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Western Rumors: Warriors, Asik, Parker, Kings

June 26th, 2014 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

In an interview with SiriusXM, Warriors star Andre Iguodala said that he doesn’t believe teammate Klay Thompson should be traded as part of a deal for Minnesota’s Kevin Love, writes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. “That’s not going to happen,” Iguodala said. “I want to clear that up right now. We should not trade Klay Thompson. I tell Klay this every day. I text Klay and say, ‘Don’t worry. I’m your man. I’m going to make sure you get paid. I’m going to get you the max (contract). You’ll be taken care of. Don’t stress.’”  Here’s more out of the West..

  • More dominoes will fall from the deal that sent Omer Asik to the Pelicans, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.  New Orleans may move Austin Rivers to create cap space.  One possibility, Windhorst suggests, would be trading him to the Clippers, where Austin’s father holds a trade exception.
  • The Rockets talked about sending Asik to the Pelicans for Ryan Anderson, but could not get much traction, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
  • The Jazz remain interested in Jabari Parker, but sources say there’s still a “big concern” about his right foot, which he broke in high school, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.  However, Parker is still in the lead over Andrew Wiggins on their wish list if they can pull off a deal for the No. 1 pick (link).
  • The Kings appear poised to keep the No. 8 pick, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
  • Sponsors continue to be skittish about the Clippers as the team’s ownership situation remains unresolved, as Andrea Chang and Tiffany Hsu of the Los Angeles Times detail.
  • The Timberwolves received initial criticism for last year’s draft-day trade of Trey Burke to Utah for Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng, but one year later, team president Flip Saunders is happy with the returns, writes Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press.
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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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Prospect Profile: James Michael McAdoo

June 26th, 2014 at 9:00am CST by Zachary Links

James Michael McAdoo has been on the radar of NBA teams for a long time now and tonight they’ll finally have their chance to grab him.  The UNC forward, thanks to his athleticism and 7’1″ wingspan, has scouts from around the league intrigued.NCAA Basketball: ACC Tournament-North Carolina vs Pittsburgh

McAdoo has displayed very impressive north-south speed as well as lateral movement.  With great quickness for his build, the 21-year-old is able to guard players of all shapes and sizes.

“It’s my wingspan coupled with my foot speed that allows me to guard the smaller guys as well.  I know how to move my feet to stay in front of my man and that’s something other guys at my position just can’t do.  At power forward there are a lot of screens on the ball and switches and I’ll get paired off with smaller guards.  That’s just something you have to be able to handle,” McAdoo told Hoops Rumors.

McAdoo’s aforementioned wingspan also allows him to disrupt passing lanes and challenge adept ball handlers.  The combo of arm length and speed also allows him to beat opponents to the punch easily in transition.  His post game hasn’t always been on the same level but this season he took some noticeable strides forward.

“I think the biggest thing going into this last year and my workouts is just doing what I’m comfortable with doing.  I think when I first got to UNC I did a lot of things that weren’t in my comfort zone, and that includes working with my trainer on how to post up in the block,” McAdoo explained.  “Now, especially after this last season, I feel like when I’m in the post I can get the shot opportunity that I want to, no matter what I’m being given by the defender.”

In addition to improving his post game, McAdoo has been working hard to be a more consistent jump shooter.  McAdoo can be a contributor on both sides of the floor, but he’ll need a reliable mid-range shot to really round out his offensive profile.  He’s also working to create his own scoring opportunities off the dribble.

The UNC product’s free throw shooting has left something to be desired and that’s another issue he’ll have to work on at the next level.  This past season, McAdoo shot 53.7% from the charity stripe, the lowest mark of his three collegiate seasons.  The power forward knows that it’s simply a matter of quieting his mind when it’s his turn at the line.

“I think the biggest thing is my mental approach.  I’ve made couple of minor adjustments with my trainer and I’m trying to make my shot more consistent from the stripe.  Still, I think the biggest thing is getting comfortable and confident at the line.  It’s really not a problem for me anymore.  All I do now is play basketball and I’m in the gym every day working on it.  The difference has been drastic,” said McAdoo.

McAdoo could have been a lottery pick if he jumped into the draft after his freshman season and a first-round pick still if he declared himself eligible after his sophomore campaign, but he has no regrets about his extended stay in Chapel Hill.  By staying through his junior year, McAdoo was able to put himself within arm’s length of earning his history degree (he says he will return to finish his coursework) and spend a little extra time with now-wife Lauren Adkins, a volleyball standout at UNC.

The mock drafts have McAdoo pegged as a late second-round pick, but he’s never been one to pay attention to those projections.  After working out for a baker’s dozen of NBA teams, McAdoo is ready to sit back and watch everything unfold from the couch tonight along with his family.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  

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Mavs Notes: Dirk, LeBron, Melo, Chandler

June 26th, 2014 at 8:46am CST by Zachary Links

Dirk Nowitzki is thrilled to have Tyson Chandler back in Dallas, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. “He helped me get a championship, so we had great chemistry together,” Nowitzki said when asked about the trade when it was heavily rumored last night. “So if it is true, I will be thrilled.”  Dirk went on to say that he’d “love” to welcome Carmelo Anthony to Dallas and will help to recruit him if he’s interested in coming aboard.  Here’s more out of Dallas..

  • The Mavs are real players for LeBron James and Melo after the trade, a team source told Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
  • Dirk also told reporters, including Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) that he expects a short and quick meeting with owner Mark Cuban before coming to terms on a new deal.
  • The Mavs initiated the Chandler talks weeks ago and were very motivated to get a deal done, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report tweets.
  • Chandler and his camp feel “great” about the trade, a source tells David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter link).
  • Mark Cuban isn’t admitting a mistake by re-acquiring Chandler, writes MacMahon.  “It’s apples and oranges,” Cuban said via an email. “You couldn’t get from there to here.”
  • There won’t be any drama from Dirk in free agency, as Jeff Caplan of NBA.com writes.
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Offseason Outlook: Oklahoma City Thunder

June 26th, 2014 at 12:30am CST by Zachary Links

Guaranteed Contracts

Options

  • Grant Jerrett ($816,482, Team)*

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Free Agents / Cap Holds

Draft Picks

  • 1st Round (21st overall)
  • 1st Round (29th overall)

Cap Outlook

  • Guaranteed Salary: $67,592,441
  • Options: $816,482
  • Non-Guaranteed Salary: $1,250,000
  • Cap Holds: $11,609,943
  • Total: $81,268,866

Over the last few days, teams have been daydreaming of scenarios in which they could clear enough cap space to sign LeBron James and/or Carmelo Anthony.  The Thunder are not one of those teams.  With a strong, young core, Oklahoma City knows that it can stand pat and remain as one of the top teams in the Western Conference.  The small moves the club makes beyond that, however, will dictate its chances to overtake the Spurs, Clippers, Rockets, and the rest of that truly vicious half of the NBA.

The team’s biggest priority will be to replace Thabo Sefolosha, who has about as good of a chance as returning to OKC as Clay Bennett has of winning the key to the city in Seattle.  Sefolosha, as we all know, is an extremely tough perimeter defender, but offers little in the way of scoring.  The Thunder can bump Jeremy Lamb into the starting two-guard role, but they’ll still need depth behind him if they go that route.

OKC will also be on the lookout for some frontcourt depth behind key big man Serge Ibaka and last year’s first-round pick Steven Adams.  Kendrick Perkins saw his role shrink a bit last season and his 3.4 PPG average was his lowest in years.  Nick Collison, who, like Perkins, is set to become a free agent after this coming season, also hasn’t satisfied all of the team’s needs.  Perkins might be changing teams before next summer, by the way, as OKC could very well amnesty him and his considerable salary.

The Thunder will also need to add depth at point guard, since one of the guys who played behind Russell Westbrook is now coaching the Knicks.  Seeing the soon-to-be 40-year-old Derek Fisher go might feel like a big loss to Kevin Durant and the Thunder, who looked to the veteran for leadership, but they can do a whole lot better from a basketball standpoint.  The stats weren’t kind to Fisher as he shot just 39% from the floor and posted a PER of just 10.1, though both figures actually represent improvement over the previous few years.  They won’t find anyone with the athleticism to match Westbrook, but they can certainly get someone quicker than Fisher with better scoring ability.

General Manager Sam Presti doesn’t have a ton of cap space to fill these needs, but he is armed with two first-round draft picks in one of the deepest classes in recent memory.  With picks at Nos. 21 and 29, the Thunder can’t take care of every hole, but they can plug two of the three.

At the time of this writing, DraftExpress has the Thunder drafting UConn point guard Shabazz Napier and Clemson small forward K.J. McDaniels.  Napier isn’t a world-class distributor, but he’s made strides in this area and would certainly bring the scoring that Fisher did not.  Taking McDaniels at No. 29 would give the Thunder one of the most athletic wings in the draft and, with the right tutelage, a defender to help fill the void left by Sefolosha’s departure.  ESPN’s Chad Ford, meanwhile, has OKC pegged to take UCLA small forward Kyle Anderson and his teammate, shooting guard Jordan Adams.  Anderson has the versatility to cover multiple positions and could help the Thunder in a number of areas.  Adams doesn’t have the athletic ability of the aforementioned players but he certainly knows how to put up points.  The Thunder were reportedly ready to use the No. 21 pick on 18-year-old Latvian power forward Kristaps Porzingis, but the big man surprised everyone by withdrawing from the draft just prior to the deadline earlier this month.  Some believe that the 7-footer could wind up as a top five pick in the 2015 draft.

Outside of the draft, the Thunder still have a trade exception left over from the Kevin Martin swap with the Timberwolves.  OKC has the ability to tack on $6.6MM in salary and the Thunder would be wise to use it if they can get the clearance from up top.   Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman recently suggested that the Thunder could use the exception to trade for Knicks guard Iman Shumpert.  Shumpert was lost in coach Mike Woodson‘s system last year and there’s no guarantee that he’ll be any better utilized under Fisher and Phil Jackson.  The Knicks, we imagine, would also appreciate the salary relief as they try to extend their resources and appease free agent Carmelo Anthony.  The Thunder could promote Lamb to the starting two-guard role, bring Shumpert on in support, and — assuming they don’t lose one of them in this hypothetical trade — use their two first-rounders to satisfy their needs at point guard and in the frontcourt.

Internally, the Thunder might also like to take care of guard Reggie Jackson with a contract extension.  Presti has appeared to downplay this notion, but it’s hard to see the Thunder not being open to working out a new deal between now and Halloween.  “Generally, these things don’t happen in July, and the trend now is they don’t happen by the October 31st deadline,” Presti said earlier this month.  The Thunder traded James Harden rather than give him the contract he wanted, but Presti doesn’t foresee the same thing happening with Jackson.

While OKC’s trade exception could become a factor between now and its expiration date on July 11th, much of the heavy lifting this summer will take place in the draft.  Stay tuned, Thunder fans.

Cap footnotes

* — Jerrett’s cap hold would be equal to the amount of his option if the Thunder declines the option, unless the team elects to tender a qualifying offer. In that case, his cap hold would be $1,016,482, equal to the amount of the qualifying offer.
** — Thabeet’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before September 1st.
*** — See our glossary entry on cap holds for an explanation of why Fisher’s cap hold technically remains on the books for the Thunder even though he’s taken the head coaching job for the Knicks, thus retiring as a player.

ShamSports and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.

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And-Ones: Knicks, Kings, Heat

June 25th, 2014 at 11:57pm CST by Cray Allred

It’s been a busy day around the league, and things could get even crazier tomorrow. Here’s a roundup of the night’s notes:

  • If Zach Randolph isn’t signed prior to the draft and the Grizzlies select a power forward, it could be an indication that Memphis is preparing to move on from Randolph, writes Ronald Tillery of Commercial Appeal.
  • A rival executive tells Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that he could envision the Knicks breaking into the first round by flipping newly acquired Shane Larkin, as we speculated earlier tonight.
  • Beck tweets that the Knicks hope Jose Calderon‘s presence will help them lure Marc Gasol to New York when the dynamic center hits free agency before the 2015/16 season.
  • The Kevin Love talks between the Wolves and Warriors were “never off” and remain ongoing, tweets Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
  • The Kings primary concern is adding perimeter shooting, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. “I think it’s a very important factor for the draft,” GM Pete D’Alessandro told Jones. “I think it’s something we have to take seriously and take a strong look at, for sure.”
  • A person with knowledge of restricted free agent Isaiah Thomas‘s situation tells Sam Amick of USA Today that the point guard’s market value is between $4MM and $6MM per year.
  • Dwyane Wade has yet to make his decision regarding the early termination clause in his contract, but sources tell Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press that he, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh had a positive meeting regarding their offseason (Twitter link).
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