2013 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Updates: Karasev, Saric, Workouts

June 5th, 2013 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

With two teams still standing in the 2013 NBA playoffs, most of the Association's franchises have turned their attention to this month's draft. We're probably still a week or two away from seeing any draft picks change hands via trades, but prospects continue to jockey for draft position, working out for teams, or perhaps pulling out of workouts in the case of at least one international prospect. Here are Wednesday's latest draft-related items:

Sergey Karasev has returned to Moscow and plans to remain in Russia until the draft, fueling speculation that he has been given a first-round promise, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. With agents Andy Miller and Justin Zanik telling teams their client won't be available for predraft workouts, Wojnarowski think Karasev probably received a guarantee from a team between Nos. 14 and 24.
Appearing on the Taking the Charge podcast, Croatian forward Dario Saric said he still may withdraw his name from this year's draft, though he expects to be selected in the first round. If he stays in the draft and is selected, he still plans to play in Europe for at least one more year, according to HeinNews.com.
The Suns have yet to confirm the participants of today's workouts, but it appears they've brought in a star-studded group that includes Ben McLemore, Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller, Rudy Gobert, and Shabazz Muhammad, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic outlines.
It's unclear where Muhammad will land in the draft, since his stock seems to be on the decline, says Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
Peyton Silva, Archie Goodwin, and Scootie Randall worked out for the Sixers on Tuesday, according to John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. None of those prospects are likely to land in the lottery, so Philadelphia appears to be weighing its second-round options.
Working out for the Jazz today, according to Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: Shane Larkin, Tony Mitchell, Reggie Bullock, Lorenzo Brown, Amath M'Baye, and Malik Story.
The Bucks officially announced (via Twitter) that they'll be working out the following prospects today: Trent Lockett, D.J. Stephens, Dewayne Dedmon, Jack Cooley, Korie Lucious, and D.J. Seeley.
Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com and Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe have the details on yesterday's Celtics workout, which included Mason Plumlee, Reggie Johnson, Ian Clark, and Jonathan Lee. It was the second workout with the C's for Lee.

Knicks Notes: Kidd, Selby, Draft

June 3rd, 2013 at 7:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Knicks fans got a bit of surprising news earlier today when Jason Kidd announced that he is retiring. The future Hall of Famer still had two seasons and $6.18MM remaining on his three-year contract with the Knicks and despite his shooting woes to close out the Knicks' season, he had a strong 2012/13 campaign on the whole. Here's more on Kidd and other notes out of MSG..

The NBA will miss Kidd’s presence on the court, but don’t be surprised if he surfaces in the NBA next season as a coach, writes Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. I could certainly see Kidd taking a run at coaching, but it may not be right away.
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter) says to keep an eye on Josh Selby in free agency. The guard's priority is figuring out his summer league and then signing with a team, though its not known if the Knicks have interest yet. For what it's worth, Selby and Carmelo Anthony are friends from their days in Baltimore and are still close. Anthony was hoping the Knicks would draft Selby in 2011, but he went to the Grizzlies in the second round instead.
Point guard prospect Nate Wolters out of South Dakota State will be working out for the Knicks, Zwerling tweets. Wolters is a projected late first/early second round pick.
Nets GM Billy King issued a statement on Kidd's retirement. "[Kidd] was the captain of the Nets during their most successful period in the NBA, and is considered the greatest player in the Nets' NBA history. On behalf of the entire Brooklyn Nets organization, we congratulate him on his Hall of Fame career," King said, according to the AP. With all due respect for Kidd, Drazen Petrovic is considered by some to be the greatest Nets player in their NBA history.

Draft Notes: Burke, Kings, Gobert, Karasev

June 3rd, 2013 at 5:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The buzz on the smaller point guards in the 2013 Draft has not been positive, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Michigan's Trey Burke is widely regarded as the top one-guard in this year's class, but he's getting a lot of criticism for being too slow at the next level. Despite his lack of a fifth-gear, Burke's still likely to land somewhere in the top ten. Here's more on the draft..

Here's a surprising bit of news: the Kings, who own the No. 7 pick, are showing interest in French center Rudy Gobert, according to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Most mock drafts have him as a late lottery/mid-first round pick, but none have him pegged for the top ten.
More from Kyler, who writes that reviews are mixed on Sergey Karasev's performance this weekend in Las Vegas. Two big concerns from NBA teams were his rather slender frame and his overall feel for the game. The guard/forward is pegged as a late first-round pick in most mock drafts.
Vegas wasn't an ideal setting for Karasev, writes Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). Karasev had visa issues in Russia and wasn't able to get to Vegas until after midnight on the day of the event and was clearly sluggish from the long trip. Ford sees his draft range Karasev's draft range starting with the Timberwolves at No. 9 and the floor being the Nets at No. 22.
Prospect Steven Adams is in Oklahoma City and worked out for the Thunder today, writes Royce Young of DailyThunder.com. The Pitt center made it clear that he'd like to land in OKC, saying in a Facebook video: “I’d love to be drafted here, man, straight up." Adams could be on the board when the Thunder draft at No. 12, but it's not a certainty.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link) pegs the odds of the Cavs dealing the No. 1 pick at just 10% based on the overall lack of interest in it.
Point guard prospect Isaiah Canaan will work out for the Knicks and Nets soon, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. The Murray State product is projected to go towards the end of the first round or early in the second.
Cody Zeller impressed in his workout for the Jazz, writes Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune. The Jazz pick at No. 14.
Today, the Blazers worked out guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, forward Jared Berggren, guard Sherwood Brown, forward Brandon Davies, guard Abdul Gaddy, and guard Elijah Johnson, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.

Odds & Ends: LeBron, Barry, Pierce, Suns

June 2nd, 2013 at 10:25pm CST by Zachary Links

LeBron James is feeling the heat as he's seeing flashbacks to his shortcomings with the Cavs, opines Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer. For Pluto, the message of the series is that even when you stack your roster, there rarely is a smooth playoff road ahead. Things can go wrong, players can get hurt, and team chemistry can fizzle. The Heat will face the Pacers in Game 7 on Monday night and if Miami gets bounced, you can bet on the summer of 2014 talk ramping up in a hurry. Here's more from around the Association..

The NBA salary cap won't change much from this season to next season as Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that it will go from $58.044MM to $58.5MM.
Rick Barry realizes that his outspoken ways may have cost him an NBA job, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. The 69-year-old lives in Denver and hosts a nationally syndicated talk show but hasn't had the kind of opportunities that most players of his stature have gotten. Barry infamously attempted to teach Shaquille O'Neal his grandma-style free throw technique years ago in offseason practice sessions, but the big man refused to implement it during the season.
HoopsWorld's Derek Page ran down the top five free agent small forwards this summer. Andre Iguodala and Paul Pierce are among the notable names on the list, but they may not see the open market.
The HoopsWorld staff debated what the Suns should do with the No. 5 pick. Shabazz Muhammad is suggested as an intriguing fit for Phoenix, but his baggage likely wouldn't be worth the risk.

Timberwolves Looking To Move Up In Draft

June 2nd, 2013 at 8:17pm CST by Zachary Links

The Timberwolves will try to deal Derrick Williams and No. 9 pick to move up in the draft, according to Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press. It's not known who the Timberwolves might be targeting, however.

This certainly isn't the first time that the Wolves have explored a trade for Williams and finding a solid return for him could prove to be difficult. The former No. 2 overall pick hasn't lived up to his potential in Minnesota, averaging 10.5 PPG with 5.1 RPG in his first two seasons.

A change of scenery might do Williams some good, however, as he's just a couple years removed from his status as a promising prospect. The forward attacked the basket in his days at Arizona and did well with his opportunities on the free throw line by converting 75% of the time. The 22-year-old boasts above-average raw strength but often times has found himself outmuscled by larger opponents in the NBA.

Draft Links: Schroeder, Larkin, Cavs, Mavs

June 1st, 2013 at 6:55pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Bucks, who pick 15th and 43rd later this month, are looking seriously at guards and small forwards, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The Bucks worked out six players, all of them guards, on Friday and with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis' uncertain futures, they're looking closely at German import Dennis Schroeder and Shane Larkin from Miami.

Ellis has a player option for $11MM next season with the Bucks, but if he opts out before June 20th, he'll become an unrestricted free agent. Jennings is a restricted free agent looking for a max contract this offseason, but recent reports point towards the Bucks looking to re-sign Ellis instead of Jennings. Another point in Ellis' favor: the Bucks hired former Hawks coach, Larry Drew, when Jennings would have preferred Kelvin Sampson.

Regardless of the Bucks' attempts to bring back J.J. Redick, Ellis and/or Jennings, they're still looking to shore up their backcourt. Here are some more links as we're now inside of four weeks until the big night.

The ostensible top pick on that big night, Nerlens Noel, is part of the pre-draft positional preview focusing on centers by Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Cavs, of course, own that first pick, and Boyer keys in on Noel's rehab in Birmingham from that torn knee ligament.
The Mavericks continue to shop the 13th overall pick in an effort to clear cap space this offseason, and they're not asking for much, several executives tell Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link).
Mannix also got input from executives from around the league on this year's top foreign prospects, with Dario Saric and aforementioned Schroeder topping the list.
Local product, Doug Anderson, highlighted a group of second-round prospects who worked out with the Pistons, observes Perry A. Farrell of the Free Press. Solomon Hill, Brandon Paul, D.J. Stephens, Will Clyburn, and Carrick Felix were the others in attendance.
Kansas center Jeff Withey will work out for the Knicks and Nets before the June 27th draft, says his agent, Darren Matsubara, to ESPNNewYork.com's Jared Zwerling.
The Timberwolves are looking to bring Lehigh senior C.J. McCollum in for a workout, but they still haven't scheduled a time yet, says ESPN1500's Darren Wolfson (Twitter link).
HoopsHype.com just updated their list of players past workouts and future workouts by team.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post

Cavs Notes: Pekovic, Aldridge, Noel, Porter

June 1st, 2013 at 4:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reported earlier today that the Cavs aren't going after DeMarcus Cousins, and he has plenty more on Cleveland's team in his latest dispatch. He gets credit for the updates below, unless otherwise noted.

The Cavaliers have tried and failed to pry Kevin Love from the Timberwolves, and their alternative may be to go after center Nikola Pekovic, one of the leading restricted free agents. Cleveland has the cap room to make him an offer of $12MM or better, a price Wolves owner Glen Taylor has said he won't pay.
The Blazers have no interest in Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters or draft picks, and have turned down the Cavs' inquiries about LaMarcus Aldridge.
Nerlens Noel says he'll be ready to play around Christmas, but the Cavaliers don't think he'll be back from his ACL injury until February or March. The team remains undecided about whether Noel will be the No. 1 pick, and Amico confirms that Otto Porter is also in the mix for that selection.
Amico hears the Cavs are willing to trade up to nab Sergey Karasev in the middle of the first round if it doesn't look like he'll fall to them at No. 19. The Cavs are also high on Alex Len, and he could be theirs if they trade out of the No. 1 pick.
The Cavs like Shaun Livingston, but he's seeking a larger payday than the team wants to give him.
Omri Casspi and Luke Walton probably won't be re-signed, but the Cavs hope to bring back Wayne Ellington.
The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer answers reader questions in her mailbag column, and opines that Al Horford makes more sense as a trade target for the Cavs than Love or Aldridge do.

Atlantic Rumors: Robinson, Pierce, Bargnani

June 1st, 2013 at 1:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

Nate Robinson's first priority will be to re-sign with the Bulls, though he wouldn't mind another stint with the Knicks, agent Aaron Goodwin tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Both Chicago and New York are taxpaying teams, so it'll be difficult for either to fit in Robinson, who'll likely command more than the minimum salary he made this year. Goodwin's statement is a familiar one for agents this time of year, as Grantland's Zach Lowe points out via Twitter, so there's no reason to count Robinson as either a Bull or a Knick just yet. Here's more from the Atlantic:

Teams around the league have a "healthy interest" in Paul Pierce, but the Celtics aren't about to just give him away, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Even if the C's can find the right deal and start over with younger players, the money tied up in Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee and Jason Terry would be a major obstacle to a rebuild, a general manager tells Bulpett.
The Raptors will reportedly be aggressive in their attempts to trade Andrea Bargnani, and one possible destination could be Golden State, since, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, the Warriors have long been intrigued by him (Twitter link).
Eric Koreen of the National Post outlines the five most important items on the to-do list for new Raptors GM Masai Ujiri, figuring that an amnesty of Bargnani is most likely the club's next step with the former No. 1 overall pick.
Center A.J. Matthews played his college ball at Division III Farmingdale State and didn't receive an invitation to the league's pre-draft combine in Chicago, but he wowed teams at recent Nets-hosted combine. The Knicks are one of about a half dozen teams bringing the Arn Tellem client in for workouts, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The Knicks are zeroing in on point guards with the 24th overall pick, and though they don't have a second-rounder, Berman expects them to acquire one via trade in return for cash.
Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com explains the reasons why Chris Paul signing with the Knicks is but a pipe-dream for New York fans.

Southeast Division: Magic, Bobcats, Thomas

June 1st, 2013 at 11:00am CST by Zachary Links

Hawks coach Larry Drew was in a strange position for a few months as it was long believed that Atlanta would not re-sign him to a new deal for 2013/14 and beyond. The club got their man earlier this week in Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer, but Drew wasn't out of work for very long. Yesterday, he agreed to become the next head coach of the Bucks and inked a three-year deal that includes a club option for year four. It's not a surprise to see that Drew wasn't between jobs for long given what he accomplished in Atlanta. Under his watch, the Hawks posted a 128-102 record and went to the playoffs in all three years. Here's more out of the Southeast Division..

The HoopsWorld staff held a roundtable discussion on what the Magic should do with the No. 2 overall pick. Yannis Koutroupis goes outside of the box and suggests that Orlando should grab Victor Oladipo rather than Trey Burke or Ben McLemore. Koutroupis reasons that Oladipo is tough enough on the defensive end where he could potentially play with Arron Afflalo if needed, but more importantly could make Afflalo expendable if another team covets him in a trade.
HoopsWorld also took a look at the Bobcats' No. 4 overall selection. Derek Page suggests that Charlotte should tab Alex Len, who would be a virtual lock to still be on the board at that time. The Maryland big man is expected to be a top-5 pick despite likely being on the shelf to start next season, but that isn't likely to scare away a Bobcats squad that’s not banking on contending next season.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld ran down the teams still eligible to use the amnesty clause, including the Bobcats, Hawks, and Heat. Charlotte's Tyrus Thomas would appear to be a candidate for the amnesty clause.

Draft Notes: Knicks, Larkin, Hardaway Jr., Bucks

June 1st, 2013 at 10:12am CST by Zachary Links

Otto Porter, Victor Oladipo, Ben McLemore, and Anthony Bennett will likely be among the candidates visiting with the Wizards in the second or third week of June, when the team will look at candidates for the No. 3 overall pick, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. For now, the team is concentrating on targets for its pair of second-round pick, and Lee lists more than a dozen such players scheduled for workouts with the team next week. The Wizards' pick may very well come down to a decision between who is left over between Porter and Nerlens Noel, but they'll leave no stone unturned when it comes to their top pick. Here's more draft news..

Former Miami point guard Shane Larkin won’t work out for the Knicks, his agent told Adam Zagoria of SNY. “Currently, Shane’s not scheduled to work out for the Knicks,” agent Steve McCaskill said. “And we don’t have any intentions of scheduling one. We don’t feel like he’s going to be on the board when they select.” The Knicks have the No. 24 pick in the draft and while some view Larkin as a mid-round talent, it's worth noting that DraftExpress currently has him going at No. 23 to the Pacers.
Tim Hardaway Jr. auditioned for the Bucks and told reporters, including Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, that he has already worked out for the Bulls and T'Wolves. The Michigan product is widely viewed as a fringe first-round talent.
Murray State's Isaiah Canaan says he has already worked out for the Spurs and he has more workouts scheduled with the Pacers, Knicks, Cavs, Suns, Mavs, and Jazz, Gardner writes. Canaan, who auditioned for the Bucks, could be a candidate for the club's No. 43 selection.
Former Creighton and Rutgers big man Gregory Echenique will work out for the Wizards, Suns, and Nets in the coming weeks, Zagoria writes. The 6-foot-9, 260-pound center has already worked out for the Celtics, Timberwolves, and Trail Blazers. At this time, Echenique figures to be a second round pick at best.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.