2013 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Lakers, Jazz, Marbury, Draft, Frank

March 18th, 2013 at 2:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

SBNation's Tom Ziller looks at Basketball-Reference statistics to examine players who've significantly outperformed their contracts this season. Not surprisingly, Chandler Parsons, in the middle of a four-year, $3.63MM contract that runs through 2015, rates highly. Many of the other players Ziller mentions are either minimum-salary signees or former first-round picks still on their rookie-scale deals. There's more on a few players who could be the next to sign rookie contracts and other news from around the Association, as we share here:

Jordan Hill was expected to be out for the season with a hip injury, but doctors have told him there's a slim chance he could return in late April or early May, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Either way, the Lakers will get to keep the $1.78MM disabled player exception the league granted them, even though they don't intend to use it.
The Jazz haven't decided whether to re-sign Travis Leslie, whose 10-day contract expires Wednesday night, but coach Tyrone Corbin likes what he's seen so far from the swingman, notes Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Stephon Marbury, who played for the Chinese league's Beijing Ducks this season, will serve as an assistant coach for Beijing's entry in the China National Games this year, reports Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall.com.
HoopsWorld and Chris Mannix of SI.com examine key NBA draft prospects in the NCAA tournament. Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld checks in with a list of prospects on teams likely to make early tournament exits.
Coach Lawrence Frank is back with the Pistons after missing the past six games to be with his wife, who's recovering from "major surgery," as MLive's David Mayo details.
John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the Sixers should go after Al Jefferson rather than Andrew Bynum in free agency this summer, though it might take an inflated contract to make it happen. Yesterday, I argued a max deal could be in play for Jefferson.

Odds & Ends: Heat, Andersen, Draft

March 17th, 2013 at 8:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Heat won their 22nd straight game when they topped the Raptors, tying the second the longest winning streak in NBA history. LeBron James had 22 points and 12 rebounds in 32nd double-double of the season, Dwyane Wade had 24 points and nine assists, and Ray Allen had 16 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as Miami cruised to victory. Here's more from around the Association…

Chris Andersen tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that was surprised the Heat picked him up earlier this year after he underwent offseason knee surgery and was released via the amnesty clause from the Nuggets. The Birdman's upside intrigued Miami's front office like no other free agent big man, Charania writes.
One NBA scout told Sam Amico of FOX Sports (on Twitter) that most GMs wish they could sit out the 2013 draft. The trouble is, no one particularly wants to trade for their picks.
Speaking of the 2013 draft, Joe Kotoch of Sheridan Hoops has his top 20 NBA draft prospects as we look ahead to March Madness. Despite his knee injury, Kentucky's Nerlens Noel still tops Kotoch's list.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Draft Updates: Noel, Magic, Oladipo, Zeller

March 15th, 2013 at 7:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

College basketball will take center stage for the next few weeks with the NCAA Tournament set to begin Tuesday. For NBA types, that means one final chance to evaluate a number of the top draft prospects in game action. Here are the latest draft-related dispatches we’re hearing:

Despite a torn ACL, Kentucky center Nerlens Noel remains in line to be picked in the top five this June, and could still go No. 1. That speaks to the weakness in the upper echelon of this year’s draft class, according to an NBA front-office veteran who spoke to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. “He can be good defensively, but it’s not like he’s the next Bill Russell,” the executive said of Noel. “There’s another reason he’s staying that high in the draft.”
The Magic are currently in line for the No. 2 overall selection, and Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel looks at five potential high lottery picks, projecting how their addition to the Magic would affect the team’s current roster.
Following up on last week’s look at a few top college prospects who will miss the NCAA tournament, Chad Ford of ESPN.com has an Insider-only piece on others within the ESPN top 60 whose seasons are essentially over, noting that few scouts pay much attention to the NIT and other consolation events.
An improved offensive showing this season is what has Victor Oladipo on a fast climb up draft boards, Howard-Cooper writes, projecting the Indiana swingman as a mid-lottery pick. That’s right around the range where teammate Cody Zeller, once thought of as a potential No. 1 pick, could wind up being drafted.

Update On Tentative 2013 NBA Draft Order

March 14th, 2013 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

With just over a month remaining in the regular season, some NBA teams are already being officially eliminated from the postseason, and plenty more will follow in the coming weeks. Fans of those lottery-bound teams, or readers who already have an eye on this June's draft, will want to keep an eye on a Hoops Rumors feature that's updated daily: Our tentative NBA draft order.

The list is based on this year's "reverse standings" and will be updated every morning for the rest of the season. Draft pick trades have been included via footnotes, and teams who are tied in the standings are marked with asterisks (tiebreakers are eventually determined via coin flip). A lottery team's odds to land the first overall pick are also included in the chart.

While it may not be getting as much attention as the race for the Western Conference playoffs, there's plenty of intrigue to be found in the current lottery order. Seven teams, from the Wizards at No. 3 to the Timberwolves at No. 9, are currently separated by a game and a half, meaning we could see plenty of fluctuation in the reverse standings over the next several weeks.

Besides the likely changes that are still to come in the standings, May's draft lottery also figures to shake things up a little at the top of the draft, but our tentative draft order represents how things will look next June 27th if everything holds to form. You can check out the up-to-date list anytime using the link under Hoops Rumors Features on the right sidebar.

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2013 NBA Draft

Odds & Ends: Blazers, Williams, Sampson

March 13th, 2013 at 10:34pm CST by Alex Lee

Miami's win streak has reached 20 after they survived a spirited effort from the 76ers in Philly. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant is out "indefinitely" after he suffered a severe left ankle sprain late in the Lakers loss in Atlanta. With Carmelo Anthony's return to Denver nearing halftime, let's round up the final links from around the league on Wednesday night here:

The Blazers, who have a top-12 protected first round pick, are in a conflicting position at 3.5 games out of a playoff spot, writes Jason Quick of the Oregonian. If the season ended today they would retain their selection, and Blazers scouts are spread across the country accordingly, taking in the NCAA conference tournaments. Portland GM Neil Olshey implemented a new draft strategy in Portland, which consists of each scout watching a targeted group of 15 to 18 college players at least three times. The Blazers would currently pick 12th.
Blazers guard Elliot Williams plans on using the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas as an audition this summer to prove his health, writes Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest. Williams tore his left Achilles in September in a voluntary team workout, but claims to be nearing a full recovery. Portland declined the fourth-year option on Williams in October, making him an unrestricted free agent come summer.
St. John's freshman Jakarr Sampson, who is considering entering June's NBA draft, had a tough night against Villanova in the Big East Tournament on Wednesday, going 5-of-18 from the field. The performance prompted Jonathan Givony of Draft Express to hope, via Twitter, that Sampson stays in school, opining that there is no guarantee that the 6-foot-8 swingman would even be drafted. Maurice Harkless left St. John's after his freshman season just under a year ago, before being drafted 15th by the Sixers and moved to the Magic in the Andrew Bynum deal.

Draft Notes: Big Boards, Harris, Adams, Kabongo

March 13th, 2013 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

A week from now, we'll be gearing up for this year's NCAA Tournament to get underway in earnest. In the meantime, here's the latest on a number of the prospects whose teams will be participating in March Madness:

Chad Ford of ESPN.com and Chris Mannix of SI.com have both published the fifth editions of their respective big boards for the 2013 draft. Both scribes have Ben McLemore, Nerlens Noel, and Marcus Smart ranked first, second, and third respectively.
Within Ford's big board, he reports that Gary Harris, Ford's No. 10 prospect, is "strongly contemplating" returning to Michigan State for his sophomore year. Pittsburgh's Steven Adams, ranked No. 23, is also a good bet to return to school next year, according to Ford.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com also updated his list of top 100 prospects for 2013, which still has Noel in the top spot, despite yesterday's knee surgery.
Ford's weekly chat at ESPN.com included plenty of interesting draft-related tidbits. Among the highlights: A number of GMs believe Texas' Myck Kabongo could be a great value in the 20s or 30s, and Ford believes that James Michael McAdoo of UNC is one player whose stock would benefit significantly from a strong showing in the NCAA Tournament.

Odds & Ends: Wolves, Rockets, Balkman, Draft

March 11th, 2013 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves had been looking into obtaining an injury exception to sign a 16th player, but the team is unlikely to add anyone to the roster at this point, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. That includes Dominique Jones, whose camp has been reaching out to teams. David Kahn isn't interested in the ex-Maverick, says Wolfson (Twitter links). Here are a few more updates from around the Association:

The Rockets have "quietly been sending out signals" that they'd be willing to trade Omer Asik and/or Jeremy Lin this summer in a deal that would upgrade their roster, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com.
Former Knick and Nugget Renaldo Balkman has been banned from the Philippines' professional basketball league following an altercation with a teammate, according to a Reuters report (via the New York Times). The 2006 first-round pick had been playing for the Petron Blaze Boosters.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com isn't buying the narrative that borderline draft prospects should enter this year's draft because the class is weak. According to Givony, while the 2013 draft looks weaker than normal at the top, it seems to have "great depth" outside of the top five (Twitter links).
Amare Stoudemire's contract, which continues to look worse, represents the "Original Sin" of the present Knicks' era, writes Howard Beck of the New York Times.
With Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard scheduled to face their old teams this week, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com revisits the blockbuster deals that sent the two stars to their current clubs.

Odds & Ends: Basketball Classic, Age Limit, Draft

March 10th, 2013 at 5:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today the Thunder topped the Celtics 91-79 to pick up their fifth straight win. Kevin Durant led the way with 23 points and eleven boards in a well-balanced effort at home. The C's turned in an impressive defensive effort on paper, holding Oklahoma City to their lowest output in nearly two months, but it wasn't enough to down them. Here's more from around the Association..

In his Sunday column, the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn writes that there has been talk that commissioner David Stern would consider the idea of a World Basketball Classic, similar to baseball’s tournament. However, the challenge for Stern and FIBA would be getting American superstars to play. The major shoe companies may also have to get their taste in such a deal.
Over at HoopsWorld, the staff debated whether players should be allowed to jump straight from high school to the NBA. Of course, there have been a number of standout players who decided to skip college and go directly to the pros from Kobe Bryant to Kevin Garnett to LeBron James. However, there have also been plenty of talented players who weren't ready for the transition like New York's Lenny Cooke.
Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld released his latest 2013 mock draft and has Kansas' Ben McLemore going first overall to the Bobcats. After that, Marcus Smart, Cody Zeller, Shabazz Muhammad, and Nerlens Noel round out the top five.
Virtus Roma point guard Jordan Taylor told Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport that he will likely be in the NBA Summer League, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (on Twitter). The Wisconsin product was not taken in the 2012 draft and spent time with the Hawks' summer league team before being let go.

Odds & Ends: Oden, Mavs, Rose, HGH, Kings

March 9th, 2013 at 4:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

Greg Oden and the Cavs appeared to engage in heavy flirtation last night, as the former No. 1 overall pick sat in one of owner Dan Gilbert's courtside seats at the Cavs-Grizzlies game. While Oden regards Cleveland as one of his favored destinations for a return to the league, the Cavs haven't made him an offer, agent Mike Conley Sr. tells Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida (Twitter link). Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld believes the big man will eventually sign with the Heat, based on multiple sources who insist Miami will be his choice, in spite of the ability other teams have to offer him more money and a longer contract (Twitter links). Oden isn't expected to sign with any team until the summer, so we'll likely be hearing plenty more about him in the coming months. In the meantime, here's more from around the league:

Coach Rick Carlisle expects the Mavs will look at players to fill the roster spot vacated today when the team waived Dominique Jones, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com.
Bulls GM Gar Forman says there's no rift between Derrick Rose and the team's front office over the timing of the former MVP's return from injury, notes Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune.
Henry Abbott of ESPN.com reported yesterday that the NBA and the players union were nearing an agreement that would subject players to blood tests for human growth hormone as soon as next season, but Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News hears no deal is close.
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com interprets David Stern's call for Sacramento bidders to pour more money into their efforts to buy the Kings as a sign that the commissioner isn't as closely aligned with the city as it might have otherwise appeared.
Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic caught up with Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, who spoke at length about his push to keep the Kings in town.
For draft prospects on college teams that might not make it to the NCAA tournament, the week ahead will be their final opportunity to make an impression before the combine. Chad Ford of ESPN.com, in an Insider piece, takes a look at five prospects who could be seeing their last collegiate action.

Odds & Ends: Dieng, Iguodala, Howard, Kennedy

March 6th, 2013 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NCAA tournament approaching, it won't be long before we begin to receive reports on college underclassmen declaring their intent to enter this year's NBA draft. One player who may leave school early is Louisville junior Gorgui Dieng, who I profiled back in December. As Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com reports, Louisville coach Rick Pitino is nearly certain that Dieng will enter this June's draft class.

"If he is projected as a first-rounder, he is leaving," Pitino said. "And I'm almost sure he'll be taken in the first round."

Here are a few more Wednesday afternoon odds and ends:

"Every indication" is that if Andre Iguodala opts out of his contract this season, he'll do so to lock up a long-term deal with the Nuggets, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Iguodala has a 2013/14 player option worth about $16.15MM.
Count George Karl among those who is hoping the Kings remain in Sacramento, as Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. "I think everybody knows I'm a Seattle guy and I want basketball back in Seattle, but I don't want basketball out of Sacramento," the Nuggets coach said. "It's a politically correct answer, but it's a truthful answer on how I feel."
Dwight Howard told reporters, including Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, that he'd thought "plenty of times" about how the season may have played out if he hadn't returned from back surgery so quickly. However, Howard doesn't regret his decision to come back early. D12 also mentioned that he has received encouragement from Phil Jackson via text messages.
Ian Thomsen of SI.com ranks the top ten most powerful people in the NBA, with David Stern beating out LeBron James for the No. 1 spot.
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (the Rockets' D-League affiliate) have acquired D.J. Kennedy in a five-player trade, as Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside details. Kennedy, who had a brief NBA stint at the end of last season with the Cavaliers, had been having an excellent year for the Erie BayHawks, averaging 18.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 5.5 APG.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford fielded exclusively draft-related questions in his usual Wednesday chat.