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Draft Notes: Exum, Mock Drafts, O’Bryant

June 22nd, 2014 at 10:26am CST by Eddie Scarito

Dante Exum is one of the draft’s most talented, but riskiest prospects, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. One major question surrounding Exum is whether he’s better suited to play shooting guard than point guard, notes Robbins. A talent evaluator for an NBA team told Robbins, “He’s got to learn how to play point guard in the NBA. He’s somewhat similar to a lot of point guards working their way into the league now — guys who are looking to score the ball as well as pass the ball. Are they real point guards? In the traditional sense, no. But he’s the kind of point guard we’re getting into the league now.”

More draft notes and news:

  • In a separate piece, Robbins released his mock draft, which is topped by Andrew Wiggins going to the Cavaliers.
  • The staff over at Basketball Insiders released their updated mock draft, and also have Wiggins as their consensus top-pick.
  • In his mock draft, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel has Wiggins being selected first as well, and predicts a number of trades, including the Lakers shipping the seventh pick to the Pacers for Roy Hibbert, and the Magic selecting Joel Embiid and trading him to the Celtics for Exum.
  • Johnny O’Bryant had a strong workout for the Bucks, reports Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times (Twitter link).
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Western Notes: Embiid, Calathes, Spurs, Nuggets

June 22nd, 2014 at 9:31am CST by Eddie Scarito

NBA history has shown that big men who suffer serious knee, ankle, or foot injuries will have a difficult time having productive careers, and Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee opines that this is why the Kings should avoid selecting Joel Embiid in the draft.

More from the west:

  • Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News breaks down the Spurs roster heading into the offseason and what the future might hold for each player.
  • There have been rumors about the Grizzlies‘ Nick Calathes possibly playing overseas next season. One team that had been mentioned as a possibility, Anadolu Efes Istanbul, has denied any interest in signing the player, the team announced (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
  • There are many different directions the Nuggets could take in this year’s NBA Draft, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Dempsey breaks down some of the possibilities, including if the team drafts for need or based on future potential.
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Eastern Notes: Pistons, Celtics, Blatt, Sixers

June 22nd, 2014 at 8:11am CST by Eddie Scarito

According to Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News, the Pistons need to find a small forward in the draft who would allow coach Stan Van Gundy to move Josh Smith into a role as the sixth man. This would maximize Smith’s potential by making him the best player on the floor when both teams play their second units, opines Goodwill.

More from the east:

  • The Celtics would like to nab a small forward who can score, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. In the article he breaks down what players that fit that description might be available when Boston is on the clock at picks No. 6 and No. 17.
  • Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders chimes in on why he thinks that David Blatt was the right hire for the Cavaliers.
  • Joel Embiid‘s injury has complicated the lottery picture. Tom Moore of Calkins Media runs down the Sixers’ scenarios now that the draft’s landscape has changed.
  • Serbian point guard Vasa Micic could be a draft possibility for the Hornets at No. 24, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
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Western Notes: Grizzlies, Harris, Wolves

June 21st, 2014 at 10:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Grizzlies need to find a small forward this summer, opines Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal in a subscription-only piece. Coach Dave Joerger said, “It’s becoming much more of a playmaking position. Used to be your shooting guard was a guy you ran off of picks and spot up to make shots. Point guard brought it up and your small forward was a defender and athletic runner. That’s not the case anymore. Teams are playing smaller and small forwards are like having another point guard. They’re having to make plays, create shots for other people and just do more than, say, 10 years ago.” Tillery notes the players the Grizzlies are looking at in the draft to fill this need are Kyle Anderson, K.J. McDaniels, Jerami Grant, Glenn Robinson III and Cleanthony Early.

More from the west:

  • All signs point toward the Grizzles and Zach Randolph agreeing on a long-term contract, and the process appears to be a mere formality, writes Tillery in a separate article. GM Chris Wallace told Tillery, “It’s going forward. We’re very excited about what Zach’s done in the past and hope to have him here in the future. This has really been a terrific boon for both sides. He’s obviously meant a great deal to us on and off the court. And Memphis has worked for him. This has been, by far, the best stop for him since he’s been in the NBA. So we’re working towards that goal.”
  • Devin Harris is looking for security in his next contract, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Harris becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, and is seeking a three-year deal according to the article. When asked what the chances were of him returning to the Mavericks, Harris said, “Pretty good. This is where I want to be, so, we’ll see. As long as things make sense.”
  • Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune asked Flip Saunders what kind of players would be available when the Timberwolves pick at No. 13, and Saunders said, “There’s a good player. I think there’s rotation players, probably all the way to 18 or 19, guys that will be able to come in and be in teams’ top eight [next season]. There’s a box of a lot of good players at that spot.”
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Berger’s Draft Notes: Cavs, Saric, Magic

June 21st, 2014 at 9:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Cavs are leaning towards selecting Jabari Parker with the first-overall pick, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. He cites Parker being more NBA ready as the reason behind that pick.

More from Berger’s article:

  • The biggest beneficiary of Joel Embiid‘s injury could be Australian shooting guard Dante Exum. Berger reports that the Magic are interested in Exum, who could be off the board prior to them selecting at number four. But Orlando’s dilemma is that they also want a frontcourt player to pair with Nikola Vucevic and may not be able to get one they’re comfortable with at No. 12. If that is the case, Berger has the Magic taking Noah Vonleh.
  • Two players who are rising on teams’ draft boards are Jusuf Nurkic and Elfrid Payton. Nurkic could be a stash option for the Bulls at 19, opines Berger.
  • The Knicks are trying to purchase a late first round pick, and Phil Jackson is interested in Tyler Ennis or P.J. Hairston, according to the article.
  • Berger reports that Dario Saric‘s invitation to the draft-night green room might be the result of a promise from the Nuggets to grab him with the 11th pick. The article also notes that teams in the mid-to-late lottery have tried to get Saric to work out for them, but have been told he’ll be gone by the time they pick.
  • With Kyle Lowry an unrestricted free agent and Greivis Vasquez becoming a restricted free agent, the Raptors are believed to be considering Ennis or Shabazz Napier with the 20th pick.
  • The Bucks are looking at selecting Mitch McGary with the 31st pick, according to Berger. They are the only team known to have worked out McGary, notes Berger.
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Eastern Notes: Hornets, Draft, Bulls

June 21st, 2014 at 8:42pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hornets‘ top priority this offseason is finding players who can shoot from the outside, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte GM Rich Cho said, “I think shooting is hard to find – especially mid-range shooting. You don’t see a lot of kids practicing that. Shooting is at a premium now because a lot of teams want to take threes instead of long twos, just from an efficiency standpoint. In an ideal world you want a shooter who can also really defend. But in the real world, there’s not a lot of that.”

More from the east:

  • In a separate article, Bonnell examines the Hornets‘ top-10 franchise assets, which include the presence of Al Jefferson, Coach Steve Clifford, and abundant cap space.
  • Bonnell also writes that the Hornets need frontcourt depth and a backup point guard. If the team uses a first round pick on a point guard, the names to watch, according to Bonnell, are Elfrid Payton, Zack LaVine, and Shabazz Napier. In the frontcourt, possibilities would be Aaron Gordon, Adreian Payne, or Jusuf Nurkic.
  • The Bulls first round draft choices have been a series of hits and misses, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. In the article he looks back at the 10 first rounds of the John Paxson–Gar Forman era.
  • The Bulls are offering players with non-guaranteed contracts in most of their trade talks, writes Johnson in a separate article. Johnson mentions Mike James, Ronnie Brewer and Louis Amundson as the players the team has been trying to include. If some or all of them were needed to acquire Arron Afflalo, this could limit the Bulls’ preferred scenario of acquiring Carmelo Anthony via sign-and-trade discussions with the Knicks, notes Johnson.
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Contract Details: Knicks, Pelicans, Heat, Bulls

June 21st, 2014 at 7:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

August 1st will be a key date for many teams and players in the NBA, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports details in the latest update to his salary database. Knicks guard Shannon Brown and Melvin Ely of the Pelicans have their minimum-salary contracts fully guaranteed if their respective teams don’t waive them by the end of that day, Deeks reports. It’s also the day when Justin Hamilton of the Heat earns a partial guarantee of $408,241 and Bulls big man Lou Amundson has his deal partially guaranteed for $300K if they’re not waived, according to Deeks. The salary data guru has a few more revelations, as we note below:

  • Hamilton’s partial guarantee increases to $612,362 should the Heat elect not to waive by the end of December 1st.
  • Lamar Odom‘s deal becomes fully guaranteed if he remains on the Knicks roster past September 10th.
  • The Knicks have another deadline to consider on September 15th, the final day they can waive Jeremy Tyler without owing him a $100K partial guarantee.
  • Jorge Gutierrez receives a $25K partial guarantee if he sticks with the Nets past September 26th.
  • Jarvis Varnado‘s deal with the Sixers is already partially guaranteed for $75K.
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Latest On Joel Embiid

June 21st, 2014 at 6:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Joel Embiid had been the prohibitive favorite to be the first-overall pick in this year’s draft, but his foot injury and subsequent need for surgery has placed his likelihood of being a top-3 pick in serious doubt, as executives worry that he could be the next in a long line of talented big men to have their careers cut short by injury, Here’s the latest on Embiid…

  • Initial concerns about Embiid centered on a stress fracture in his back — an injury that caused him to miss the final several weeks of the college season, including the NCAA tournament, but the foot injury is an even worse concern now, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. A Western Conference executive said, “The back thing wouldn’t have bothered me as much, to be quite honest. But big men and bad feet are a bad combination. And big men with two injury concerns (back and foot) are a worse combination. No way (the Cavs) take him. It costs people money and jobs.“
  • In the same article, a Western Conference coach had a different opinion, telling Amico, “Embiid is a top-three overall talent. He’s the best big in the draft. I wouldn’t rule him out.”
  • Another executive weighed in on the talents of Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, telling Amico, “How do you draft Embiid and his bad foot when you have two guys like (Parker and Wiggins) sitting there? If you take an injury-prone big man to pass on a healthy and talented wing … you could really set the franchise back. The Cavs want to start winning. Draft the healthy guy.” That same executive then said he wouldn’t risk taking Embiid prior to the sixth pick.
  • J.A. Adande of ESPN.com thinks that Embiid fits what the Lakers need. Adande opines that with Kobe Bryant under contract for two more seasons, the team doesn’t need to think long-term right now. Rather, they need to maximize what’s left of Kobe’s career, which makes the possibility of Embiid having his career cut short by injury not as big a risk as it would be for many of the other teams drafting in the top-10.
  • Embiid might fall to the Celtics who own the sixth pick, and GM Danny Ainge has a history of taking players with injuries in their backgrounds, writes Mike Petraglia of WEEI 93.7 FM. The article cites Ainge’s selections of Jared Sullinger and Avery Bradley as examples.
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Florida Notes: LeBron, Rockets, Magic, Draft

June 21st, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Charlie Adams

Rumor has it that the Rockets might make a run at LeBron James this offseason, but Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel suggests that Dwight Howard‘s relaxed demeanor and reputation as a locker room jokester might end up deterring the Heat superstar from signing with Houston. Here’s the latest from the Sunshine State:

  • The only spot that makes sense for LeBron is Miami, surmises Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald. McGraw doesn’t think the Heat’s loss in the finals will give LBJ enough of a reason to opt out of his contract and leave.
  • Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel takes a look at the reasons it might be smart for the Magic to trade Arron Afflalo sooner rather than later. Victor Oladipo would stand to benefit, since in Afflalo’s absence, he could play more shooting guard, his natural position.
  • The Magic hold the fourth pick in this Thursday’s draft, and Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders takes a look at what prospects Orlando should consider taking. The Magic’s most pressing need is at the point guard position, opines Taylor.
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Atlantic Notes: ‘Melo, Rondo, Celtics, Lowry

June 21st, 2014 at 4:01pm CST by Charlie Adams

Joakim Noah is still actively attempting to persuade Carmelo Anthony into signing with the Bulls, reveals Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. Derrick Rose would prefer to see Chicago strike a trade for Kevin Love, adds Lawrence, who reports that Rose sees Love as a better team player than ‘Melo. Let’s round up more from the Atlantic:

  • Rajon Rondo appeared on ESPN’s Numbers Never Lie and admitted that he hopes the Celtics make a run to sign Anthony and “an additional piece” this summer (video link).
  • Celtics GM Danny Ainge said he wouldn’t be against trading for a second-round pick if there’s a player available that the team likes, reports Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com, who runs down the list of all 60 prospects Boston auditioned with their pre-draft workouts.
  • Although Kyle Lowry is comfortable playing for the Raptors, it’s not a sure thing that the unrestricted free agent returns to Toronto next season, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
  • We passed along a report indicating that the Nets might be discussing a deal with Cleveland involving a swap of Marcus Thornton and Jarrett Jack.
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