2015 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Rozier, Looney, Timberwolves

May 25th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The NBA draft is just one month from tonight. The lottery and the combine are finished, so team workouts will be the main focus from now until draft night. Now that we know where every team will pick, we debuted our mock draft this weekend, and we’re continuing with our Prospect Profile series. Here’s more on the draft as the event starts to get close:

Louisville point guard Terry Rozier has made a habit of overcoming the odds, and he didn’t disappoint in his workout with the Jazz this weekend, according to Utah vice president of player personnel Walt Perrin, as Carter Williams of the Deseret News examines. The Jazz were one of 17 teams scheduled to audition Rozier, Williams writes, a group that apparently includes the Rockets and Spurs.
Kevon Looney added the Nets, Wizards, Jazz, Suns, Bulls, Cavs, Raptors, Hawks and Knicks to the list of the teams he interviewed with at the draft combine earlier this month, as the UCLA power forward revealed to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Looney is a raw prospect, but even though he feels he could have improved if he’d stayed in college, he tells Medina that he’s confident he can also develop at the NBA level.
Connecticut point guard Ryan Boatright, LSU power forward Jordan Mickey, Texas combo forward Jonathan Holmes and Louisville swingman Wayne Blackshear are among the players tentatively scheduled to work out Friday for the Timberwolves, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).

Prospect Profile: Frank Kaminsky

May 24th, 2015 at 10:36pm CST by Will Joseph

In an era when many of basketball’s top prospects are “one-and-done,” Frank Kaminsky stands out. He was only a three-star recruit coming out of Benet Academy in Illinois and despite playing a limited role in his first two years with Wisconsin, he metamorphosed into one of the nation’s top players. Through his first two seasons as a Badger, he averaged less than nine minutes per game. Kaminsky has often said he was a bit immature in his early years in college, and often operated without a clear vision, as Ben Hamilton of SI.com outlined in a piece earlier this year. Once he figured it out, the guy known as Frank the Tank emerged as one of college basketball’s most unlikely stars. With more playing time, the 7-footer’s game improved and later evolved.

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Kaminsky took a big step forward in his junior season. He averaged 13.9 points per game and grabbed 6.3 rebounds per game. He also led the Badgers to the NCAA Final Four to cap his breakout. Kaminsky entertained the idea of entering last season’s draft, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) relays, but the big man admits that he wasn’t quite ready for the NBA at that point. “I knew I needed to get better. I wanted to go back to school, finish my degree and do more research by watching NBA basketball so I could see what I needed to get better at,” Kaminsky said. “It was like a free year to study for your final exam.“

It turned out to be a great decision to wait another year. He entered his senior season as the 2015 preseason Big Ten Player of the Year and preseason AP All-American. He somehow managed to surpass expectations with an unworldly campaign. In other words, Kaminsky did everything for Wisconsin this past season — and then was rewarded for it. He led the Badgers in points per game (18.8), rebounds per game (8.2), assists (103), blocks (57), field goal percentage (55%), 3-point field goal percentage (.416), free throws (156) and free throw attempts (200). He was the only NCAA Division I player to average at least 17 points, eight rebounds, two assists and 1.5 blocks per game. He propelled Wisconsin to its first national championship game since 1941. For his efforts, he was named National Player of the Year by The Associated Press and captured a handful of other honors.

There’s a strong possibility that the next reward for Kaminsky is at least a top-15 selection in the draft. One NBA GM told The Journal Times’ Gery Woelfel that Kaminsky could go as high as sixth in the draft. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks Kaminsky No. 10, but he is the No. 14 overall player according to Ford (Insider subscription required).

Kaminsky has superb size with a frame that has filled out well over time and would improve more with added weight. Kaminsky will never be confused with an explosive athlete, but he is a very coordinated big man who runs the floor well. What makes Kaminsky a unique prospect, according to Givony in his profile of the player, is his versatility and offensive efficiency. Simply put, he’s a matchup problem for many because of his size and how good he is at shooting. While he played mostly center in college, Kaminsky sees himself as a stretch four in the NBA, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders writes. “[I’m] turning myself into a four,” Kaminsky told Pincus. “In college, I played the five for so long. I know I can play the four. I just have to pick up the nuances. The NBA values big guys that can stretch the floor.”

Kaminsky added that he is confident he can transition successfully to power forward. “I played against four in college, because that’s who was guarding me. I know what I’m able to do,” he said. “The college game is obviously different than the NBA game. It also makes it easier that the shot clock is 11 seconds shorter. There’s not as much running around.”

Kaminsky has interviewed with the Pistons and met with the Bucks last week. He met with the Magic and Knicks, respectively, the week prior. A “sure thing” is impossible to find in any draft, and Kaminsky is no different. While he’s a very polished and mature player, because of his age (22) there is some belief he has already maximized his potential. Kaminsky, however, has said that he is looking forward to continuing to grow as a player with any team that selects him. There are no shortage of teams that seem like good fits for him, either. Miami, which owns the 10th pick, is looking for immediate help and Kaminsky’s maturity would present an intriguing addition. If he’s still on the board at No. 12, it would be logical for the Jazz to scoop him up because of their need for someone who can stretch the floor. The best fit, however, is likely the Suns, who will pick 13th. The Suns do not have a quality big man and their options are limited beyond Alex Len.

And-Ones: Thomas, Pistons, Mudiay

May 24th, 2015 at 9:18pm CST by Will Joseph

Isaiah Thomas said he was asked by Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge to name free agents he’d like to play with, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe reports. The exchange has made Thomas, who has been vocal about his desire for starting in the past, feel like he is part of the Celtics’ future, Himmelsbach adds. “Danny said if there’s any free agent out there I’m interested in, to let him know,” Thomas said. “That has me excited. For him to ask for my input means a lot, because it means I’m definitely, right now, a part of the future, and they also value your word and what you think about the game of basketball. It means a lot, and it’s a mutual respect we have. Now, hopefully, we can get a few guys.”

Thomas did not name any player specifically, but he said a big man is a top priority. “A defensive-minded player,” he told Himmelsbach. “It’d be nice to get one of those in the draft. A lot of the big men out there could definitely help us out. But I know Danny is always up to something.”

Here’s more from around the league:

Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy said the team will hire a full-time shooting coach by July, David Mayo of MLive.com writes. The Pistons ranked 27th out of 30 teams last season in field-goal percentage (43.2%), and also ranked 29th in free-throw percentage at 70.3%, as Mayo points out.
The Jazz hosted Andrew Harrison, Terry Rozier, Vince Hunter, J.P. Tokoto, Treveon Graham and Aaron White in a pre-draft workout, and Walt Perrin, vice president of player personnel, said he wasn’t too surprised with the results, Melissa Yack writes in a piece for the Deseret News. “I thought Terry played — I know Terry can shoot it, but I thought he shot it pretty well today,” Perrin said. “Other than that — Andrew maybe could have shot it a little better, but surprises no.”
Stanley Johnson believes he can be an impactful and versatile defender in the league, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders writes. “In today’s day and age, it’s about defensive versatility. How many people you can guard and how well you can do it,” Johnson said. “I can guard fours. I can guard Draymond Green. I can guard Kawhi Leonard. I can guard Mike Conley — I can stay with him at least,” he continued. “You guard people in stints, I can definitely stint the minutes for sure.” In 38 games with Arizona, the small forward averaged 13.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and played well defensively.
The top four teams in the draft — the Wolves, Lakers, Sixers and Knicks — reached out to Emmanuel Mudiay‘s agents, but the guard who played last season in the Chinese Basketball Association likely won’t work out for them until early June, tweets SNY.tv’s Adam Zagoria, who cites a source.
Boston College guard Olivier Hanlan worked out for the Spurs, and is hopeful he will be selected in the first round of the draft, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe writes.

Northwest Notes: Saunders, Wolves, Nuggets

May 24th, 2015 at 5:44pm CST by Will Joseph

Despite an NBA-worst 16-66 record this year, Timberwolves coach and president of basketball operations Flip Saunders has the franchise moving in the right direction with some good fortune and solid return on past acquisitions, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe writes. One positive is that Minnesota has the top pick in the draft. Saunders, who Wolves owner Glen Taylor expects to return next season, must now decide between Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor, Washburn adds. Saunders’ goal is to find the perfect complement to Andrew Wiggins, and trading the pick for an established veteran who may not match the team’s long-term plans is not an option, according to Washburn.

“When you talk about trading the pick, it would have to be a huge-type situation because I feel like there’s three or four players that will be All-Star, All-Pro-type players,” Saunders said. “You’re just not going to give somebody like that away. The positive from our standpoint getting the top pick — we’ve got two great 19-year-olds last year, we got [Adreian] Payne, and we’re waiting to see if [Anthony] Bennett can get healthy and Bennett can develop. They’re all going to be able to kind of mature together. Really similar to the situation Oklahoma City had. We’ve talked about what they’ve been able to do. They’ve been lucky and gotten the right players, and they were able to develop those players, so we’re hoping to follow suit.”

There’s more news from the Northwest Division:

With more on the debate of Towns versus Okafor, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune examines which player would better suit the Wolves’ style and better fit the team’s needs. Kentucky’s Towns is the new generation big man — a mobile center who can shoot, while Duke’s Okafor is more of a throwback, low-post option, Zgoda adds. In theory, Zgoda writes, going with Okafor spreads the floor and creates open shots for Wiggins, Shabazz Muhammad and Zach LaVine. However, as Zgoda points out, the game has changed with more teams relying — and thriving — on shooting from beyond the arc, and Towns gives the team a way to keep up with everybody else in that regard.
Chauncey Billups wants to be a GM, and not a coach, and therefore the Nuggets would have to give him some say in player personnel matters if the team wanted to offer him the head coaching job, Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post writes in response to a question from a reader. The chances that Denver sticks with interim head coach Melvin Hunt are reportedly improving.

Central Notes: Pacers, Scola, Blatt

May 24th, 2015 at 3:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cavs are up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals and that’s thanks in no small part to their defense, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports writes. The Cavs lead the playoffs in points allowed per 100 possessions (98.1), points allowed (91.4), and blocked shots (7.0 per game).

“We understand that ultimately, if we want to win long term, we have to defend. It’s going to give us the best possible chance to win because the ball doesn’t go through the rim all the time, and you have to be able to get stops,” LeBron James said.

Here’s more from the Central Division..

There’s mutual interest between Pacers president Larry Bird and veteran Luis Scola in a new deal, Scott Agness of VigilantSports.com tweets. “[There’s] this huge gap that we got to fill. We’ll see how it goes,” Scola said. Scola, 35, averaged 9.4 PPG and 6.5 RPG in 20.5 minutes per contest last season. Bird made it known back in April that he hopes to retain the forward.
Cavs first year coach David Blatt is silencing the critics one meaningful win at a time, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio writes. Blatt sometimes takes a condescending tone with reporters, which meant that he got off on the wrong foot with many Cleveland beat writers. With the way the Cavs are playing now, however, it’d be hard to criticize the NBA newcomer.
If the Pistons want to add a strong defender in this year’s draft, they should take Arkansas’ Michael Qualls at No. 38, David Mayo of MLive.com writes. “I look at the NBA, and for one, I see that no one really plays defense,” Qualls said. “There’s a couple defensive guys [on each team], but for the most part, everyone else is just offense. I’m fine on the offensive end, but I feel like I’ll be able to play the NBA game right away and be their defensive stopper.”

Q&A With Lottery Hopeful Jerian Grant

May 24th, 2015 at 3:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Throughout the spring and summer, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant, whom Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks No. 14 in this year’s class and Chad Ford of ESPN.com rates 17th.

A team in need of a playmaking point guard would do very well to wind up with Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant. Blessed with tremendous size for the position, the 6’5″ athlete is a tremendous passer with exceptional ball handling skills. Grant also offers a level of maturity that the younger guards in this year’s class might not possess right out of the gate. Through five years with the Fighting Irish, Grant has developed on and off the court, blossoming into a high-upside NBA prospect. Last week, Grant took time out of his busy schedule to chat with Hoops Rumors about his strengths, where he might wind up getting drafted, and much more.

Zach Links: Your older brother, 76ers forward Jerami Grant, went through the draft process last year. What kind of advice has he given you?

Jerian Grant: Just do what you do. Don’t go out there trying to do things that you’re not supposed to be doing. They already know that you can play the game. Just go out there and reinforce what you do best.

ZL: What would it mean for you to play alongside him at the next level?

JG: It’d be great. We got to play together a bit when we were younger. Both of our games have developed so much, so I think that we can be a dynamic duo together.

ZL: What teams have you worked out for so far?

JG: Just the Pacers on Monday [May 18th].

ZL: What team workouts do you have coming up?

JG: I have one scheduled with the Hornets on June 8th but that’s it for now.

ZL: You’ve been on the NBA radar for some time now and it seems like you could have gone pro earlier if you wanted to. Why was it important for you to stay in school and graduate?

JG: A few things, one is that I wanted to graduate. Also, I wanted to come back and take on more of a leadership role and I did that too. In the previous years I was at Notre Dame, I felt like I was one of the better players on the team but maybe not the No. 1 leader. As a point guard that’s a role you want to fill and I’m glad I got to do that last season.

ZL: You took a seismic leap forward in your senior year. What do you attribute that to?

JG: I think stepping into a leadership role really helped make me a more rounded player. I practiced even harder than before, I worked even harder than before, and I was more vocal.

ZL: Thanks to redshirting in your freshman year, you spent five total years in school. Do you think that allowed you to gain some additional maturity on and off the court as you look ahead to the NBA?

JG: Absolutely. i’ve been through a lot over those five years, I’m definitely seasoned. Now I know that I can go into the NBA and help right away. It’s not gonna take two or three years for me to acclimate myself.

ZL: You had a ton of memorable moments at Notre Dame, including leading your team to an Elite Eight appearance this past season. If you had to pick your favorite game or one highlight from your career at Notre Dame, what would it be?

JG: I think just winning the ACC championship. We went down there to Carolina and to beat Duke and Carolina to win the ACC championship – the first conference championship for our school – it meant so much.

ZL: At 6’5″, what kind of things can you do on the court that smaller point guards typically can’t?

JG: I think my vision is definitely helped by my height. I can see over defenses and make better passes on certain players. Smaller guys can’t do it because they don’t have the length. My vision and my playmaking ability at 6’5″ is that much better because of my height.

ZL: What’s the ideal kind of offense for you to thrive in at the NBA level?

JG: It’s tough to say. I definitely like to get up and down the court, I make a lot of plays there. But, I think my strong suit is in the ball stance in the half court.

ZL: What specific areas of your game do you feel like you want to improve on most?

JG: Being able to knock down shots consistently, that’ll go a long way for me. Being able to spot up and nail those shots. I also want to develop different types of one-on-one moves. I used the step back a lot in college, but I want to have a wider variety of ways to attack the defense.

ZL: Where have you been working out since the end of the season?

JG: I’m back home in Maryland, working with my old teammate Victor Oladipo and my brother Jerami. It’s real competitive.

ZL: What led you to choose IAM Sports to represent you?

JG: Victor is my best friend and he uses the same agency. I met with them and felt like it was the right place for me. I asked about them, Victor told me all about them and he only had positive things to say. There are only like seven players in the agency, so it has a family feel and they give every client a ton of attention.

ZL: Do you have an idea as to where you’ll be drafted? What’s your floor and what’s your ceiling?

JG: My agent and I have been hearing anywhere from No. 8 to No. 20, anywhere around that range. They don’t see me going past No. 22 and they say the ceiling is around No. 8 or 9. It’s a wide range right now.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Young, Nets, Celtics

May 24th, 2015 at 1:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers hold the third overall pick in this year’s draft and the team will select the player that they believe will be the best player long-term rather than the player who’s more NBA ready now, Tom Moore of Calkins Media writes.

“We’ll spend all the available time between now and then to try to gain all the information we can to make good decisions,” GM Sam Hinkie said. “By design, we’ll have to make a decision at the end of June. I think it’s really a mistake to make one sometimes much, much earlier.”

Many executives believe the Sixers will take D’Angelo Russell, but selecting Emmanuel Mudiay remains a possibility due to his potential. Moore wonders what the team will do if either Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns fall to the third pick. He believes the team would keep Towns, but it would look to trade Okafor, potentially to the Knicks for their fourth overall pick and an additional asset. New York cannot trade a first round pick until 2018, but that might work for Hinkie, who appears to be one of the most patient executives in the league.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Joseph Young will work out for the Nets, Robert Windrem of NetsDaily writes. Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks the Oregon product as the 40th best prospect, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks him as the 53rd. Brooklyn holds the No. 29 and No. 41 picks in this year’s draft.
The Celtics need to improve their talents and cannot afford to pass on free agents this summer, Jackie MacMullan of the Boston Globe opines (Video link). MacMullan concedes that a top target, such as LaMarcus Aldridge, could be difficult to obtain, but even if that is the case, the team needs to add players from the next tier of free agents. She suggests Khris Middleton and Tobias Harris as potential targets. DeMarre Carroll could be another option, as Boston reportedly has interest in the forward. The Celtics have slightly more than $40.4MM in guaranteed salary on the books for the 2015/16 against a projected $67.1MM salary cap. The team could sign a few mid-tier free agents in order to improve on their 40-win campaign.

Draft Notes: Hunter, Mudiay, Kaminsky

May 24th, 2015 at 12:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Georgia State’s R.J. Hunter has the potential to be a draft steal, writes Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. Hunter is a two-time Player of the Year in the Sun Belt and played a key role in the upset of Baylor in the NCAA Tournament. He is currently ranked 21st by Chad Ford of ESPN.com and 24th by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. “Being a coach’s son and a captain alone is extra pressure,” Hunter said during the NBA Combine. “I had to learn how to react to coaching for me and my teammates. So I feel like I’m a good leader. I think I’m a proven leader.”

There’s more news as the NBA counts down to draft day:

The top four teams in the draft have reached out to Emmanuel Mudiay, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Zagoria notes that the Knicks are expecting Mudiay to be available with pick number four, but surprises could happen in the next month to shake up the draft. Zagoria says the Wolves could be willing to trade the number one pick and the Lakers aren’t committed to drafting Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor with the second pick.
Frank Kaminsky is eyeing a new position when he transitions to the NBA, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders writes. “[I’m] turning myself into a four,” Kaminsky said. “In college, I played the five for so long. I know I can play the four. I just have to pick up the nuances. The NBA values big guys that can stretch the floor.”

Chris Crouse contributed to this post

Knicks Notes: Lee, Winslow, Mudiay

May 24th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by ChrisCrouse

Last year was the worst season in franchise history and Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com examines the Knicks’ options to improve their roster. Doolittle suggests the Knicks should target a top level free agent, such as Marc Gasol, Paul Millsap or Greg Monroe. If they are unable to land a top free agent, Doolittle suggests the team should attempt to re-sign Andrea Bargnani to a short-term contract or trade for David Lee, who is a systematic fit and has feel out of the rotation in Golden State. The Warriors already have slightly more than $77.6MM in guaranteed salary on the books for the 2015/16 season and the team will have to account for a possible maximum salary contract for Draymond Green if they want to keep the Michigan State product from leaving in free agency. Bringing Lee back to New York could be the kind of low risk-high reward transaction that could help the team quickly improve on their 17 win campaign.

Here’s more from New York:

The Knicks’ brass are big fans of Justise Winslow, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Ford ranks Winslow as the sixth best prospect, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks him as the seventh best prospect.
Ian Begley of ESPN.com believes the Knicks should consider Winslow because of his potential to make an impact on defense. New York ranked 28th in defensive efficiency last season. Begley also notes that drafting Winslow would force Carmelo Anthony to play more minutes at the four spot, which has benefited the team in the past.
Emmanuel Mudiay is another possibility for the Knicks and Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal profiles the 19-year-old point guard. Herring notes that teams led by Phil Jackson have never invested heavily at the point guard position, but in today’s NBA, the position is more critical than in the past.

Clippers Seeking To Deal For Draft Pick

May 23rd, 2015 at 11:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers would like to trade their way back into this year’s draft, tweets Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times. The writer says Los Angeles is interested in acquiring a pick, but doesn’t specify how high it might be.

The Clippers gave their first-round selection, which falls at No. 28, to the Celtics as compensation when they acquired coach Doc Rivers two years ago. Their second-round choice, No. 57 overall, went to Denver in a 2009 deal for Cheickh Samb.

Faced with bench problems this season, the Clippers will probably have to rely on the draft to improve. The team already has more than $58MM in salary committed for next year, and free agent center DeAndre Jordan is likely to receive a max contract this summer.