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Amico On Draft, Cavs, Wolves, Wizards, Pierce

June 21st, 2013 at 5:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Sam Amico's latest NBA Report for FOX Sports Ohio touches on a few topics of note related to the draft and potential trades, so let's dive in and round up the highlights….

Interest around the league is building in lottery picks, particularly in the top three, according to Amico. We've heard for weeks that there's not a lot of high-end talent in this draft and that it's not the year you necessarily want a top-three pick, but perhaps all that chatter has reduced the potential trade value of those selections.
The Cavaliers had been trying to work on something big, but their recent trade talks have been merely "exploratory (and) touching base, but nothing serious." The Timberwolves are one team Cleveland has spoken to, says Amico, adding that Wolves brass is confident that a package of Derrick Williams and the No. 9 pick can net a top-three pick in return.
Victor Oladipo probably isn't in the mix for the Cavs' No. 1 pick, but he had an "explosive" workout for the team and could be considered if Cleveland trades down. Ben McLemore's workout with the Cavs was less impressive, according to Amico's sources.
The Wizards aren't completely sold on Otto Porter, and are deciding between him and Anthony Bennett, Amico hears.
The Bucks have talked to the Celtics about a possible Paul Pierce trade, says Amico. There have been rumblings that the Cavs could be in the mix for Pierce as well, but Amico hasn't been able to confirm any Cleveland/Pierce rumors.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Cavs Rumors: Draft, Workouts, Karasev, Trades

June 18th, 2013 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

As I wrote last week when I previewed the Cavaliers' offseason, Cleveland figures to be one of the league's most active teams this summer, particularly in the trade market. With four draft picks in the top 33 (including No. 1 overall) and a good chunk of cap space available, there are plenty of options available to the Cavs this summer. Here are the latest rumblings out of Cleveland on how the club may look to improve its roster:

While the Cavs remain undecided on who they'll pick first overall, it won't be Anthony Bennett or Victor Oladipo unless they trade down, sources tell Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
That leaves Nerlens Noel, Otto Porter, Alex Len, and Ben McLemore as potential options for the first overall pick, and the Cavs figure to meet with all those players this week. Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer passes along a report from ESPN.com's Andy Katz (via Twitter) suggesting that Porter, McLemore, and Oladipo will work out for the Cavs on Wednesday, while the injured Noel and Len will interview with the club on the weekend.
In addition to the aforementioned players, one other prospect is under consideration by the Cavs with the No. 1 pick, sources tell Amico, though it's unclear who the player is. Cleveland will continue to look into trading the top pick as well.
The Cavs are also exploring trade options involving their two second-round picks (31st and 33rd), according to Amico. The team could attempt to package those two picks for a third first-rounder, or could throw the 19th pick into the mix as well in an attempt to move up in the first round.
We heard from ESPN.com's Chad Ford earlier today that the Cavs like Sergey Karasev, and Amico echoes that report, also noting that the Russian forward may not be on the board when Cleveland picks at No. 19.
Cleveland has recently engaged in trade talks involving a "viable" small forward, a source tells Amico.

Ford’s Latest: Cavs, Bobcats, McLemore, Mavs

June 18th, 2013 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Echoing an overnight report from Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, ESPN.com's Chad Ford says in his latest mock draft that the Cavaliers remain undecided on their first overall pick. While the team appears likely to keep the pick, a number of players are still being considered, including Nerlens Noel and Alex Len. According to Ford, Noel remains the favorite because he fits the sort of high-upside profile the Cavs typically target, but there are some in the organization who prefer Len.

Here are several more highlights from version 5.0 of Ford's 2013 mock:

Ford hears that Victor Oladipo has the upper hand over Ben McLemore for the Magic at No. 2, though the team would strongly consider Noel if the Cavs passed on him.
The Bobcats will likely be deciding between Anthony Bennett and Len at No. 4, if both players are available, but Cody Zeller could be a dark horse, says Ford.
Teams are worried about McLemore after a series of unimpressive workouts, and it's possible he slips past the Suns at No. 5, according to Ford.
The Timberwolves appear to have narrowed down their choice at No. 9 to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Shabazz Muhammad.
The Sixers figure to target size at No. 11, with Zeller, Mason Plumlee, and Lucas Nogueira among the possibilities.
Assuming the Mavericks don't trade the 13th pick, though it's very likely they will, a player like Sergey Karasev, who could be stashed overseas for a year or two, is a strong possibility, says Ford.
Karasev also interests the Cavaliers at No. 19, though Cleveland likes Reggie Bullock as a potential consolation prize, according to Ford.
The Jazz appear to be a good bet to target a big man at No. 14 and a point guard at No. 21.
Ford continues to hear that the Knicks have a "strong affinity" for Tony Mitchell.

Central Notes: Cavs, Oladipo, Noel

June 16th, 2013 at 8:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's a look at the latest out of the Central Division..

The Cavs are seriously considering Alex Len, Anthony Bennett, Ben McLemore, Nerlens Noel, and Otto Porter for the top pick, with Victor Oladipo as a long shot, the Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto writes. While Noel was long thought to be the slam-dunk No. 1 pick, the Cavs' desire to win this year coupled with concerns over his ACL injury have them considering other options.
Oladipo will work out for the Cavs next week, but he's declined an invitation from the Wizards to work out at their home arena and prefers to have the team audition him at a location of his choosing, reports Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Oladipo's camp doesn't believe the Wizards will draft him third overall.
Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times shares the heart-wrenching personal saga of second-round hopeful Dwayne Davis, who worked out Saturday for the Bucks. He's also worked out for the Bulls and Suns, and has auditions scheduled with the Warriors and Mavs.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Wolves, Mavericks, World Peace

June 13th, 2013 at 10:40pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes that the Timberwolves will likely trade either J.J. Barea or Luke Ridnour by draft night. In the same piece, Zgoda notes that GM Flip Saunders is impressed with Victor Oladipo. Minnesota – currently slated to draft ninth overall – would have to swing a deal into the top five in order to have a chance at the former Hoosier star, though Zgoda doesn't think the team has enough assets to accomplish that. Here are more news and notes from the Western Conference tonight:

The Grizzlies interviewed Ed Pinckney today and are another team among those monitoring Doc Rivers' situation with Boston, says USA Today's Sam Amick (Twitter links).
While recalling the Mavericks' decision to break up their championship roster, coach Rick Carlisle described it as "gut-wrenching." This summer, Dallas will have another chance to reap the rewards from that tough decision, and Carlisle seems determined to get things done: "We're going to be active in free agency…We're an aggressive franchise by nature; our owner (Mark Cuban) is. And that's good. We're going to put together a good team" (A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com)
Lakers forward Metta World Peace has been working out at the IMG Academy and reportedly looks great, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld.
Matt Moore of CBS Sports isn't so sure George Karl would be a good fit with the current Grizzlies roster. Going off of reports that Brian Shaw and Lionel Hollins are in the lead for the Nuggets' job, Moore thinks Shaw would be an ideal fit, whereas Hollins would have more of a challenge with Denver's youth.
Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK explains why Mason Plumlee would be a solid pick for the Thunder with the 12th overall pick.
Janis Carr of the OC Register (Subscribers only) takes a closer look at Mark Madsen's coaching opportunity with the Lakers' D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

Amico On Cavs, Magic, Granger, Bucks, Cousins

June 13th, 2013 at 6:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this afternoon, I asked for your thoughts on which prospect would be drafted first overall two weeks from tonight. While I provided five names in the poll, it appears I omitted one more viable option, as Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reports that Anthony Bennett is also under consideration for the Cavaliers at No. 1 overall. While several opposing GMs tell Amico that they don't believe Cleveland would draft Bennett (or Alex Len) first overall, the Cavs aren't tipping their hand, so plenty of options still remain in play. Here's more from Amico's latest collection of NBA news and notes:

One source says that the Cavs have been working on "something major," but no details were given due to the magnitude. While that may not reveal much, Amico relays from the same source that Cleveland has talked to one particular team several times about the number one pick, although discussions have only been exploratory at this point (Twitter links).
Amico also tweets that the Cavaliers are lukewarm at the idea of taking Victor Oladipo or Anthony Bennett with their first overall pick and are going back and forth between Nerlens Noel and Ben McLemore.

Earlier updates:

The Sixers are high on Michael Carter-Williams, who they believe could contribute at both guard positions, according to Amico. With Carter-Williams drawing some interest from teams in the top 10, it remains to be seen whether he'll be available for the Sixers at No. 11.
While the Magic have explored trades involving the second overall pick, they're "far from desperate" to move it.
Depending on how their pursuit of Dwight Howard goes, the Rockets may be interested in making a bid for trade candidate Danny Granger.
The Bucks and Bobcats have engaged in discussions involving Milwaukee's 15th overall pick, says Amico.
If DeMarcus Cousins was available at one point, he isn't any longer. New Kings coach Michael Malone is excited about working with the young big man.

Wolves Notes: Oladipo, Dieng, Len, Pekovic

June 13th, 2013 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities brings us his weekly Scoops column a day early this week, publishing it on Thursday rather than Friday. Wolfson's usual look at Minnesota sports is heavy on Timberwolves content this time around, so let's dive in and round up a few highlights….

Team president Flip Saunders will head to Washington, D.C. to meet with Victor Oladipo tomorrow morning. Considering the Wolves draft at No. 9, and Oladipo isn't expected to make it past the top five, it appears his camp has some level of confidence that Minnesota could trade up.
Gorgui Dieng and the T-Wolves are trying to figure out a workout time, but it doesn't look like Alex Len will visit with the team before the draft. Len is unlikely to be around by the time the Wolves pick anyway.
Re-signing Nikola Pekovic remains a high priority for the T-Wolves, though it's still not clear if the club will be willing to pay $12MM+ annually to retain him.
Minnesota is one of a few NBA teams talking to the D-League's Iowa Energy about a possible one-to-one affiliation. This past season, the Energy served as the D-League affiliate for the Bulls, Nuggets, Pelicans, and Wizards. The Wolves lost their own affiliate when the Sioux Falls SkyForce entered into a single affiliation partnership with the Heat.
While Wolfson wonders if a reunion between the Wolves and Kevin Garnett would be possible if the Celtics enter rebuilding mode, a source close to KG shoots down the idea, telling Wolfson it would "never happen."
Although the Wolves' director of player personnel, R.J. Adelman, is expected to remain with the organization, it's possible he could join Sam Hinkie's front office with the Sixers.

Wolves Rumors: Oladipo, Mayo, Kirilenko, Pekovic

June 7th, 2013 at 8:37am CST by Luke Adams

Yesterday, Timberwolves president Flip Saunders made multiple radio appearances, stressing that he wouldn't trade Kevin Love and that the team wasn't about to just give anyone away in order to move up in the draft. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities has more today on the T-Wolves' offseason plans, so let's dive in and check out the highlights from Wolfson's latest Scoops column….

The Wolves still have "strong interest" in drafting Victor Oladipo, but Oladipo's representatives have been reluctant to set up a workout for their client until the club shows it has the ability to trade into the top five, says Wolfson.
While the Wolves appear unlikely to pursue Kevin Martin, who Rick Adelman coached in Houston, O.J. Mayo remains a "big-time free agent priority" for the team, according to Wolfson.
Wolfson passes along a recent quote from Andrei Kirilenko, in which Kirilenko discusses his $10.22MM player option, adding that it sounds as if the veteran forward is seriously considering opting out. According to Wolfson, the Wolves would like to bring back the Russian, but aren't in love with the idea of paying him $10MM+.
Restricted free-agent-to-be Nikola Pekovic will meet with Saunders in Italy this weekend.
The team option the Wolves hold on Dante Cunningham is essentially a lock to be exercised, says Wolfson.
As I noted in Hoops Rumors' timeline of contract guarantee dates, Greg Stiemsma's and Mickael Gelabale's deals for next season don't become guaranteed until July 17th and July 22nd, respectively. Wolfson points out that both players could be useful trade chips in the next few weeks, since their deals are essentially set to expire in July.

Odds & Ends: Clippers, Collins, Shaw, Karl

June 6th, 2013 at 8:05pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports that Lionel Hollins met with the Clippers today and engaged in a lengthy conversation about their head coaching job. Turner also relays that Brian Shaw is expected to interview with team brass on either Monday or Tuesday next week (Twitter links). As for George Karl, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles tweets that while the Clippers haven't spoken to him directly, they have been in contact with his representative. Both ESPN's Marc Stein and Shelburne report that Karl and Shaw have emerged as the team's top two candidates for the job.

As we gear up for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, here are a few miscellaneous notes to share from around the league tonight:

As far as his next contract goes, Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki says that it'll probably be a two- or three-year deal (Jon Machota of SportsDayDFW).
Sam Amick of USA Today hears that the Grizzlies reached out to Karl almost immediately after he was let go in Denver today. The Nuggets had to grant permission to Memphis in order to reach out to Karl because the severance agreement hasn't been finalized and the 62-year-old coach is still under contract.
Amick notes that the Grizzlies had their sights set on assistant Dave Joerger as their top candidate to replace Hollins, but made that option contingent on whether or not Karl would become available.
Sportando.net's Emiliano Carchia tweets that former NBA player Andres Nocioni is in talks regarding a contract extension with Baskonia, a Spanish ballclub that participates in the ACB and Euroleague.
Flip Saunders confirmed on KFAN radio in Minnesota that the Timberwolves currently have Victor Oladipo ahead of Ben McLemore on their draft board, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
ESPN Insider Chad Ford says that many teams are bummed that Dario Saric is considering withdrawing his name from this year's draft, adding that several NBA executives had him ranked in their top five or top seven prospects. He also mentions that there are other teams who had no intention of drafting Saric that aren't thrilled with the news either, considering the notion that the draft gets weaker when talent leaves. Interestingly enough, Ford says he wouldn't be surprised if some NBA teams that are currently in Italy for the Eurocamp will try to travel to Croatia in order to make an attempt to persuade Saric to keep his name in consideration this year (All Twitter links).
Ricky Ledo's agent, Seth Cohen, tells SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria that his client will not work out for the Thunder (Twitter link).
For whatever it's worth, Shaquille O'Neal said that he and Chris Webber would like to own the Kings (Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram noted the comment via Twitter).

Kotoch On Bledsoe, Magic, Oladipo, Noel, Cavs

June 5th, 2013 at 5:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com has Nerlens Noel atop the latest version of his mock draft, and he has news about the Cavaliers, Noel and other potential lottery storylines. We'll round up the highlights here:

The Magic and Clippers have had conversations about Eric Bledsoe, according to Kotoch. Chad Ford of ESPN.com wrote a week ago that if Orlando took a shooting guard in the draft, the team would have interest in trading Arron Afflalo for Bledsoe and Caron Butler.
Speaking of the Magic and shooting guards, Victor Oladipo has eclipsed Ben McLemore on Orlando's draft board.
Noel's torn ACL won't allow him to work out, but he'll visit with the Cavs on June 20th.
The Thunder are prioritizing centers at No. 12, unless C.J. McCollum falls to them.
An established wing player is what the Timberwolves are seeking as they reportedly dangle Derrick Williams in an effort to move up from No. 9.
The Trail Blazers are in search of a big man who can defend and rebound in exchange for the tenth pick.
The Mavericks would also "love" to trade pick No. 13, Kotoch writes.