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Draft Combine Updates: Thursday

May 15th, 2014 at 10:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Chicago draft combine is underway, and teams can meet with up to 18 players. With 30 teams, that means there could be as many as 540 interviews this week. We’ll try to keep track of as many as possible here, and we’ll update this post throughout the day as news filters in. Here’s the latest:

Ennis will meet with the Bobcats and at least four other teams in addition to the organizations listed below, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Vonleh interviewed with the Wolves, Bucks, Lakers, and Blazers, tweets Robbins, who adds that the big man is scheduled to meet with the Sixers.

Earlier updates:

LaVine shot very well, and Seth Davis of SI.com hears that he may have helped his stock more than any other prospect today (Twitter link; H/T Wolstat).
In Exum’s extended quotes transcribed by Sean Deveney of The Sporting News regarding the point guard’s willingness to pressure certain teams not to draft him, Exum said he doesn’t see any of his potential destinations as a bad fit, and is willing to play behind an established point guard.
LaQuinton Ross will work out for the Cavs on Monday, tweets Jason Lloyd of Akron Beacon Journal.
The Raptors plan to meet with K.J. McDaniels, McDermott, Payton, Anderson, McDaniels, and possibly Hood, reports Wolstat (via Twitter).
Hood will meet with the Bulls on Friday, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
Randle interviewed with the Cavs and will do so with the Bucks, too, as the Plain Dealer and Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel note (Twitter links).
Patric Young spoke with the Pelicans and has a sit-down with the Grizzlies scheduled, according to Robbins (Twitter links).
Blakely adds Hood and Noah Vonleh to the Celtics interview list, while Randle and T.J. Warren are talking to Boston, too, according to Holmes (All Twitter links).
Vonleh says he also has an interview scheduled with the Magic, Robbins notes, adding that Orlando wanted to interview Stauskas, but his meeting schedule is too full (Twitter links). The Magic sat down with Randle on Wednesday, Robbins adds (on Twitter).
Aaron Gordon met with the Sixers on Wednesday, Pompey tweets.
Exum will also interview with the Kings, according to Howard-Cooper (on Twitter).
Julius Randle is meeting with the Sixers today, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
Doug McDermott said he met Wednesday with the Bulls, Hawks and Timberwolves, Robbins observes, and McDermott added that he’s looking forward to a meeting with the Cavs, as Robbins and the Plain Dealer observe (Twitter links).
Rodney Hood is set to interview with the Wolves tonight, Zgoda tweets. Hood interviewed with the Bobcats on Wednesday, as Bonnell details (Twitter links).
Kyle Anderson met with the Celtics and he’ll also see the Wolves tonight, Washburn and Zgoda note (Twitter links).
The Pistons met with Glenn Robinson III on Wednesday, as he tells Langlois (Twitter link).
Add the Celtics and the Bucks to Exum’s interview agenda, as Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe and Matt Velazquez of the Journal Sentinel report (Twitter links). Exum thinks he’ll sit down with the Cavs, too, the Plain Dealer notes (on Twitter).
The Wolves will interview Lavine on Friday after having spoken with James Young on Wednesday, Zgoda tweets.
The Bobcats have expressed interest in P.J. Hairston, as he tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
Dante Exum‘s wingspan measured out at nearly 6’10”, and he’ll draw consideration for the No. 1 overall pick from some teams, ESPN’s Chad Ford said on the network’s combine coverage today, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes (Twitter link). He denied that he’s angling for the Lakers in the draft, but he wouldn’t rule out pressuring some teams not to take him, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Exum met with the Sixers, Pistons and Suns on Wednesday, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The Celtics, Lakers, Magic and Jazz will also speak with him, report Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel and Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune (All four Twitter links).
Marcus Smart has interviewed with the Rockets, Raptors, Lakers, Suns and Nuggets, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The Cavs, Jazz and Bucks are also on his agenda, as the Plain Dealer, Falk and Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times report (All Twitter links). The Timberwolves won’t interview Smart in Chicago, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities hears the team is hoping to get him to come to Minnesota for a workout (Twitter link).
Ontario native Tyler Ennis is excited about the idea of playing for the Raptors and has interviewed with them, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. He’s also met with the Bobcats, Kings, Suns, Thunder and Nuggets, according to Kennedy (on Twitter).
Nik Stauskas has met with or will meet with the Kings, Pistons and Raptors, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com and Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (All Twitter links).
The Nuggets, Spurs, Warriors and Nets have met with Shabazz Napier, Kennedy tweets.
The Hawks, Spurs, Thunder, Raptors, Magic, Cavs and Timberwolves met Elfrid Payton, Kennedy reports (Twitter link).
Zach LaVine interviewed with the Celtics, among others, Wednesday, he tells Blakely (Twitter link).
Russ Smith sat down with the Suns, Celtics and Blazers, according to Kennedy (via Twitter).

Western Notes: Kerr, Trail Blazers, Rockets

May 10th, 2014 at 10:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Warriors are growing increasingly pessimistic about their chances of convincing Steve Kerr to turn down the Knicks in favor of Golden State’s coaching job, report Ian Begley and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Warriors fear Kerr is “too deep” into talks with the Knicks at this point, according to the article. Begley and Stein also note that their sources also stressed that Stan Van Gundy is actually the closest thing to a top target at this early stage of Golden State’s search. This feeling is based on the premise that an experienced coach can ensure that the Warriors maintain upward momentum in the competitive Western Conference, per the article.

Draft Rumors: Blazers, Bucks, International

May 9th, 2014 at 9:19pm CST by Cray Allred

The Blazers won’t hold pre-draft workouts, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Portland doesn’t own any 2014 draft picks, and will opt to travel to observe workouts instead. Here are more of tonight’s draft rumors:

The Bucks have begun working out deep draft prospects, vice president of player personnel Dave Babcock tells Jim Hoehn of The Associated Press. “With four draft picks, and we’ve [already] got some young guys that are going to play for us that are already on our team…we’ll have to see how that goes,” said Babcock.
Hoehn adds that the Bucks have worked out Ben Brust, Jake Thomas, Tyler Braun, and Mike Moser, all of whom are projected as second rounders at best.
Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders profiles some of the top international prospects from the 2014 draft class.

Western Notes: Stotts, Blazers, Kings

May 3rd, 2014 at 8:47am CST by Cray Allred

The Blazers are riding high after eliminating the Rockets on last night’s incredible, last-second shot from second year point guard Damian Lillard. The Portland franchise, plagued with draft misfortunes and teams of promise that seem to always sink back to mediocrity, is reveling in actual playoff success behind Lillard, who Nicolas Batum deemed the city’s next Brandon Roy, per a tweet from Jason Quick of The Oregonian. Here’s a Western Conference roundup, including more from Rip City:

Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that he thinks the Blazers are likely to pick up their team option for coach Terry Stotts now that Portland has advanced to the second round.
Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee points out that Kings personnel mistakes from recent years are obvious when watching the Blazers thrive in the playoffs (via Twitter). Sacramento selected Thomas Robinson ahead of the buzzer-beating Lillard, and didn’t obtain Robin Lopez in a three-way trade with the Blazers and Pelicans that brought in Greivis Vasquez last summer.
Voisin adds in another tweet that she’s heard the Kings passed on Lillard because they thought Isaiah Thomas, who they planned on snagging late in the draft, was equally talented. While Thomas was a great find, he hasn’t played at near the level of Lillard.

And-Ones: Daniels, Robinson, Mills

April 26th, 2014 at 12:46pm CST by Cray Allred

Hoops Rumors readers are some of the few wise enough to keep close track of the D-League’s impact on the NBA game, but last night the D-League made a big splash on the national stage. Troy Daniels, recalled by the Rockets two weeks ago, stepped up and hit a game-winning three to keep Houston from going down 0-3 to the Blazers. “To be honest, the D-League has prepared me for this moment,” Daniels told reporters after the game, including Sam Amick of USA Today Sports. “You can say whatever you want about the D-League, but I wouldn’t have hit that shot if I wasn’t in the D-League a couple weeks ago… It’s a dream come true. Plain and simple.” Here’s more from around the league:

League sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM that the Bulls, Bucks, and Magic all closely monitored Daniels as a prospect, but Rockets GM Daryl Morey made the necessary moves to accommodate bringing the unproven guard’s talents to Houston.
Thomas Robinson tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle that he is happy to play his current role with the Blazers, but won’t be content until he improves his game. “Right now, I do what I’m supposed to do for my team,” Robinson said. “My game will evolve. I love what I am right now. It’s not what I’m going to settle for. That’s when the summer time comes in. I can stay in the league doing what I do now, but I want to be at the top of the league by progressing, improving my game. I plan to be an All-Star.”
The NBPA isn’t close to hiring an executive director, and Steve Mills is just one candidate among many at this point, per a tweet from Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Mills re-emerged as a strong candidate for the job yesterday.
Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report talked with Isiah Thomas about the decision players face each postseason: to play hurt in high-stakes playoff games and jeopardize their long-term health, or to rest and hurt their team’s chances to advance.

Coaching Rumors: Jazz, D’Antoni, Boylen

April 24th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

Executives, coaches and other league insiders struggle to come up with names of intriguing coaching candidates after last year’s record volume of new hires, but Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com was able to pry the identities of a few well-regarded potential hires. Some of them have been in rumors in recent weeks, but University of Virginia head coach Tony Bennett, Bulls assistant Ed Pinckney, and Blazers assistant David Vanterpool are the names we haven’t heard. Potential head coaches with ties to the Spurs were already popular, and they’ve grown even more so this year, Arnovitz hears. Here’s more from the coaching rumor mill:

The Jazz plan to interview more than 20 candidates fitting virtually every description, team president Randy Rigby said Wednesday on The Zone Sports Network radio, notes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Though a few candidates have reportedly emerged, Rigby insists the club hasn’t identified any potential targets. He also said the decision will be a group effort and won’t lie solely with GM Dennis Lindsey.
Mike D’Antoni won’t be coaching Marshall University next season, but his brother Dan D’Antoni will be, the school announced. Dan D’Antoni is leaving his job as a Lakers assistant coach to take the new gig.
The Pacers weren’t pleased when former assistant coach and current Jazz head coaching candidate Jim Boylen left last year to become a Spurs assistant, tweets Scott Agness of Pacers.com. “He did us dirty,” one Pacers player told Agness.
Knicks president Phil Jackson said Wednesday that his coaching search could extend into July, but he adds that it’s not because he’s waiting around to see which, if any, coaches working in the playoffs become available, notes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
Nets GM Billy King said on NBA TV that he, and not coach Jason Kidd, made the decision to reassign assistant coach Lawrence Frank earlier this season, fellow ESPNNewYork.com scribe Mike Mazzeo observes.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Corbin, Trail Blazers

April 21st, 2014 at 5:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard is rarely rattled on the basketball court, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “[Sunday night] was a Damian Lillard performance,” Head coach Terry Stotts said. “Damian rises to the occasion. For all those people who were wanting to know if he was ready for the playoffs, I think he answered that question, so we don’t have to answer that anymore. He made big plays. The three was big, getting to the rim was big, making free throws – it was a big time performance.” The latest out of the Northwest Division..

Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (on Twitter) says that Tyrone Corbin had some support from Jazz leadership but not enough in basketball operations to get an extension with the team.
In an afternoon press conference, Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey called Corbin “a man of dignity, class, and integrity,” tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Lindsey also explained that he hasn’t picked out a successor yet (link). “Literally we haven’t had one conversation with regards to other names. … Now that the decisions closed we’ll meet quickly,” said the GM.
Even though Jim Boylen might fit Lindsey’s vision and is an outstanding coach, he’d be a very tough sell for Jazz fans, opines Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune (on Twitter). He also wouldn’t have a honeymoon period and would be expected to deliver wins off the bat.
Guard Dee Bost, who was waived by the Trail Blazers in October, signed a deal in Venezuela with Trotamundos de Carabobo, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The player spent the season in D-League with the Idaho Stampede averaging 15.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 2.1 steals in 50 games.

And-Ones: ‘Melo, Grizzlies, Stotts, Frye

April 17th, 2014 at 4:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

The intersection of exit interviews for teams that missed the playoffs and a steady stream of draft-related news has made for a busy Thursday around Hoops Rumors. We’ll catch up on the latest from around the league here:

Carmelo Anthony suggested today that he’s considered opting in for 2014/15, but he believes he’s better off hitting free agency this summer rather than waiting, according to Scott Cacciola of The New York Times (Twitter link).
Zach Randolph‘s failure to make the All-Star Game and trigger a $438,333 bonus that had been considered likely gave the Grizzlies the flexibility to claim Beno Udrih off waivers without going into tax territory, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports explains in a piece for the Score.
Blazers coach Terry Stotts appears nervous about his future with the club, which has yet to pick up its option on him for next season, as The Oregonian’s Jason Quick observes, wondering if the coach’s fate will be tied to the team’s postseason performance.
Channing Frye has a $6.8MM player option for next season, but whether he opts in or not, Ryan McDonough would like to have him back, as the Suns GM said Wednesday on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, notes Dave Dulberg of ArizonaSports.com. Frye wants to negotiate an extension with the team.
The league is considering a proposal that would tie an increased NBA age minimum to better D-League pay, sources tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Some D-Leaguers could earn between $100K and $200K per year under the plan, Deveney tweets.
Pelicans GM Dell Demps said in a press conference Wednesday that he likes the team’s core and wants to see more of those players on the court together after an injury-plagued 2013/14, notes Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com. Demps also said it would be unfair to judge coach Monty Williams, given all the injuries.
Williams indicated Thursday that he’d like to see the Pelicans make a move to bolster their defense, particularly in the paint, as Eichenhofer writes in a separate piece.
The Warriors have assigned Ognjen Kuzmic to the D-League, the team announced. The rookie center will assist the Santa Cruz Warriors in their playoff game tonight, fresh off his best performance of the year for Golden State on Wednesday.

Northwest Rumors: Adelman, Corbin, Karl, Stotts

April 16th, 2014 at 10:43pm CST by Charlie Adams

In wake of the speculation that Rick Adelman will step away from coaching next season, Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press looks at how the longtime coach’s legacy and examines the influence he’s had on the likes of Doc Rivers, Gregg Popovich, and Tom Thibodeau. Here is tonight’s rundown on the rumors out of the Northwest Division:

Adelman will meet with Wolves president Flip Saunders and owner Glen Taylor within the next 24 hours and make a decision about next season “fast,” tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com. Greder adds that the decision might surface as soon as this week (Twitter link).
Former Nuggets coach George Karl wouldn’t be interested in taking on a coaching role for a rebuilding team like the Wolves, reveals Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
Jazz players, including Trey Burke and Derrick Favors, have advocated for Tyrone Corbin‘s return next year, but Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune doesn’t think it’s a certainty that the first-year coach will remain in Utah beyond this season. The Jazz concluded their season with a double overtime victory over Minnesota tonight.
John Canzano of the Oregonian thinks the Blazers would be wise to lock up Terry Stotts to a long-term extension in Portland. Waiting too long to show that the team has faith in Stotts might have a negative impact on the franchise, Canzano argues.

Neil Olshey On Lopez, Williams, Aldridge

April 14th, 2014 at 7:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Blazers are playoff bound this year and that’s thanks in part to the work of General Manager Neil Olshey. The Portland decision-maker took some time last week to sit down with Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW for an interview and Chris Haynes has the goods. Let’s take a look at the highlights..

How were you able to acquire Robin Lopez for virtually nothing?

It’s the old, how do you become a millionaire? First start with a million dollars. So, I think what we had to do was be really optimistic. We had a very specific need and that solidified what we were looking at. We knew the type of player we wanted to bring in and we found two teams that basically had different goals where we could facilitate a transaction between them and we were able to participate in that. A lot of it, Arn Tellem was great to us because Robin really liked the Portland market. Arn liked the situation basketball wise. He also represents LaMarcus Aldridge so everybody involved wanted to make the deal work. And everybody’s goals were met. New Orleans ended up with Tyreke Evans, Sacramento ended up with assets and we ended up with the missing piece for us, which was a defensive-minded center.

How did signing Mo Williams come about?

I think guards win games. We all just watched the NCAA Tournament and you look at guard-oriented teams. This is clearly different, our league but guards are just so critical with our game, the new rules, the floor being more open. I had a great comfort level with Mo. I traded for him with L.A., when I was with the Clippers. I had worked him out for the draft before I got into the NBA. Terry [Stotts] had coached him. So much of what we do is predicated on the ability to trust the pass and make shots. And that’s what Mo brings. One of the other goals was we wanted to have somebody that could play on or off the ball. It was so important for us when we looked at what Eric Maynor brought to the table back in March of last year, how efficient our offense was. Knowing how good we can be when Damian gets to get off the ball, not have primary playmaking responsibilities every possession. And Mo does that. He’s leading the league in assists off the bench. I think if you look at it, how efficient Damian is when he gets off the ball and you have two primary ball handlers, our offensive efficiency just goes up.

What do you think about LaMarucs Aldridge and Damian Lillard saying they’ll actively recruit players to come to Portland?

Well, I think it’s a window into what type of people LaMarcus and Damian are. And I think probably even more important than whether or not they can deliver on that promise, is the fact that they are willing to try. And it’s an endorsement of our culture, it’s an endorsement of the things we’re trying to do here. It’s a belief in our mission. I do think that one of the things we tried to do when we got here was a lot of teams face different challenges in their markets in the league. Not every market is based in one of the Top 2 cities in the league on a beach; nightlife and you can’t answer all the questions. But one of things you can answer and can control is the basketball environment. The renovation of the practice facility, things going on at the Moda Center, an incredible fan base, an owner who couldn’t be more committed and passionate about winning, who has a track record of winning and just won a Super Bowl. So I think the belief there is that you want players, not only to be able to retain your own players, which I think is critical with the new collective bargaining agreement, but when you go out to recruit, the ability to say transparently, this is the best basketball environment you can be in for your career.