Draft Notes: Cavs, Kings, McLemore, Karasev
Here's the latest news as we get set for the Draft to get underway from the Barclays Center..
- The Cavs haven't found a taker for the No. 1 pick yet, but it's not for a lack of trying. One source tells Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (via Twitter) that they still haven't given up on finding a trade.
- The Kings have been aggressive in trying to move up from No. 7 in the draft, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Their likely target is Kansas guard Ben McLemore.
- The Kings could find a partner in the Suns who pick at No. 5 and are looking to drop back, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
- Sergey Karasev left private interviews in Russia confident that he'll be in the top 15 and hope that he'll be a top ten pick, a league source told Shams Charania of RealGM. Discussions with several teams continued even after the interviews and the Bucks’ apparent interest has fueled belief that the 19-year-old won’t last beyond No. 15.
- The Knicks remain enamored with German guard Dennis Schroeder at No. 24 but they understand that he's unlikely to slip to them, Wojnarowski tweets. The Jazz like Schroeder (14, 21) and there's little chance that the Nets (22) and Pacers (23) let him reach the Knicks (link).
- Teams are getting a clear message from the Wizards: they do not want to part with their No. 3 pick, tweets Berger.
- More from Berger (link), who tweets that Miami guard Shane Larkin has attracted the interest of the Jazz at No. 14 and Milwaukee at No. 15.
- After two workouts, N.C. State forward C.J. Leslie shut it down with teams and he's expected to be selected in the 30s, tweets Wojnarowski.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Clippers, Howard, Bledsoe
Here's the latest out of the Pacific Division, which may or may not include Dwight Howard next season..
- The Lakers will be the final team to meet with Howard, who will start visiting other clubs next week, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The big man will first meet with the Hawks, Rockets, and Mavericks and the list could grow beyond that. The Lakers have not yet been informed of the time or place of the pow-wow with Howard.
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) has no doubt that D12 would re-sign if Jackson was the coach or running things in L.A. The idea that the Lakers' pull alone isn't enough to sway Howard is a troubling sign for future free agents.
- However, Markazi (link) isn't convinced that a coaching change alone would be enough to keep Howard in L.A. He notes that Howard pushed Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith out of Orlando before leaving.
- The general feeling around the Clippers is that they won't trade guard Eric Bledsoe today, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. With Doc Rivers having just arrived, he probably wants to take some time to assess things before making major changes. We heard during the Celtics-Clippers talks that Rivers didn't want Bledsoe traded to Boston because he wanted to coach him in Los Angeles.
- Mark Medina and Brian Martin of the L.A. Daily News looks at possible candidates for the Lakers in tonight's draft. DeShaun Thomas and Kenny Kadji are among the players highlighted.
- Even though Larry Bird has been high on Jimmer Fredette in the past, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter) isn't so sure that there's a match for the Kings and Pacers now.
Wojnarowski On Draft, Len, Zeller, Bucks, Mavs
Here's the latest draft news from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, with all links going to Twitter..
- It's becoming harder to see how Anthony Bennett won't take a tumble in tonight's draft and he could leave the Blazers with a choice to make at No. 10 (link).
- Other lottery teams are supremely confident that the Magic will take Victor Oladipo at No. 2, but Orlando is still talking trade, tweets Wojnarowski.
- The Cavs are choosing between Nerlens Noel and Alex Len at No. 1. If they pick Len, Noel could fall to the Suns at No. 5 (link).
- Alex Len is still the favorite for the Bobcats if he's there at No. 4, but Cody Zeller has remained in constant dialogue, sources tell Wojnarowski.
- Zeller is in strong consideration for the Bobcats at No. 4 and the Suns at No. 5, sources say. If C.J. McCollum goes to the Pelicans at No. 6 or the Kings at No. 7, then the Pistons, who pick 8th, have Zeller high on their board.
- The Bucks have discussed swapping their No. 15 pick for the Mavs' No. 13 pick to solidify itself to take Russian swingman Sergey Karasev, according to sources. However, Milwaukee is worried that the 13th pick may not be high enough to grab Karasev (link). The 6'7" Russian appears to be a hot commodity as we heard that the Cavs would also like to get their hands on the Mavs' pick in order to take him.
- League sources say that Celtics GM Danny Ainge brought guard Ray McCallum to Boston's facility for a workout yesterday in the event that he moves back from No. 16.
- Some are shying away from North Texas forward Tony Mitchell but he could find a home with the T-Wolves at No. 26, according to league sources. Flip Saunders was impressed with his workout and there's no question that he has high-lottery talents (link).
- Everyone in the lottery says that they are extremely impressed by the NBA readiness of IU products Zeller and Oladipo.
Ford On Antetokounmpo, Cavs, Jazz, Thunder
Chad Ford of ESPN.com has posted his latest draft day rumblings and we have the highlights..
- The excitement over Giannis Antetokounmpo might be fading a bit as teams want the raw prospect to stay in Greece for a couple of years while he wants to come to the NBA now. For GMs who don't think he's ready, that means that he will make for a very expensive D-League player.
- If the Cavs can't trade the No. 1 overall pick for a veteran plus a 2014 lottery pick, they'll keep attempting to move whomever they draft until all their options have been exercised. That could be a tall order since the hardest asset for a team to get right now is a 2014 lottery pick. Ford puts the odds at 95 percent that no potential 2014 lottery pick is moved tonight.
- The teams working hardest to move up higher in the lottery are the Jazz, Wolves and Thunder. The Jazz appear to be targeting Lehigh's C.J. McCollum and are offering picks No. 14 and 21, but they might have to give up Alec Burks as well to get high enough.
- The Wolves are also trying to get up very high in an attempt to land Victor Oladipo or Ben McLemore. As we've heard, they're dangling the No. 9 pick, No. 26 pick, and Derrick Williams.
- The Thunder want a big man – they like Nerlens Noel and Alex Len – but they don't have a ton to offer. Movable assets like Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones, and possibly Reggie Jackson don't have enormous trade value. Their own pick next year won't be high and the Mavs pick that they own is top-20 protected next year.
- The Bobcats (No. 4) and Kings (No. 7) look like the two teams most willing to move down.
- A ton of teams want the Mavs' No. 13 pick. The Cavs have been the most proactive but the Bucks, Hawks, and Nets are also in the mix. In virtually every case, the target is Sergey Karasev. Trouble is, the Sixers or Thunder could grab him before 13.
- The Celtics are trying to pick up a late-first or early-second-round pick and sources say their target is Missouri's Phil Pressey if they decide to go big with their first pick.
Draft Updates: Wednesday Evening
On the night before the draft, three "people of importance" in the Cavs front office have differing views on whom the team should take first overall, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. This is shaping up as one of the most compelling drafts in years with all the unknowns, even if the talent at the top is subpar. Here's the latest draft-related scuttlebutt:
- Nets GM Billy King tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post that there's "about a 60% chance" that the team will trade the No. 22 pick, perhaps in pursuit of a frontcourt player (Twitter link). The Nets are reportedly in three-way talks with the Cavs and Wolves.
- Shabazz Muhammad has at least one fan in the Wolves front office, but it isn't anyone at the top of the organization, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, who says he'll be surprised if the team takes the UCLA small forward.
- The Cavs' first preference has been to trade the No. 1 overall pick, but failing that, it looks like it's down to Nerlens Noel and Alex Len, with Anthony Bennett as a dark horse, The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer writes.
- The Sixers worked out second-round hopeful Dwayne Davis on Wednesday, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Earlier updates:
- The Kings, Pistons and Timberwolves like Shabazz Muhammad and may draft him earlier than most executives be believe he'll go, which is between Nos. 13 and 20, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
- The Heat have been told they could possibly trade for a late lottery pick, but team president Pat Riley says if the team trades for a selection, it will be one of the early picks. "After the first 10 or 12 picks, I'm not so sure there's that player out there," Riley said, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel notes.
- Sergey Karasev wants to play in the NBA next season, so he won't be a "draft-and-stash" pick, tweets Berger, who hears Karasev may go as high as No. 12 to the Thunder. Chad Ford of ESPN.com wrote earlier today that he could go to the Sixers at No. 11.
- Several teams are trying to move up in order to draft Victor Oladipo, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy hears (Twitter link). One of those teams appears to be the Timberwolves, as Marcus Fuller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press examines.
- There's a "decent chance" the Warriors will try to trade cash for a pick in the middle of the second round, according to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group.
- Alex Lee unveiled the latest version of the Hoops Rumors Mock Draft earlier tonight.
Amico On Nets, Wolves, Cavs, Aldridge, Marion
We've heard plenty already today from Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who delivers yet more with a late-night batch of rumors. Let's dive in, with all links going to Twitter, unless otherwise noted:
- A three-way trade between Nets, Timberwolves and Cavs involving MarShon Brooks, C.J. Miles and the 22nd and 26th picks is a "very real" possibility, Amico says. Presumably, Brooks would go to the Wolves and Miles would end up with the Nets. The Cavs may also simply swap Miles to the Nets for the 22nd pick, according to Amico, echoing an earlier report.
- The Blazers are willing to trade LaMarcus Aldridge, but they'd want two first-round picks plus at least one player in return.
- The Mavs won't take picks Nos. 31 and 33 from the Cavs in exchange for Shawn Marion. Amico also hears that Hawks GM Danny Ferry has spoken to Dallas, perhaps to offer picks Nos. 17 and 18.
- The Kings have also spoken to the Mavs about the 13th pick, Amico.
- Amico confirms that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has an affinity for Victor Oladipo, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com tweeted earlier. Still, Gilbert will let GM Chris Grant make the decision, Amico says.
- The Cavs remain engaged in talks to package the 19th, 31st and 33rd picks plus a player in an effort to move up in the draft.
- Just as the Cavs are trying to unload some of their four picks in tomorrow's draft, the Thunder continue to shop the 12th pick.
Odds & Ends: Fredette, Clippers, Terry, Oden
Following the hiring of Doc Rivers, the positive news keeps coming for Clippers fans. Rivers confirmed to the media today that he has spoken to Chris Paul since joining the franchise, which looks like a good sign for CP3's long-term future in Los Angeles (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com). The Clippers also appear poised to add Alvin Gentry to Rivers' staff, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter). Gentry had been deciding between assistant jobs with the Clippers and Lakers.
Here's more from around the NBA:
- Despite reports to the contrary, Sam Amick of USA Today is hearing that the Kings haven't had talks about trading Jimmer Fredette. Amick adds that the new management group is willing to listen to anything, but there's no indication Fredette is being shopped or even discussed in trade talks at this point (Twitter links).
- Appearing on KRLD-FM 105.3 in Dallas, Jason Terry said he hopes to wear a Mavericks uniform again before he retires. "You know what, I wear it every night anyway," Terry said (link via Dallas Morning News). "It's my home base. I'm with the Celtics for another two years. I would be more than happy to come back and put the Mavs jersey on and come back and get back on the runway for the Mavericks."
- The Cavaliers have hired former Bucks head coach Jim Boylan to be the lead assistant on Mike Brown's staff, tweets Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- Speaking to Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor acknowledged that the Trail Blazers could be a thorn in Minnesota's side as the team attempts to lock up Nikola Pekovic this summer. Re-signing Pekovic remains the club's top priority, as Walters writes.
- Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck appeared on WEEI in Boston today to address the departure of Rivers and the next steps for the C's, and Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com passed along Grousbeck's comments.
- In addition to discussing several of the team's own free agents, Heat president Pat Riley confirmed that Miami has interest in Greg Oden, as Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida outlines (via Sulia).
Ford’s Latest: Draft Rumors, Aldridge, Jazz, Pacers
ESPN.com's Chad Ford is staying busy as Thursday night nears, chatting with fans this afternoon and also publishing a new story with Marc Stein on the latest draft-related rumors and rumblings. Here are the highlights from both links:
- Stein reported earlier today that the Cavaliers were offering the No. 19 pick to the Rockets for Thomas Robinson, but that pick may also be necessary to complete another deal, whether it's a Shawn Marion trade with the Mavericks or a bigger move. If the Cavs can't finalize another trade though, they'd try to acquire Robinson with that pick, according to Stein and Ford.
- Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal is skeptical that the Cavs would really offer the 19th pick for Robinson, since the team didn't have much interest in him as of a couple weeks ago (Twitter link).
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link) is also hearing, like Stein and Ford, that the Cavaliers are still trying to figure out a way to make a "mega-deal." Even if the Cavs are interested in such a move, they'd have to find a willing partner, which has been tricky so far. Ford notes in his chat that the Cavs would likely have to include Tristan Thompson along with the No. 1 pick to pull off something big.
- If the Rockets can make a Robinson trade with the Cavs or Bulls, they'd almost certainly use that first-round pick to draft-and-stash an international player, according to Ford and Stein. Sergey Karasev, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lucas Nogueira, Dennis Schroeder, and Rudy Gobert are potential targets.
- Ford wouldn't be shocked if the Bobcats traded down with the Wolves and used the No. 9 pick to draft Cody Zeller. Minnesota is attempting to trade into the top five.
- Positional need likely won't be a major priority for the Kings, according to Ford, who adds that he thinks Sacramento's roster will be significantly overhauled by opening night of 2013/14.
- Ford anticipates the Trail Blazers will "seriously listen" to LaMarcus Aldridge trade offers this summer.
- If the Jazz want to move into the top 10 to take a top point guard, they'll probably have to make Alec Burks available, rather than just the Nos. 14 and 21 picks, says Ford.
- The Pacers are trying to trade the No. 23 pick, and have been linked to both Robinson and Jimmer Fredette, according to Ford.
Kings Extend Qualifying Offer To Tyreke Evans
The Kings have made a qualifying offer to Tyreke Evans, ensuring that he'll be a restricted free agent this offseason, the team announced today in a press release. The one-year offer is worth $6,927,157.
As I noted earlier today when it was reported that the Knicks extended a qualifying offer to Chris Copeland, we'll be seeing plenty of these QOs over the next several days, as teams formally make free agents restricted. By extending an offer to Evans, the Kings will have the opportunity to match any rival sheet he signs with another team.
In the unlikely event that Evans were to accept the one-year offer from the Kings, he would become eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2014.
Ford’s Latest: Cavs, Magic, Wizards, Suns, Kings
ESPN.com's Chad Ford has published version 6.0 of his 2013 mock draft, with just over 48 hours remaining until draft night. As he has been for all six of Ford's mocks, Nerlens Noel remains in the No. 1 spot. The ESPN.com scribe wrote a lengthy piece last night on why he thinks the Cavaliers are still likely to select Noel, and provides details on plenty of other first-round teams in his new mock, so let's check out the highlights….
- The Magic are prepared to leap on Noel if he's there at No. 2, but if the Cavs take him, Orlando's choice becomes trickier. Ford continues to hear that the Magic are leaning toward Victor Oladipo over Ben McLemore and others., though Cody Zeller could be a dark horse.
- Otto Porter appears to be ahead of Anthony Bennett for the Wizards at No. 3.
- Although Ford has the Suns selecting McLemore at No. 5, he says Phoenix prefers Oladipo and also likes Zeller and Michael Carter-Williams.
- If Porter or Alex Len are still on the board at No. 6, the Pelicans will probably draft one of the two, but if not, the team may target a point guard like Carter-Williams or Trey Burke, says Ford.
- C.J. McCollum has emerged as a potential selection for the Kings at No. 7.
- The Trail Blazers wouldn't be opposed to drafting Carter-Williams if he slides to No. 10, since he has the necessary to play alongside Damian Lillard, according to Ford.
- If the Cavs end up acquiring the Mavericks' 13th overall pick, Cleveland would probably use it to draft Sergey Karasev.
- Ford has Shabazz Muhammad slipping all the way to No. 18 (Hawks) in this version of his mock.