2014 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Rumors: Cavs, Wolves, Afflalo, Jazz, Sixers

June 24th, 2014 at 12:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs had been favoring Jabari Parker, but his poor performance in a workout for the team coupled with a stirring audition from Andrew Wiggins has left Cleveland torn with just two days to go before the draft, according to Jeff Goodman and Chad Ford of ESPN.com. The time left before Thursday night’s draft figures to be full of back-and-forth, with uncertainty seemingly surrounding all 60 picks. Here’s the latest:

The Wolves are willing to give up J.J. Barea, Corey Brewer, Alexey Shved and the No. 13 pick in an effort to either land a higher draft pick or a veteran, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes in his NBA AM piece. The Bulls have their eyes on the 13th pick, according to Kyler.
The Hornets, who have a longstanding interest in Arron Afflalo, are on board with surrendering the No. 9 pick and a player for the Magic shooting guard, Kyler writes in the same piece.
The Jazz are targeting Wiggins as they attempt to move up rather than Parker, and they’re actively shopping pick No. 23, according to Kyler.
The Sixers‘ reason for seeking a third top-10 pick is so they would still be able to emerge with two top-10 picks from the draft if they package the third and 10th selections to move up, sources tell Kyler.
The Kings have three deals in the works involving the No. 8 pick, according to Andy Katz of ESPN.com.
The Bucks are not actively shopping John Henson, in spite of heavy interest from other teams, but they are open to the idea of trading him for a lottery pick, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
Milwaukee is listening to offers for the No. 2 overall pick, though Bucks GM John Hammond said today that “it would take something very special,” to prompt him to give it up, tweets Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
It’s “highly unlikely” that the Blazers, who are without a pick in either round on Thursday, end up trading for one, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com hears (Twitter link).

Southeast Notes: LeBron, Wizards, Hornets

June 24th, 2014 at 10:35am CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat granted agent Rich Paul and LeBron James‘ friend and adviser Maverick Carter unprecedented access to the team in the past year, prompting consternation from many within the organization, as Mike Wise of The Washington Post details. We’ll soon find out whether it was worth it for Miami, now that James has decided to opt out of his contract and hit free agency. Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:

Wizards “draft and stash” prospect Tomas Satoransky wants the team to sign him before he competes in summer league this year, and he’s also pushing for a larger amount than the team is willing to give, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com hears. The former 32nd overall pick isn’t bound by the rookie scale, so it would likely take a portion of the mid-level, which Michael says Washington doesn’t want to give up, to give him more than the minimum salary. Ultimately, the Wizards are willing to stand firm and have no intention of trading Satoransky’s rights, according to Michael.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford has indicated a preference for adding size and experience rather than more young perimeter players, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer examines.
Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops adds Gary Harris and Scottie Wilbekin to the list of draft prospects working out for the Magic (Twitter link).
Wizards are auditioning Jahii Carson, Dwight Powell, Roscoe Smith, Sean Kilpatrick, Chaz Williams, Richard Solomon, Isaiah Armwood, Maurice Creek, Halil Kanacevic, Devin Oliver and Talib Zanna, the team announced. They’re also giving LaQuinton Ross his second workout, having also taken a look at him two weeks ago.
The Hawks are giving thought to clearing cap space and making a run at Carmelo Anthony, as we passed along earlier.

And-Ones: Frye, Thomas, Love, Lue

June 23rd, 2014 at 9:14pm CST by Zachary Links

There’s mutual respect between Channing Frye and Warriors coach Steve Kerr, as TNT’s David Aldridge notes in his latest Morning Tip column for NBA.com. The Warriors are reportedly eyeing the sharpshooting big man who’ll almost certainly opt out of his deal with the Suns.

It would “mean a lot” to Kings restricted free agent Isaiah Thomas to receive an offer sheet from the Lakers, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The guard grew up as a diehard Lakers fan and has idolized Kobe Bryant since he was a child, but he still spoke highly of the Kings and would like to return.
There have been mixed reports on this aspect of the Kevin Love talks, but Sam Amick of USA Today hears that the Warriors are very wary about taking on Kevin Martin‘s contract as a part of a deal. Meanwhile, despite the hangups in talks and the buzz that a deal with the Warriors is dead, Amick believes that things could pick up again between Golden State and the Wolves.
Sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports that Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue has agreed to become the associate head coach of the Cavaliers. Lue was considered a head coaching candidate for Cleveland but the Cavs opted to hire David Blatt instead.
Marquette forward Jamil Wilson worked out for the Mavericks today, according to Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times (on Twitter). Wilson has auditioned for about a dozen teams in total.
The Cavs will bring in Oregon’s Mike Moser and Iowa State’s Melvin Ejim for a workout on Tuesday, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.
The Suns worked out center Walter Tavares earlier today, Scotto tweets. The 7’3″ center is rising up draft boards around the league. DraftExpress currently has Tavares going to the Bucks with the No. 31 pick in their mock draft.
The Pistons will bring in DeAndre Daniels and Mike Moser for a workout on Wednesday, tweets Scotto.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Prospect Profile: Leslie McDonald

June 23rd, 2014 at 8:17pm CST by Zachary Links

In a draft full of 19-year-old athletes with high upside but little in the way of experience against high quality competition, teams more or less know what they could be getting out of UNC’s Leslie McDonald. The shooting guard doesn’t have the name value of teammate James McAdoo and others, but he knows that he still has a lot to offer for any NBA team’s bench.

“I’m a hard-worker, i can bring experience to the table,” McDonald told Hoops Rumors earlier today. “I know the game very well. I’m a great shooter, I can bring an outside presence to a team that needs it, and when I get open I’m going to nail that set shot.”

With plenty of skill but less hype than others, McDonald knows that he’ll have to rely on that tireless work ethic to vault himself to the NBA level. The guard had just one private team workout this summer when the Hornets called him in as a last-minute substitute for Virginia’s Joe Harris and others. McDonald may have been a late fill-in for Charlotte, but he was able to come in on short notice and hold his own against Washington’s C.J. Wilcox and Florida’s Casey Prather in scrimmages.

As the shooting guard explained himself, his shooting range is one of his best qualities and will likely be his calling card going forward as he attempts to endear himself to an NBA team. Aside from that, McDonald offers a sharp basketball IQ and he believes that he has a stronger understanding of the game than many of the guards in this year’s draft class.

“I’ve been in different situations where I know what to do at certain times, as far as shot selection and pass selection and just doing things at the right time. Knowing the right time to shoot the ball and when to take a different course of action is such an important thing in this game,” McDonald said.

McDonald was given an opportunity to contribute as an underclassman for UNC when he came on campus but, unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL that wound up costing him his entire junior season. Before his injury in the summer of 2011, the guard averaged 38.1% from downtown and was proving himself to be an important piece for the Tar Heels. When he came back on the court for his redshirt junior season in 2012/13, McDonald admits that he wasn’t quite the same player, though he still managed to bring the shooting when it counted. McDonald never flexed that same kind of efficiency from downtown in the remaining two seasons of his collegiate career, but he attributes that partially to rust and partially to changing his style of play.

“When I got hurt my shooting wasn’t quite the same but it’s definitely coming back to me. I’m regaining it and I think I nailed some really big shots towards the end of my senior season,” the guard explained. “My first two years, I was more of a spot-up shooter. I was known more for that than all the things I can do so well now like driving to the basket and knocking down mid-range shots. There was just less of a focus on three-point shooting for me.”

One of the main knocks on McDonald is his size. At 6’4″, the UNC product matched up just fine at the collegiate level but would be a bit smaller than most two guards in the NBA. However, McDonald isn’t the least bit concerned about going up against bigger opponents.

“For me, its all about production and I feel like on the defensive side I’m not a liability. I’m comfortable sticking a bigger guard or a smaller guard and on offense I just feel like I can shoot the ball against anybody. My release is quick and when guys are taller than me, I know how to create space or drive the lane or dish out to different people. No matter who is on me, there’s no reason why I can’t get my shot off or create an opportunity for someone else,” the 23-year-old explained.

It’s not guaranteed that McDonald will hear his name called on Thursday night, but if he doesn’t, his representatives at Tandem Sports will find plenty of opportunities for him to showcase his stuff for clubs this offseason. With four years of big-game experience under Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams, one imagines that plenty of teams will be interested in seeing what McDonald has to offer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cavs, Jazz Talking Swap Of No. 1 Pick, Favors

June 23rd, 2014 at 8:00pm CST by Zachary Links

8:00pm: The sense is that, despite the buzz, the Cavs really aren’t close to a deal they like, Amico tweets. Meanwhile, a source close to Waiters tells Amico (link) that Waiters believes he or Kyrie Irving will be traded. The two guards reportedly clashed last season.

7:16pm: The Jazz and Cavs are discussing a trade that would involve Derrick Favors going to the Cavs for the No. 1 pick, according to Spencer Checketts of 1280 AM (via Jody Genessy of the Deseret News on Twitter). Checketts says that Utah is offering Favors, Alec Burks, and the No. 5 pick to the Cavs for the No. 1 selection and Jarrett Jack. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (on Twitter), meanwhile, hears that the deal being discussed also includes Utah’s No. 23 pick.

Checketts adds that the Utah front office is split about including Burks in their offer to Cleveland (link). Checketts hears (link) that the Jazz initially offered Favors and the No. 5 pick for the No. 1. The Cavs wanted an unprotected first-round pick thrown in and the Jazz then countered with the No. 23 in this year’s draft.

The Cavs have also talked with the Sixers, Magic, and Timberwolves within the past 24 hours, Amico tweets. Meanwhile, the Cavs have also discussed Dion Waiters with an unknown team in the top ten (link).

Favors is set to begin a four-year, $49MM deal this season and one surprised NBA insider tells Genessy (via Twitter) that he can’t see Utah moving the former No. 3 overall pick. This past season was Favors’ best to date. The soon-to-be 23-year-old averaged 13.3 PPG and 8.7 RPG in 30.2 minutes per contest. His 19.0 PER was also a career best and the youngster has seen that number rise in each of his NBA seasons.

Depending on who you ask, the Cavs may have discussed Jack with the Nets last week in a deal that would have brought them guard Marcus Thornton. Jack signed a $25MM contract with the Cavs last summer after a successful 2012/13 campaign in which he came off the bench behind Stephen Curry for the Warriors. His 2013/14 season was a disappointing one however, as the point guard shot just 41% from the floor and posted a career-low 11.5 PER.

It was reported last week that Utah was making Burks available in order to move up in the draft. The shooting guard averaged 14.0 points in 28.1 minutes per game with a 15.8 PER, all career highs.

While there has been a lot of buzz around Andrew Wiggins as the clear-cut No. 1 choice in this year’s draft following Joel Embiid‘s injury, the Jazz could be eyeing the top pick in order to tab Duke’s Jabari Parker. Parker, who is of the Mormon faith, would be tremendously marketable in Utah.

Draft Notes: Bucks, Wiggins, Payton, Hood

June 23rd, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Bad news for Joel Embiid and Dante Exum. Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry says that it would be “hard to take Embiid” given his foot injury and indicated that it’ll come down to either Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. Here’s the latest draft news from around the league..

League sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports that the Kings are seriously considering Louisiana-Lafayette product Elfrid Payton Jr. at No. 8 and few expect him to slip past the Magic at No. 12.
Duke sharpshooter Rodney Hood is back with the Hornets for a second attempt at a workout tomorrow, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). Hoops Rumors chatted with Hood back in May about the draft process and his NBA goals.
K.J. McDaniels will also receive a second audition for the Hornets and he’ll be joined by UCLA’s Jordan Adams, Missouri’s Jabari Brown, Jarell Eddie of Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh’s Lamar Patterson (Twitter links).
Former North Carolina wing P.J. Hairston is working out today for the Bulls, who may end up trading one or both of their first-round picks, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY. Chicago is currently slated to pick at Nos. 16 and 19.
Former Syracuse forward C.J. Fair will audition for the Thunder today, the Pistons tomorrow, and the Nets on Wednesday, Zagoria tweets.
The Bulls have Michigan State’s Adreian Payne matching up against Chad Posthumus of Morehead State in a workout today, according to Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (via Twitter).
The Wizards will look to take the best player available when they’re called at the podium but J. Michael of CSNWashington.com hears that they’re favoring size.

Bulls, Kings Discuss No. 8 Pick

June 23rd, 2014 at 11:50am CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls have spoken with the Kings about a deal that would send the No. 8 pick in Thursday’s draft to Chicago, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. The target for the Bulls is Doug McDermott, according to Deveney, who seconds an earlier report that Chicago has interest in Gary Harris and Nik Stauskas, too.

Chicago has been active in attempts to move up in the draft order, reportedly engaging in serious talks about the No. 11 pick with the Nuggets. The No. 12 pick is also part of multiple conversations the team has had with the Magic as Chicago pursues Arron Afflalo, according to Deveney. A top-flight shooter appears to be Chicago’s aim, and McDermott would fit that bill, having nailed 44.9% of his three-pointers last season.

Sacramento is actively attempting to move the No. 8 pick and is more likely to trade it than to use it to select a player on Thursday, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com reported last week. The Hawks have also reportedly been linked to talks for the eighth pick.

Ford’s Latest: Bulls, Sixers, Lakers, Afflalo

June 23rd, 2014 at 11:28am CST by Chuck Myron

The latest Insider-only mock draft from Chad Ford of ESPN.com is full of rumors, draft-related and otherwise. Let’s dive in and hit the highlights:

The Bulls are offering Taj Gibson, Tony Snell, and the 16th and 19th picks in this year’s draft to the Wolves, Ford hears. That’s presumably as part of a Kevin Love package, though Ford doesn’t make it clear exactly what Chicago wants back in return for those assets.
The Sixers continue to explore the idea of a Michael Carter-Williams trade as they seek another top-10 pick. The Lakers would like to acquire Carter-Williams and Thaddeus Young for No. 7 and Steve Nash, but they’ve gained no traction on that proposal, according to Ford.
The Magic have offered picks Nos. 4 and 12 plus Arron Afflalo to the Cavs and Bucks as they attempt to move into the top two, but neither Milwaukee nor Cleveland has bitten. They’re also dangling Afflalo to the Kings and Nuggets for the eighth and 11th selections, respectively.
The Bucks are looking for an additional lottery pick, Ford reports, citing “serious” interest from other teams in Larry Sanders, John Henson and Brandon Knight. The Nuggets have spoken with Milwaukee about the No. 11 pick, according to Ford.
A source close to both the Nuggets and Dario Saric deny that Denver has given him a promise to draft him at No. 11.
There are several other medical issues that came up in Joel Embiid‘s physical in addition to his foot and back, sources tell Ford. It’s unclear how much concern there is regarding them.

Knicks Consider Trading Iman Shumpert

June 23rd, 2014 at 9:22am CST by Chuck Myron

9:22am: Grantland’s Zach Lowe suggests the Heat, who have the 26th overall pick, are in play for Shumpert.

8:40am: Iman Shumpert was a frequent subject of trade rumors for much of last season, but it appeared that the arrival of Phil Jackson had ended such talk, as his name was on a list of Jackson’s favorites and a report indicated that he was in the team’s long-term plans. Still, Jackson’s Knicks have explored the idea of swapping Shumpert for a late first-round pick, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Knicks have apparently been aggressively seeking a first-rounder, but they have only $1.8MM in cash to dangle instead of the full allotment of $3.2MM because of the Andrea Bargnani trade.

The Knicks came close to a deadline deal that would have sent Shumpert to the Clippers, and they rejected another proposal from the Thunder around the same time. That deal with Oklahoma City reportedly would have involved one of their two 2014 first-round picks. The Thunder have picks Nos. 21 and 29, and the Clippers hold No. 28, but it’s unclear if either team would be willing to give those picks up at this point for Shumpert or another player the Knicks could offer.

Shumpert, who turns 24 on draft day, averaged 6.7 points on 37.8% shooting this past season, both career lows. Still, his calling card is on the defensive end, and he still has one season left on his rookie scale contract, at slightly less than $2.617MM.

Bucks Notes: Embiid, Payroll, Team President

June 23rd, 2014 at 9:08am CST by Chuck Myron

It appears as though the Bucks are ruling out the possibility that they’d take Joel Embiid with the No. 2 overall pick, tweets Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry said during comments at a Milwaukee civic meeting today that word of Embiid’s injury makes the team’s decision much easier, as Gardner notes.

“It’s hard to take Embiid,” Lasry said, according to Gardner (Twitter link). “We want somebody who is going to help us on Day 1.”

The chances that Embiid would go to Milwaukee were already reportedly “slim to none,” so while Lasry didn’t make a surprising remark, he nonetheless seemed to confirm the slippage in the injured Kansas center’s draft stock. Lasry addressed a few more Bucks storylines, as we’ll detail here:

Lasry indicated that the team would spend more on the roster, as Gardner passes along (Twitter link). Milwaukee’s team salary was nearly $54.23MM this past season, below the cap and fourth lowest in the NBA. That doesn’t count Drew Gooden‘s nearly $6.7MM amnestied salary.
The Bucks are interviewing candidates for team president, Lasry said, as Mike Davis of the Journal Sentinel tweets. It’s unclear if the person in that position would deal mostly with financial affairs or would have authority over basketball operations. GM John Hammond‘s job is reportedly safe only through the draft.
Lasry and fellow co-owner Wesley Edens will announce the addition of minority owners to the team next month, Gardner notes (on Twitter).