”

Let’s round up a few more draft-related items…

Former UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball is the biggest threat to Fultz for that No. 1 pick, but if he had to choose between being drafted first overall and being selected by the Lakers, Ball would opt for the Lakers, he recently told ESPN (video link). Ball also made the case for why clubs should draft him over Fultz, suggesting that he’s more capable of leading a team than the Washington point guard is.
Boise State’s Chandler Hutchison will enter his name in the 2017 NBA draft pool, but won’t hire an agent, according to an announcement from the school. “Our coaches have informed me that NBA teams are expressing interest, and I feel that I need to take advantage of the opportunity to be evaluated and find out where I truly stand,” Hutchison said in a statement. The junior shooting guard, who isn’t considered a top prospect by DraftExpress or ESPN, will have until May 24 to decide whether to withdraw his name and return to Boise State.
Much has been made of the strength of the 2017 draft class, but as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in an Insider-only piece, the 2018 class projects to have several elite prospects at the top too. However, it won’t be as deep as 2017’s class. “[The 2017] class was one of the most talented and deepest I’ve ever seen,” one NBA GM said. “[For 2018], I love three or four guys and that’s about it.” Michael Porter Jr. (Missouri), Luka Doncic (Real Madrid), and DeAndre Ayton (Arizona) are the three players at the top of Ford’s 2018 board.
Former Green Bay power forward Kerem Kanter, who was said to be testing the draft process before potentially graduating and transferring, has committed to Xavier, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. As such, the brother of Enes Kanter figures to postpone his pro career for another year.

And-Ones: Stackhouse, Porter Jr., EuroHoops

March 26th, 2017 at 8:14pm CST by Milo Taibi

Sam Fortier of The Ringer detailed Jerry Stackhouse‘s decision to coach in the D-League as opposed to working as an NBA assistant coach. Stackhouse, coaching Raptors 905, often works in front of small crowds with little fanfare, but the two-time All-Star doesn’t mind.

“Until I got this job this year, I hardly even knew the D-League existed,” Stackhouse said. “I’m a pro. I’m an NBA guy, and I’m not wasting time, you know? I get it when people don’t understand the D-League. It’s part of it. But I’m here to tell ’em it’s a gem. A hidden gem.”

Stackhouse explained the frustration of watching Jason Kidd and Derek Fisher seamlessly transition from their playing career to a head coaching job. After a stint as a TV analyst covering the Pistons, Stackhouse pursued a coaching job with the 37-11 Raptors 905.

“Seeing [Fisher and Kidd] get those head-coaching jobs, I was like, I know I’m — you hate to say better — but I know I’m damn as good as those guys when it comes to coaching,” Stackhouse said. “I wouldn’t have been ready [to be a head coach] in 2012–13, but Jason Kidd came in and my mind was like, ‘I have more of a pulse of this team than he could ever have. They respect me.’ I look at all of the other relationships you have to have to make it work, and the people you need to know in organizations. … It’s hard to get that.”

And-Ones: Brown, Johnson, Porter Jr., Thunder

March 23rd, 2017 at 10:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Swingman Anthony Brown has a stress fracture in his left ankle and will miss the remainder of the D-League season, Chris Reichert of The Step Back tweets. The No. 34 overall pick by the Lakers in the June 2015 draft was averaging 20.3 PPG in 24 games for the Erie BayHawks. Brown was the last cut by the Lakers during training camp this season, then had a brief stint with the Pelicans. He also played for the Magic on a 10-day deal in late January but wasn’t re-signed.

In other news around the league:

La Salle’s B.J. Johnson will test the draft waters but has not hired an agent, Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com tweets. The 6’7” swingman averaged 17.6 PPG and 6.3 RPG during his junior season. He’s not considered a top 100 prospect by DraftExpress or ESPN’s Chad Ford.
Michael Porter Jr., the nation’s top recruit, has been granted a release from his letter of intent by the University of Washington, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reports. Porter Jr., a 6’10” forward, asked for a release after Lorenzo Romar was fired as Huskies coach last week. Porter Jr.’s father, Michael Porter Sr., has accepted an assistant coaching job at Missouri, according to Borzello, fueling speculation that his son will land there. As Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders notes, Porter Jr. said in a conference call he would seriously considers the Tigers even before news broke of his father’s new job. “It could be something real, real special to be able to come home and do my thing there,” Porter said of possibly playing at Missouri.
The Thunder could make a blockbuster deal this summer to land another star to pair up with Russell Westbrook, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman speculates. The team’s salary commitments prevent it from landing a top-level free agent this summer, Horne explains. Thus, the Thunder would probably have to give up its first-round pick and a player such as Enes Kanter, who enters his walk year next season, to land another All-Star talent, Horne concludes.