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2014 NBA Draft

Jazz Considering Marcus Smart At No. 5

June 26th, 2014 at 3:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Marcus Smart is emerging as a serious consideration for Utah with the fifth pick, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).  This comes as a surprise since Smart never worked out for Utah.

The Oklahoma State point guard would have been one of the very top picks in the 2013 Draft had he gone pro, but he stayed in school and had a disappointing follow-up campaign.  Still, Smart could find his way into the top five after averaging 17.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.7 APG, and 2.8 SPG in 32.5 minutes per contest last season.

The Jazz have been trying to move up to the No. 1 pick in order to land top target Jabari Parker.  However, they’re not alone in trying to land the selection as the Sixers are making a strong push for it themselves.  Of course, the Cavs might spurn all of the offers in front of them and use the selection themselves for Andrew Wiggins or Parker.

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Draft Rumors: Jazz, Clippers, Rockets

June 26th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Jody Genessy of the Deseret News (on Twitter) hears the Jazz are “frantically” trying to move up from the No. 5 spot.  Everything Utah has remains available for trade consideration.  The Jazz reportedly have their eye on forward Jabari Parker and they know there’s no chance of him falling to No. 5.  Here’s the latest draft news..

  • Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) hears the Clippers are “50-50” on keeping their first round choice.
  • One name to watch for the Rockets at either No. 25 or No. 42 is Russian big man Artem Klimenko, tweets Chad Ford of ESPN.com.  Houston has been doing some serious research on him in recent months.
  • The Lakers aren’t sensing a lot of momentum for a pre-draft trade and, as of right now, expect to keep the No. 7 pick, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
  • The Knicks, Blazers, and Nets are among the teams trying to land a first-round choice, league sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
  • The Hornets have explored moving up from No. 24, league sources tell Kennedy (on Twitter).
  • The Kings want to acquire a second-round pick, sources tell Kennedy (Twitter link).
  • There are several picks in the late 20s “to be had,” one exec tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).  With nine teams lacking a first-round pick, there’s a strong market for them.
  • Meanwhile, Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that we could be in for high number of international picks in the 20-to-30 range.  That’s because teams are placing a high value on cap space and want to stay away from the luxury tax so clubs might not be lining up to trade for picks in that range as expected (link).  The clubs left holding those selections might prefer to go with draft-and-stash candidates in cases where they don’t have obvious, pressing needs.
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Raptors, Grizzlies Talking Prince, No. 22 Pick

June 26th, 2014 at 12:25pm CST by Zachary Links

12:25pm: If the deal happens, Chad Ford of ESPN.com (on Twitter) believes that the Raptors will target Clint Capela at No. 22.  The Spurs have been hoping that he’d slide to No. 30.

11:18am: Stein now hears (Twitter link) that the deal would more likely send the No. 37 pick to Memphis along with Salmons for Prince and the No. 22.

11:14am: The Raptors are in the hunt to acquire the Grizzlies’ No. 22 pick in tonight’s draft but would have to take back Tayshaun Prince to make something happen, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The potential swap would send John Salmons and the No. 59 pick to Memphis for Prince and the No. 22 pick (link).  Stein says that Toronto could be making the deal with guard Tyler Ennis in mind, though they already own the No. 20 selection.

The No. 22 pick wouldn’t guarantee the Raptors that they’ll land Ennis – the Syracuse guard is currently projected to go No. 21 to the Thunder by DraftExpress – but it’d give them a puncher’s chance for sure.  Prince, who is a shell of the player he once was, is slated to earn $7.7MM in the final season of his deal.  Prince averaged 6.0 PPG with 3.1 RPG last season and posted a career-low PER of 8.2.

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2014 NBA Draft Primer

June 26th, 2014 at 11:49am CST by Chuck Myron

The big day is finally here. The 2014 NBA draft begins at 6:00pm Central time, and we’ll be tracking the draft with pick-by-pick coverage as news breaks, as usual. You can follow our updates on the site, on Twitter, and on Facebook. We’ll also have a special live chat hosted by Eddie Scarito that will start when the draft gets underway and continue through the first round, so stop by and share your thoughts and questions as the picks and trades unfold.

In the meantime, Hoops Rumors has several resources to help you prepare:

  • Our Prospect Profile Series is an in-depth look at more than two dozen top prospects. These pieces break down each player’s strengths and weaknesses and provide an idea of how they stack up against the rest of the field. Some include content from exclusive interviews with the prospects who’ve shared their insight with Hoops Rumors.
  • Alex Lee’s mock drafts paint a full picture of where the top prospects figure to end up. Versions 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 cover all 30 picks of the first round.
  • A running archive of news related to this year’s draft can be found right here. You can also create an RSS feed for that news by entering hoopsrumors.com/2014-nba-draft/feed into the reader of your choice.
  • The draft order is sure to change throughout the night, but here’s a look at which teams are on the clock for each pick from 1 through 60. We’ll keep a running list of the picks atop the site during the draft so you’ll be able to keep on top of the draft at a glance.

The night’s event promises plenty of excitement, and if the 23 picks that changed hands as part of last year’s draft are any indication, there will be no shortage of rumors and player movement. Much of what happens tonight will influence free agency, which begins Tuesday, so now’s the time to keep a close eye on Hoops Rumors as the offseason kicks into overdrive.

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Prospect Profile Series

June 26th, 2014 at 11:48am CST by Chuck Myron

For the last few months, Hoops Rumors has been profiling the top prospects in this year’s draft.  With the Cavs on the clock in just a matter of hours, there’s no better time to get caught up on all of the big players in this year’s class.

This year’s Prospect Profile series examined most of the projected lottery selections and several projected sleepers in the 2014 draft and also featured interviews with several of this year’s most intriguing players, including Duke’s Rodney Hood and Tennessee forward Jarnell Stokes. The players we’ve profiled can be found below, sorted by their ranking on the DraftExpress list of top 100 prospects for 2014.

*Includes player interview

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Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Dalembert

June 26th, 2014 at 11:00am CST by Zachary Links

Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe spoke to rival execs who offered up anonymous advice for Celtics GM Danny Ainge heading into tonight’s draft.  “You’ve got to get Love,” said one Western Conference scout. “You could argue or suggest that you roll the dice on Andrew Wiggins being an All-Pro or Joel Embiid being the next dominant center, but you can’t argue that anybody at 6 and 17 will be better than what Kevin Love, barring injury, will be for a minimum of the next 10 years. You’re basically dealing for one of the conservatively 10 best players in basketball. You can’t turn that down.”  Meanwhile, another exec says Boston should hold on to their two first-round choices.  Here’s more from around the league..

  • Marc Berman of the New York Post (on Twitter) hears that the Knicks have no intention of waiving Samuel Dalembert to turn their taxpayer mini midlevel exception to a full mid-level exception of $5MM.  The Knicks like the shot blocker and want him on the roster this season.
  • It’s hard to get read on how far Dario Saric will fall, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Several lottery teams liked him before he signed his deal in Turkey and one exec thinks that the Celtics at No. 17 is his floor.
  • Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if the Tyson Chandler deal can help the Knicks hold on to Carmelo Anthony.
  • A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (on Twitter) opines that the Celtics won’t land Love today as they have a better shot of getting a deal done in-season.
  • The Knicks acquired a $3,637,073 trade exception equal to the salary of Raymond Felton in Wednesday’s trade with the Mavericks.  Meanwhile, the Mavs get a trade exception worth $1,536,960 from Shane Larkin’s salary.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Draft Notes: Clippers, Exum, Heat, Stokes

June 26th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Zachary Links

The consensus around the league is that Clippers president Doc Rivers is trying to shop the team’s first round pick at No. 28, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.  Rivers doesn’t want to add a rookie to his roster and would rather have the cap space than pay the guaranteed salary that goes to a first-round draft pick. Officials say that Rivers has offered trade scenarios centering around their pick, plus a wing player — either Jamal Crawford, Matt Barnes, or Jared Dudley — and reserve guard Willie Green.  One deal that was proposed had Dudley and another Clippers player and the No. 28 pick going to the Hornets for guard Gerald Henderson, but it has gone nowhere so far.  The latest draft news from around the league..

  • Dante Exum declined to fly to Cleveland for a workout today with the Cavs, tweets Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
  • In addition to the Clippers, the Suns (No. 27) and Thunder (No. 29) still have picks available via trade, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.  The Nets have tried hard but they look unlikely to get into the first round at this point.
  • Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (on Twitter) hears that Elfrid Payton may have passed Marcus Smart as the first point guard selected.  Presumably, Amico is regarding Australian guard Exum as a shooting guard rather than a PG.
  • The Heat like Tennessee forward Jarnell Stokes and he’s an option at No. 26, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.  Miami worked him out multiple times and came away impressed.  Hoops Rumors spoke with Stokes earlier this offseason about his NBA goals and what he can bring to a team.
  • UConn guard Shabazz Napier is also an option for the Heat, but he’s not likely to be on the board when they pick (link).  Napier is rising up draft boards and could go in the teens.
  • The Bulls really like Jordan Adams, Kennedy tweets, and he’s an option at No. 16 and No. 19 if they keep those picks.
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Latest On Kevin Love

June 25th, 2014 at 7:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

7:35pm: The talks between Minnesota and Golden State are not dead, Chad Ford of ESPN.com said as a guest on ESPN 710 LA (transcription via Basketball Insiders). A trade built around Love, Lee, and Thompson could still be worked out prior to free agency, since the Warriors would likely see themselves as credible suitors for LeBron James with a Stephen Curry/Love foundation.

3:57pm: The formal structure of a deal was never in place between the Cavs and Wolves, but Cleveland had been “fiercely determined” to trade for Love, Wojnarowski writes. Wojnarowski suggests that the No. 1 pick was a part of the talks, even if there was no offer, per se. Cleveland’s pursuit ended when agent Jeff Schwartz warned that Love wouldn’t re-sign, according to Wojnarowski. Love’s wish list is narrow, and Saunders has put trade discussions involving him “in neutral,” Wojnarowski hears.

2:33pm: Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears that the negotiations between Cleveland and Minnesota have been exploratory and “not yet serious enough to kill” (Twitter link).

2:00pm: The Cavs have yet to offer the top pick for Love, as Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press hears. Still, Krawczynski suggests there’s a decent chance that Love indeed made it clear he wouldn’t remain in Cleveland if traded there, discouraging the Cavs from making such an offer (Twitter links).

1:06pm: One day out from the draft, and Kevin Love trade discussions appear to be slow-going, at best. The Cavs made a push to deal the No. 1 pick for Love, but he would refuse to re-sign with Cleveland, and that’s halted those talks, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). At least one member of the Warriors braintrust wouldn’t be on board with a one-for-one trade of Love for Klay Thompson if it were a possibility, tweets Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. The prevailing logic within the Warriors front office is that an upgrade at power forward over David Lee that would break up the backcourt of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry isn’t worth it, the Bay Area News Group scribe adds.

Minnesota meanwhile has an eye toward waiting to see the offers from teams who miss out on Carmelo Anthony this summer, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders would prefer to try to convince Love to stay rather than take a trade offer that’s less than ideal, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Saunders is optimistic that his team will improve this coming season, but even “strong improvement” wouldn’t be enough to convince Love to stay, Bulpett hears.

The Wolves are wary of Boston’s reported proposal of Kelly Olynyk, picks Nos. 6 and 17 in this year’s draft, and a future first-round pick since it would require the Wolves to take back additional, likely player-friendly, contracts to make the salaries match, Bulpett writes. The Celtics are willing to discuss including the first-round picks the Nets owe them, according to Bulpett.

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Wolves Give Zach LaVine Promise At No. 13?

June 25th, 2014 at 7:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

7:18pm: While the Wolves do have interest in LaVine, Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press tweets that there is no evidence a draft promise has been made.

3:15pm: Sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders that they believe the Wolves have given former UCLA guard Zach LaVine a promise to draft him with the 13th overall pick (Twitter link). Such promises aren’t binding, but it does appear to indicate that Minnesota isn’t planning to use the pick in a trade involving Kevin Love.

LaVine is among the players the Wolves have worked out in advance of the draft. He’s No. 13 in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings and No. 14 with Chad Ford of ESPN.com, so it seems he’s right in line for Minnesota.

Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors suggested that the club that ends up with LaVine wouldn’t be getting a finished product and must show patience, given LaVine’s raw ability. That would seem to conflict with the desire of Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders to compete immediately.

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Knicks, Mavs Swap Chandler, Calderon

June 25th, 2014 at 7:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

7:02pm: The Knicks have officially announced the deal. The only picks changing hands are the two second-rounders for this year moving from Dallas to New York.

4:50pm: The Knicks and Mavs have reached agreement on their rumored trade, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The deal sends Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to Dallas in exchange for Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Shane Larkin, Wayne Ellington, picks Nos. 34 and 51 in Thursday’s draft, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports detailed in earlier reports. It’s unclear if future second-round draft consideration will also head New York’s way.

The Mavs had planned a summer pursuit of Chandler, the center on their 2011 title team, three years after letting him go. Knicks president Phil Jackson seemed to dismiss the notion that he told Felton to expect to be traded, but other reports have indicated the Knicks were in the market for an upgrade at the point, which Calderon provides. Felton slumped this past season, and this week he agreed this week to plead guilty to a felony gun charge in a plea agreement that will allow him to avoid jail time.

The deal removes some of New York’s flexibility for the summer of 2015, since Calderon’s contract calls for him to make in excess of $7.4MM in 2015/16 and more than $7.7MM in 2016/17. J.R. Smith has a player option worth nearly $6.4MM for 2015/16, but the Knicks otherwise don’t have commitments for that season.  The trade would allow Dallas more cap flexibility for that summer, since Chandler’s contract is up after next season and Felton’s player option for 2015/16 is about $3.95MM.

Dalembert’s approximately $3.867MM salary is partially guaranteed for $1.8MM next season. He also has a 15% trade kicker on his deal that the Mavs would be responsible for paying. Chandler would receive $500K from the Knicks thanks to a trade kicker in his deal.

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