2013 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kelly Olynyk To Enter Draft

April 19th, 2013 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Gonzaga junior Kelly Olynyk has elected to forgo his remaining year of NCAA eligibility and enter the NBA draft, reports Jim Meehan of the Spokesman-Review. ESPN.com's Chad Ford previously reported that Olynyk was expected to go pro this year.

Olynyk, who is celebrating his 22nd birthday today, had a breakout season for Gonzaga, helping lead the team to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, though the team was upset by Wichita State fairly early. In just 26.4 minutes per game this year, the seven-footer averaged 17.8 PPG and 7.3 RPG.

Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has Olynyk ranked as a potential lottery pick, placing him 13th on his big board. Olynyk is ranked 16th among 2013 prospects at ESPN.com by Ford.

You can check out our complete list of early entrants for this June's draft right here.

Odds & Ends: Wilcox, Kings, Pistons, McGrady

April 18th, 2013 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

So far, Hoops Rumors readers have indicated in this morning's poll that Spurs/Lakers is the most-anticipated first round series of the NBA playoffs, with Celtics/Knicks and Thunder/Rockets rounding out the top three. We'll have to wait until Sunday for those two Western series to get underway, but Boston and New York will be the first two teams to begin their series on Saturday afternoon. As we look forward to what should be an exciting postseason, let's check in on a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

Washington junior C.J. Wilcox has decided to return to school for his senior season, tweets Percy Allen of the Seattle Times. Wilcox was ranked 37th among this year's prospects by ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
Michael McCann of SI.com (Twitter link) hears that, as commissioner David Stern has indicated publicly, expansion to 31 teams truly hasn't been discussed as an option by the NBA. As such, there will be no happy ending to the Kings saga for both Sacramento and Seattle basketball fans.
With Lawrence Frank out as Pistons coach, GM Joe Dumars will be running the team's search for a new coach, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Vince Goodwill of the Detroit News has heard Nate McMillan, Kelvin Sampson, Jerry Sloan, and Heat assistant David Fizdale mentioned as potential candidates (Twitter link).
Sixers assistant Michael Curry will interview for Philadelphia's head coaching position while keeping an eye on other openings, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. In Doug Collins' exit interview today, he recommended Curry as his replacement.
Tracy McGrady is a Spur at the moment, but his 2012/13 Chinese team, the Qingdao Double Star Eagles would like to re-sign him for next season, according to a Hupu.com report (English link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
Carchia also passes along word that Latvian forward Janis Timma has decided to enter the 2013 NBA draft, according to his agent. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com ranks Timma 27th among 1992-born international prospects.

Robinson, McGary To Return To Michigan

April 18th, 2013 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

3:40pm: Robinson and McGary both confirmed at this afternoon's press conference that they'll return to Michigan for the 2013/14 season, according to the school (Twitter links).

12:53pm: Robinson and McGary will both be returning to Michigan, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com.

12:32pm: Michigan prospects Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary have a press conference scheduled for later this afternoon, according to the school (Twitter link). The duo will announce at 3:30pm CST whether they'll be declaring for the NBA draft or returning to the Wolverines for next season.

Robinson and McGary played large roles in helping the Wolverines advance to the NCAA championship game earlier this month against Louisville. McGary, in particular, had an impressive tournament that included a 21-point, 14-rebound games against VCU and a 25-point, 14-board game against Kansas.

Both players are ranked within the top 20 at ESPN.com, where Robinson is 14th and McGary is 15th, and at DraftExpress.com, where Jonathan Givony has McGary 16th and Robinson 19th. Nonetheless, Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com believes the two freshmen could be returning to Michigan for their sophomore years (Twitter link).

If both players enter the draft, it would be a significant blow for a Michigan program that has already seen Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. decide to go pro. Our complete list of 2013 early entrants is located right here.

Gary Harris Will Return To Michigan State

April 18th, 2013 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, likely top-five pick Marcus Smart announced that he'd be returning to Oklahoma State for his sophomore season. Today, another potential lottery selection announced his decision to put off the NBA draft in favor of a second year at school. According to a press release from Michigan State, freshman guard Gary Harris will return to the Spartans for his sophomore year.

"Playing in the NBA is definitely a goal of mine, and something that I've always dreamed of, but those dreams can wait for another day," Harris said in a statement. "I think additional experience and maturity will be huge in my development as a player. I have other dreams of things I want to accomplish, both as a player and as a team at Michigan State. I love college life, and I'm no hurry to move on."

ESPN.com's Chad Ford, who reported earlier this month that Harris was leaning toward returning to school and undergoing shoulder surgery, had the 18-year-old ranked 12th among 2013 prospects. In his first season at Michigan State, Harris averaged 12.9 PPG on .456/.411/.755 shooting.

2013 NBA Draft Standings

April 18th, 2013 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

A handful of coin flips and May's draft lottery are still to come in deciding the final order for the 2013 NBA draft, but last night's results locked most of the draft standings in place, and resolved many of the situations we'd been watching coming into the day.

To view the final reverse standings, check out our complete list right here. Here are some items of note, based on last night's results:

The Magic will have the best chance at the first overall pick after their loss last night. Their odds for No. 1 will be 25%. The Bobcats, who won three straight to finish the season, will have a 19.9% chance at the top pick.
The Lakers' first-round pick, which will land between 18th and 20th, will be sent to the Cavaliers. The Suns, rather than receiving L.A.'s first-rounder, will get the Heat's 30th overall pick.
Coin flips are still required to determine which team picks first in the following spots: 7th/8th (Pistons, Wizards); 11th/12th (Raptors, Sixers); 18th/19th/20th (Lakers, Bulls, Rockets); and 25th/26th (Clippers, Grizzlies).
Last night's 13th straight loss by the Trail Blazers ensures that they'll keep their second-round pick, which was top-40 protected. It will be 40th overall.

Categories:
2013 NBA Draft

Grant Jerrett To Enter Draft

April 17th, 2013 at 10:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sources tell Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com that Arizona power forward Grant Jerrett will announce tomorrow that he's entering the NBA draft . The 6'10" freshman, who averaged just 5.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game for the Wildcats this season, will likely hire agent Brian Dyke of Shibumi Sports, according to Goodman.

The move seems puzzling, especially since Goodman believes Jerrett could have eventually developed into a lottery pick (Twitter link). Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks him as the 124th best prospect this year, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, who has Jerrett outside of his top 100 list, expressed surprise at the news via Twitter. Multiple NBA executives told Goodman that Jerrett will be taken in the second round or go undrafted.

The timing of the move is also somewhat curious, since Tuesday was the deadline for underclassmen to withdraw their names from draft consideration and retain college eligibility. Of course, signing with an agent, as it appears Jerrett is likely to do, would have precluded a return to college either way.

Lucas Nogueira To Enter Draft

April 17th, 2013 at 6:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

Brazilian center Lucas Nogueira will enter the NBA draft, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The 20-year-old won't be able to withdraw because he submitted his name for entry in 2011 and withdrew it before the deadline that year. He's a "serious" candidate to become a first-round pick, Wojnarowski writes. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress agrees, listing Nogueira at No. 32 in his rankings, though Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him down at No. 69.

There's debate over exactly how tall Nogueira is, as both DraftExpress and ESPN.com list him at 6'11" while Wojnarowski pegs him as a 7-footer. There's variance on his wingspan as well, which is either 7'5" or 7'6", but in any case, that kind of reach makes him an intriguing prospect.

Nogueira saw limited playing time for Asefa Estudiantes of the Spanish ACB league this season, averaging 4.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 12.6 minutes per game. Still, his athleticism and improvement on offense have him on the radar for NBA clubs, as Wojnarowski notes.

Tim Hardaway Jr. To Enter Draft

April 17th, 2013 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

2:07pm: Hardaway has made it official, announcing this afternoon that he'll enter this year's draft.

11:48am: Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility and declare his intent to enter the draft, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Earlier today, we heard that Hardaway has a press conference scheduled for 2:00pm CST today, so the junior guard figures to formally announce his decision at that time.

Hardaway Jr., whose father was a five-time NBA All-Star, averaged 14.5 PPG in his junior year at Michigan, a slight step down from his sophomore scoring average. However, his shooting rates increased to 43.7% from the floor and 37.4% on three-pointers.

The 21-year-old will become the second Michigan underclassman to announce his intent to go pro, though he won't be drafted as high in June as his backcourt mate, Trey Burke. Hardaway ranks as Chad Ford's 55th prospect at ESPN.com, and is ranked 56th by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.

Draft Order Situations To Watch Tonight

April 17th, 2013 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Even after 81 games, not all of the NBA's playoff seeds, or even playoff teams, have been determined. The highlights of tonight's schedule include Jazz vs. Grizzlies and Rockets vs. Lakers, two contests in which each team has something at stake. The Jazz can earn a playoff spot with a win and a Lakers loss, while the Lakers would earn the seventh seed with a win over Houston. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies would earn home-court advantage in round one with a win and a Clippers loss, while the Rockets could get as high as No. 6 or fall as low as No. 8, depending on various outcomes.

Although the games with postseason implications are the important ones tonight, some of the league's lesser clubs are also jockeying for position — in the draft lottery. Most notably, the Magic and Bobcats have identical 20-61 records, tied for the NBA's worst mark, so winning or losing today could be the difference in a couple dozen ping-pong balls at this year's draft lottery. With the help of our reverse standings tool, here are a few situations worth monitoring tonight if you're interested in seeing how this year's draft order plays out:

Games: Magic (20-61) at Heat, Cavaliers at Bobcats (20-61)
At stake: No. 1 odds in the draft lottery
Summary: 424 of 1,000 potential outcomes for the draft's first overall pick result in one of the league's worst two teams landing that top choice. If, for instance, the Magic lose tonight and the Bobcats win, Orlando would have a 25% chance at the No. 1 pick, while the Bobcats' odds would be 19.9%. If both teams lose (or win), a coin flip would determine which team gets a 22.5% chance at the top pick and which team has 22.4% odds.

Games: Hornets (27-54) at Mavericks, Clippers at Kings (28-53), Pistons (29-52) at Nets, Wizards (29-52) at Bulls, Timberwolves (30-51) at Spurs
At stake: Nos. 5-9 in draft lottery standings
Summary: There are too many outcomes here to go through all of them, but based on tonight's results, each of these teams could end up shuffling around a little in the lottery standings. One example: A T-Wolves loss, combined with Pistons and Wizards wins, could get the Wolves up to seventh in the lottery standings, if coin flips fall their way. A win in San Antonio, however, would mean they're locked into ninth in the lottery standings.

Games: 76ers (33-48) at Pacers, Celtics at Raptors (33-48), Warriors at Trail Blazers (33-48)
At stake: Nos. 10-12 in draft lottery standings, Blazers' first- and second-round picks
Summary: It would be hard to blame you if you suspected the Blazers looked like they were tanking last night against the Clippers. After all, losing their 13th straight game in tonight's finale could put them in position to keep both their first- and second-round picks in the draft. If the Blazers lose to the Warriors, they'll have a chance to be as high as 10th in the lottery standings, which would bode well for their top-12-protected first-rounder, and their top-40-protected second-rounder.

Games: Jazz (43-38) at Grizzlies, Rockets at Lakers (44-37)
At stake: Who gets the Lakers' first-round pick
Summary: We already covered the playoff stakes of these games, with the Lakers needing either a win or a Jazz loss to earn a postseason berth. If that happens, their first-round pick will be sent to the Cavaliers, with the Suns receiving the Heat's first-rounder (30th overall). If it's Utah that sneaks into the playoffs, the Lakers' first-rounder goes to the Suns, with the Cavs getting Miami's pick.

Games: Clippers (55-26) at Kings, Jazz at Grizzlies (55-26), Suns at Nuggets (56-25)
At stake: Who gets the Clippers' and Grizzlies' second-round picks
Summary: The seeding and home-court implications for the Grizzlies and Clippers are obviously more important here than whether or not either team has to give up a late second-round pick, but it's worth mentioning nonetheless. Both teams have traded their second-round picks, with top-55 protection — the Clippers' second-rounder will go to Detroit if it's not in the top 55, while the Grizzlies' pick would go the Lakers if it's not in the top 55. Currently, a coin flip would decide which team is drafting 55th and which team is drafting 56th. However, if the Grizz and Clips both win tonight, and the Nuggets lose, Memphis and L.A. could end up in the 56th and 57th slots, meaning both teams would lose their second-rounders.

The only game with no real draft-related stakes tonight is the Bucks vs. Thunder contest, as Milwaukee is locked into the 15th spot, while Oklahoma City is locked into No. 29.

Categories:
2013 NBA Draft

Draft Updates: Hardaway, Larkin, Early Entrants

April 17th, 2013 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

The NCAA's withdrawal deadline for early entrants passed by yesterday, but the real deadline is still to come. NCAA underclassmen who haven't declared for the draft yet can still do so by the NBA's deadline of April 28th, so a few decisions are still on the way in the next week and a half. Let's check in on a couple of those decisions in our latest round of draft updates….

Tim Hardaway Jr. of Michigan has a press conference scheduled at 2:00pm CST today to announce his decision, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who says he'd be very surprised if Hardaway doesn't go pro.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Twitter link) hears that Miami sophomore Shane Larkin is leaning strongly toward declaring for the draft, which has Ford moving him to the "one foot in" section of his in-or-out list.
A few other players besides Hardaway Jr. and Larkin that have "one foot in," according to Ford: Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk, Washington's C.J. Wilcox, and Adreian Payne of Michigan State. All three players are juniors at their respective schools.