2013 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Poll: Did Marcus Smart Make The Right Decision?

April 16th, 2013 at 10:25pm CST by Alex Lee

In light of Marcus Smart's decision to return to Oklahoma State for his sophomore season, the debate over whether he made the right decision is already underway. Smart was all but a lock to be drafted top five come June with an outside chance at going No. 1 overall (per ESPN's Chad Ford on Twitter). This year's NBA Draft is considered weak, especially at the top, and the prevailing thought on next year's draft, albeit 14 months away, is that it will be considerably stronger. The downside of Smart's decision is clear; he could be costing himself millions of dollars. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, who broke the Smart news, adds via Twitter that the overwhelming response of NBA executives on Smart's decision thus far is "shock."

But as Ford tweets, Smart is the type of "different" kid that values winning and college experience. Maybe Smart is returning to Stillwater because he values the development of his game over the paycheck that will come with his draft slot. Top five picks, by definition, typically go to the worst teams in the NBA. Sometimes those are not the best destinations for players who are not ready for the bright lights of the professional ranks. Who knows? Maybe Smart's decision will result in a bigger payday or more prosperous career down the road than he ever would have had stuck on a perpetual loser.

It is a subjective debate for sure… which is why it is important to ask the question. Did Marcus Smart make the right decision? Please feel free to elaborate on your answer in the comments section.

Draft Notes: McAdoo, Franklin, Smart

April 16th, 2013 at 9:04pm CST by Alex Lee

Let's keep track of all things NBA Draft from Tuesday night right here:

James McAdoo has decided to return to North Carolina for his junior season, reports Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports. Despite being a highly touted recruit who averaged of 14.4 points per contest this year, McAdoo was clearly not happy with his draft projection. Citing NBA executives, Goodman says that reports on the rangy Tar Heel label him as a man without a position in the NBA, not yet comfortable in the post and not a good enough shooter to play on the perimeter.
Before the announcement, McAdoo ranked 20th on the Draft Express Top 100 and projected as the 19th pick in the site's most recent mock draft. Three picks later, Draft Express pegs Jamaal Franklin as the Nets pick at 22. Franklin has the experience and polish to be an instant contributor for a contender that picks in the 20s, if he lasts that long. Franklin is the Draft Express NBA Draft Prospect of the Week, and Walker Beeken profiles him here.
Oklahoma State basketball has scheduled a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, tweets ESPN's Chad Ford, who suggests that the school may announce the plans of top-five hopeful Marcus Smart. Smart is ranked as the third best prospect in the draft by Draft Express. The last we heard from him, there were conflicting reports of his intentions regarding the draft.

Draft Updates: Robinson, Hardaway, Kabongo

April 16th, 2013 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

All eyes will be on the Jazz/Grizzlies and Lakers/Rockets games on Wednesday night, as Utah and L.A. battle for a playoff spot, but another less glamorous race has gone down to the wire as well. The Bobcats and Magic are tied for the NBA's worst record at 20-61, and will each play their 82nd game on Wednesday night. Charlotte has the easier matchup on paper, hosting the Cavs, but many of the Heat's key players are unlikely to see much or any playing time against the Magic in Miami.

If both teams lose (or win), they would each receive about a 22.5% chance at the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery. If one loses and the other wins, the loser would have a 25% chance at the top pick, while the winner would have 19.9% odds.

As we keep on eye on the NBA's reverse standings, here are a few other Tuesday notes related to the draft:

Michigan prospects Glenn Robinson III and Tim Hardaway Jr. are moving closer to turning pro, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter).
ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reports (via Twitter) that Myck Kabongo of Texas has signed with Rich Paul's Klutch Sports Group, which also represents LeBron James, among other NBAers.

Earlier updates:

Oregon State's Eric Moreland declared for the draft last month, but didn't hire an agent, which allowed him to withdraw his name before today's NCAA deadline. According to the school, he has done just that, and will return to Oregon State for his junior season.
Isaiah Sykes of Central Florida has also withdrawn his name from draft consideration in advance of today's deadline, as first reported by Paul Tenorio of the Orlando Sentinel. The junior guard later confirmed the news himself on Twitter.
Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passes along a Spanish report indicating that international prospect Alex Abrines is expected to declare for this year's draft. The young Spaniard is ranked second among 1993-born international prospects by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com, and had been projected as a potential first-rounder for 2014 by Givony.
If the Bobcats are able to land the first overall pick this June, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer likes Nerlens Noel as a fit for the team.

Shabazz Muhammad To Enter Draft

April 16th, 2013 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

UCLA freshman Shabazz Muhammad has elected to forgo his remaining years of collegiate eligibility and enter the NBA draft, the school announced today in a press release.

"I am so thankful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play at UCLA and will always be proud to be a Bruin," Muhammad said in a statement. "From a young age, I have dreamed of playing in the NBA, and I believe that this is the right time for me to move to the next level."

Muhammad was once viewed as a potential candidate for the first overall pick this year, but his stock took a bit of a hit last month when the Los Angeles Times revealed that the Bruin was actually 20 years old, rather than 19. He also had a bit of an up-and-down freshman season at UCLA, though his overall averages of 17.9 PPG and 5.2 RPG were solid.

ESPN.com's Chad Ford and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com each still have Muhammad ranked ninth overall among draft prospects, making the 6'6" forward a very good bet to be a lottery pick in June. Our Zach Links profiled Muhammad as a prospect earlier this month.

Vander Blue To Enter Draft

April 16th, 2013 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

Marquette's Vander Blue has decided to forgo his final year of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2013 draft, the school announced today in a press release. The junior guard will sign with an agent, making his early entry official.

"I've had three great years here and appreciate everything Marquette has done for me during that time to help me develop," Blue said in a statement. "At this point I want to pursue my dream. I've prayed about it and discussed it with my family and think this is the right decision for me at this time."

Although Blue helped lead Marquette to the Elite Eight in this year's NCAA tournament, averaging 18.3 PPG in the team's four March Madness games, he's only ranked 76th among 2013 prospects by ESPN.com's Chad Ford. Still, Ford wrote last month that Blue's stock was on the rise, and that the 20-year-old shouldn't be counted out of the first-round conversation just yet.

Reggie Bullock To Enter Draft

April 15th, 2013 at 10:38pm CST by Zachary Links

North Carolina junior Reggie Bullock will enter the 2013 draft, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Wojnarowski reportered earlier today that the forward was leaning strongly towards going pro.

Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has Bullock ranked No. 35 on his top 100 list of prospects and has him just making the first round cut at No. 30 in his mock draft. The 22-year-old averaged 13.9 PPG with 6.6 RPG for UNC this past season.

Odds & Ends: Bullock, Blazers, Noah, Nowitzki

April 15th, 2013 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

A few Monday odds and ends from around the Association:

North Carolina junior Reggie Bullock is "leaning strongly" toward going pro, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Bullock, who is ranked 35th on Jonathan Givony's big board at DraftExpress.com, is expected to finalize his decision today, according to Wojnarowski.
The Nuggets team that beat the Trail Blazers in Denver last night may serve as a blueprint for the Blazers' rebuilding process, writes Joe Freeman of the Oregonian.
Bulls big man Joakim Noah will be represented by Bill Duffy and BDA Management going forward, the agency announced today on its website. As our agency database shows, Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo, and Goran Dragic are among BDA's other NBA clients.
In other agency news, Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal reports that Jay-Z Roc Nation Sports won't work with any other agencies besides CAA. Roc Nation will hire established agents for multiple sports and will have its own employees, including Jay-Z, certified, Mullen adds (Twitter links).
Dirk Nowitzki scored the 25,000th point of his NBA career last night, and intends to "be around" long enough to make a run at 30,000, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
Although it seems as if Doug Collins will coach his last games for the Sixers this week, many of his players would like to see him back next season, as Lang Greene of HoopsWorld details.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope To Enter Draft

April 15th, 2013 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

The latest NCAA underclassman heading to the NBA is Georgia's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. The sophomore shooting guard will forgo his remaining two years of collegiate eligibility and go pro, Goodman reports. The school confirmed the news in a press release.

Caldwell-Pope improved his numbers across the board in his second season with Georgia, averaging 18.5 PPG and 7.1 RPG. He is currently ranked 21st among 2013 prospects by ESPN.com's Chad Ford and 31st by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.

Caldwell-Pope scored particularly well in a recent look at projected WARP for this year's draft class by ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton (Insider-only link). According to Ford, many general managers who use advanced metrics are high on the 20-year-old, who is viewed as a second-rounder by most scouts.

To keep tabs on all the early entrants for this year's draft, be sure to check out our complete list.

Otto Porter To Enter Draft

April 15th, 2013 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

We heard last night that Georgetown's Otto Porter had scheduled a press conference for today to announce his decision on his future. Now, Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com reports that Porter will announce his intent to declare for the draft, forgoing his final two NCAA seasons.

Although Porter's Hoyas were upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast, it was a successful individual season for the sophomore forward, who was named the Big East Player of the Year. For the season, he averaged 16.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG, to go along with .480/.422/.777 shooting.

Porter projects as a certain lottery pick in June, ranking fourth on Chad Ford's big board at ESPN.com and eighth on Jonathan Givony's board at DraftExpress.com.

Nerlens Noel To Enter Draft

April 15th, 2013 at 9:05am CST by Luke Adams

Nerlens Noel has officially decided to forgo his remaining three seasons of NCAA eligbility and enter the NBA draft, the University of Kentucky announced today in a press release. "I have loved my time at Kentucky, but I feel that I'm ready to take the next step to the NBA," Noel said in a statement.

Noel, 19, averaged 10.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and 4.4 BPG in 24 contests with the Wildcats before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. Despite the injury, the freshman center is still considered a near-lock to be a top-three pick, and could still be the No. 1 overall choice. ESPN.com's Chad Ford wrote last month that, with many top prospects not playing well in the NCAA tournament, Noel's stock may have actually improved, and while he isn't viewed as the consenus No. 1 pick, most NBA teams are leaning in that direction. Ford and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com both currently have Noel ranked atop their respective big boards.

While Kentucky's press release didn't include word of Noel's agency, at least one report over the weekend suggested that the big man could become Jay-Z's first client when the rapper becomes formally certified as an NBA agent.