D-League Notes: Timberwolves, Trades
While the NBA’s trade deadline passed over two weeks ago, the D-League’s window for trading players between teams closed today. While deals between D-League teams don’t affect NBA player rights, they can still have an impact on which NBA teams and development staffs get the closest look at prospects at that level. Here are some notes from the D-League, including today’s deadline deals:
- The Timberwolves are looking at owning their own D-League team, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). Wolfson says the Iowa Energy, who currently serve as an affiliate for the Timberwolves, Nuggets, Bulls, Pelicans, and Wizards, are open to a singular partnership with Minnesota.
- Sources tell Gino Pilato of D-League Digest that a multi-team trade sent William Buford to the Canton Charge, Vander Blue to the Idaho Stampede, and Richard Howell‘s returning player rights for next year to the Santa Cruz Warriors, among other D-League draft considerations.
- In the same post, Pilato passes along a trade sending Santa Cruz’s Dominic McGuire to the Tulsa 66ers in exchange for Dominic Sutton‘s returning player rights.
- Pilato reports one final deal between the Charge and the Delaware 87ers. Kyrylo Fesenko was sent to Canton in a trade that also saw the teams swap second round draft picks.
Odds & Ends: Buford, Howard, Rockets, Layden
While it's been widely assumed heading into the 2012/13 campaign that the Nets will take the Magic's spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the rest of the East's lottery teams may be expecting a little more turnover than that. Count Jonas Jerebko of the Pistons among those expecting a shake-up in the Eastern standings — asked about the coming season in Germany recently, Jerebko declared that his Pistons are "going to make the playoffs," as James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press writes.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Undrafted rookie William Buford, out of Ohio State, has signed in Spain with Obradoiro, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
- Andy Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes an open letter to Dwight Howard, advising him on how to avoid creating a Dwightmare sequel in Los Angeles.
- Doug Collins believes current Sixers assistant and former Pistons head coach Michael Curry is ready to lead an NBA team again, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press notes.
- Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld identifies five young players that will be under pressure to take big steps forward in 2012/13, including three recent signees.
- Despite missing out on Dwight Howard and other impact players this summer, the Rockets still hope to contend for the playoffs, GM Daryl Morey tells Fran Blinebury of NBA.com.
- The Spurs will interview Jazz assistant coach Scott Layden for their assistant GM opening, according to Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
Draft Notes: Mitchell, Hummel, Rivers, Sullinger
It's already been an eventful day for draft updates, with news that the University of Kentucky has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday afternoon, likely to announce that five underclassmen will officially enter the draft. While we await that formal announcement, let's check in on a few other draft-related items….
- Junior forward Tony Mitchell has elected to enter the NBA draft, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Mitchell, not to be confused with the North Texas player of the same name, was averaging 13.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for Alabama this season before he was suspended indefinitely in February. Mitchell is ranked 71st by DraftExpress.com.
- A number of NBA scouts and executives help TNT's David Aldridge break down the shooting guards in this year's draft class. Aldridge's piece is chock-full of interesting quotes and comes highly recommended.
- Purdue senior Robbie Hummel has hired agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports in hopes of being drafted, writes Cliff Brunt of the Associated Press. DraftExpress ranks Hummel 81st among this year's draft prospects.
- In other agent news, Austin Rivers and Jared Sullinger have signed with David Falk, Moe Harkless will hire Happy Walters, and William Buford has hired Herb Rudoy and Ron Shade.