2015 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Pierce, Heat, Hornets

May 16th, 2015 at 4:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the sting of his last second shot being waived off because time had expired and his team being eliminated from the postseason still fresh, the Wizards‘ Paul Pierce now has to make a decision regarding his player option for 2015/15 worth $5,543,725, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com writes. “I haven’t really thought about it,” Pierce said. “I don’t even know if I am going to play basketball anymore. These seasons get harder and harder every year, every day. Summers get even harder when you start getting back in shape. I’m 37 years old. I’m top two or three oldest in the league.” Pierce indicated he would take some time and discuss the matter with his family before making his call on next season, Youngmisuk adds. “I have been playing this game [for] like 32 years. Since I was a little kid. Probably going to be the hardest thing to do is put the game down. But I know that time is coming one day. I am not sure if it is this year or next year. I will sit down with my family and figure things out,” Pierce said.

Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Wizards coach Randy Wittman indicated that he’d be very surprised if Pierce didn’t opt in and return to the team next season, J. Michael of CSNWashington.com relays (Twitter link).
Heat president Pat Riley interviewed Kansas swingman Kelly Oubre at the draft combine, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post tweets.
While at the draft combine Hornets executives met with Kentucky’s Devin Booker and Willie Cauley-Stein, as well as Duke forward Justise Winslow, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports in a series of tweets.
Riley also sat down with Booker for an interview, who said that the Heat executive told him that Dwyane Wade was in the final stage of his career and that the young guard would be able to learn from him, Lieser tweets. Also meeting with the team while in Chicago were Arkansas forward Bobby Portis and Kentucky forward Trey Lyles, Lieser adds (Twitter links).

Draft History: Sam Hinkie

May 16th, 2015 at 3:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The 2015 NBA draft is less than two months away, and for teams that aren’t still participating in the NBA playoffs, the focus is on using that event to build toward a better future. The exact draft order won’t be known until the May 19th lottery, when the simple bounce of a ping-pong ball can alter the fate of a franchise. Of course, having one of the top selections in any draft doesn’t guarantee that a team will snag a future All-Star. Team executives and scouts still have the difficult task of making the correct call with their picks.

With this in mind we at Hoops Rumors will be taking a look back at the draft history of the primary basketball executive for each NBA team. Their names, reputations, and possibly employment will be on the line as a result of the decisions to come on June 25th, and we’ll be examining what they’ve done in previous years in charge of a club’s front office. Note that many of them have played other sorts of roles within a team’s executive structure, but this won’t take that into account. We’ll continue onward with a look back at the calls made by Sixers executive Sam Hinkie…

Sixers (May 2013-Present)

2013 Draft

No. 6 Overall — Nerlens Noel*: 75 games, 9.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.9 BPG. .462/.000/.609.
No. 11 Overall — Michael Carter-Williams: 136 games, 15.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.5 APG. .401/.252/.699.
No. 38 Overall — Nate Wolters**: 79 games, 5.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.6 APG. .426/.261/.635.
No. 54 Overall — Arsalan Kazemi**: No NBA regular season appearances.

* Acquired in a trade with the Pelicans along with a 2014 first-rounder in exchange for Jrue Holiday and the No. 42 overall pick (Pierre Jackson).

** Acquired from the Wizards in exchange for the No. 35 overall pick (Glen Rice Jr.). The Sixers then dealt Wolters’ rights to the Bucks the following day in exchange for Ricky Ledo.

Notable players passed over: Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 15) and Rudy Gobert (No. 27).

2014 Draft

No. 3 Overall — Joel Embiid: No NBA regular season appearances.
No. 12 Overall — Dario Saric*: No NBA regular season appearances.
No. 32 Overall — K.J. McDaniels: 62 games, 7.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.2 APG. .396/.287/.752.
No. 39 Overall — Jerami Grant: 65 games, 6.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.2 APG. .352/.314/.591.
No. 52 Overall — Vasilije Micic: No NBA regular season appearances.
No. 58 Overall — Jordan McRae**: No NBA regular season appearances.

*Acquired in a trade with the Magic along with a 2017 first-rounder and a 2015 second round pick in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick (Elfrid Payton).

** Acquired from the Spurs along with the No. 60 overall pick (Cory Jefferson) in exchange for the No. 54 overall pick (Nemanja Dangubic). The rights to Jefferson were then dealt to the Nets in exchange for cash.

*** Dealt the No. 47 overall pick (Russ Smith) to the Pelicans in exchange for Pierre Jackson.

Notable players passed over: Dante Exum (No. 5), Marcus Smart (No. 6), Rodney Hood (No. 23), and Jordan Clarkson (No. 46).

Central Notes: Pistons, Draft, Pacers

May 16th, 2015 at 2:11pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons‘ final draft strategy depends on how the lottery shakes out this coming Tuesday, but the team knows it needs to target a starting forward and some depth at center, Rod Beard of The Detroit News writes. “We can make assumptions and part of the actual draft process is trying to figure out plans for other teams and what their needs may be versus available players in the draft,” GM Jeff Bower said. “As you try to slot it out, you do make educated guesses on what a team need or interest may be based on the workouts and the information flow of interest around the prospects. We’ll try to have a handle on it because it’s good to know what other people will like. Normally more than one team likes the same player and you try to have yourself positioned to get that player or a group of players that you’re very comfortable with.”

Here’s more news from around the Central Division:

Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein sat down at the draft combine with the Pistons, and he said that the team talked to him about playing alongside center Andre Drummond, Keith Langlois of NBA.com tweets.
Cauley-Stein said he has a workout scheduled with the Pacers, as do Arkansas forward Bobby Portis, Quinn Cook of Duke, Kentucky’s Aaron Harrison, and Maryland’s Dez Wells, Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star relays (Twitter links).
Kentucky forward Trey Lyles interviewed with the Pacers while in Chicago for the combine, Buckner tweets. Of his meeting, Lyles said, “I met with them yesterday. It was pretty cool. It would be fun to play there but you know wherever I go, I’ll be fine with.“

Prospect Profile: Justise Winslow

May 16th, 2015 at 12:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Justise Winslow didn’t arrive on the campus of Duke University with quite the same level of hype and fanfare as fellow Blue Devils Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones. But the 19-year-old certainly made a name for himself as the season wore on, and his stellar play in the 2015 NCAA Tournament helped Duke capture the National Championship. In fact, it was Winslow’s performance in March that finally separated him from a crowded 2015 NBA draft field at the forward position, and propelled him from a projected mid first-rounder to a potential top five selection.

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

In 39 games this past season, Winslow averaged 12.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.3 steals in 29.1 minutes per contest. His slash line was .486/.418/.641. The talented forward is currently the No. 5 overall prospect according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) ranks Winslow at No. 6 on his big board.

While Winslow’s superior athleticism is readily apparent, what remains to be seen is if he is simply a player who got hot at the right time, or if his stellar NCAA postseason was part of his natural development into a top-tier player. Winslow’s showing during his pre-draft workouts will be especially vital given the depth at the forward position at the top of the draft. He’ll need to show NBA scouts and executives during these showcases that he can nail his outside shots with consistency, or else he could slide just a bit come draft night.

Offensively, Winslow is still very much a work in progress. He was considered a mediocre shooter coming into college, as he made just 26 of the 86 [30%] 3-pointers he attempted in the 82 games (FIBA, EYBL, Adidas Nations, etc) he participated in prior to arriving at Duke, notes Givony. But the freshman has obviously worked hard on his mechanics, and he connected on 46 of the 111 [41.8%] treys he attempted while at Duke, which was obviously a significant improvement. But Winslow still has virtually no mid-range game to rely on, and he struggles to score coming off the dribble, only hitting on 2 of the 19 pull-ups he attempted on the year according to the DraftExpress scribe. This is not an area of the game that will get easier once he squares off against NBA-caliber defenders, so Winslow will have a lot to prove during his pre-draft showcases to show he’s worthy of a top five pick in June.

Winslow is an absolute stud in the transition game, and in the open floor he is a load to handle on defense thanks to his athleticism. He is also an excellent ball-handler with a solid basketball IQ, and rarely turns the ball over. All rare traits for a freshman. Winslow is also adept at moving without the ball in his hands, and his ability to make cuts and attack the rim should mesh well with the pick-and-roll fetish prevalent in most NBA teams’ offenses today. Matched with a willing and creative point guard, Winslow should receive his fair share of lobs and dunk opportunities as a result of his capable off-the-ball game when he hits the NBA hardwood.

One aspect of his college game that may not travel well to the pros is Winslow’s reliance on his strength to attack the basket. He was able to overpower most of his NCAA opponents down on the block this season, which isn’t necessarily something Winslow will be able to do in the NBA. Especially if he is deployed at power forward like he was the second half of the 2014/15 season. A great deal of Winslow’s success in the NBA offensively will be predicated on his eventual position. Winslow may be able to succeed at the four if utilized the way Carmelo Anthony is by the Knicks when he plays power forward. But I do think Winslow is best suited as a small forward long-term, though he’ll need to develop his consistency from the outside, as well as improve upon his 64% mark from the charity stripe at Duke in order to be an effective wing long term in the NBA.

Winslow’s most appealing quality right now as an NBA prospect is his ability to be a tenacious lockdown defender. This is an area where his strength becomes a tremendous asset, and very few college big men were able to overpower him in the paint area. But Winslow is also quick and agile enough to stay in front of guards while out on the perimeter, giving him tremendous versatility on the defensive end of the floor, Givony opines. Winslow also possesses excellent footwork, solid situational awareness, and he is equally adept at defending one-on-one as he is being a team defender within his rotations.

It’s Winslow’s ability to defend four positions that will stand out when teams are assessing his value as a lottery pick. With more and more NBA teams deploying non-traditional lineups, players will have to be able to adapt and display versatility to benefit their prospective teams. As a defender Winslow reminds me quite a bit of the Hornets’ Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who also was accompanied by questions regarding his outside game when he entered the league. While Kidd-Gilchrist hasn’t evolved into the two-way player that Charlotte had hoped, Winslow’s mechanics are significantly better than the former Kentucky forward, which bodes well for his chances for success in the NBA.

In conclusion, the 19-year-old has an NBA-ready frame, the quickness to guard wing players, but also the strength to bang inside with the fours. But this versatility is also accompanied by the worry that Winslow is a tweener, which is a regular concern with many college forwards transitioning to the NBA. I can see Winslow developing into Kawhi Leonard just as easily as he could become Derrick Williams or Thomas Robinson. And while Williams and Robinson are serviceable rotation pieces, neither is a player who can change the face of a franchise, which is what teams are hoping for from a potential top five selection like Winslow. However, I do like the forward’s chances of growing into a special player in the NBA after a few seasons. Winslow will likely come off the board in the four to seven range on draft night.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Celtics, Knicks

May 16th, 2015 at 10:56am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Sixers could be in the mix to draft Arizona forward Stanley Johnson if their first round pick falls out of the top few selections, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “They’re a winning franchise,” Johnson said of the Sixers. “They told me the facts about how much they’ve won thus far [in franchise history] and the players that they’ve had and what they are trying to do. They are trying to make players get the work ethic part down and that’s what I’m about, so [the interview] was awesome.”

Here’s what else is happening around the Atlantic Division:

Arkansas forward Bobby Portis has six scheduled pre-draft workouts, including one with the Celtics, Jay King of MassLive tweets.
The Sixers sat down for interviews at the Chicago combine with Duke’s Justise WInslow, UCLA’s Kevon Looney, and injured Syracuse big man Chris McCullough, Pompey reports in a series of tweets.
Winslow attended a Yankees game last week with Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, and the freshman said that he would have no problem fitting in alongside ‘Melo if drafted by New York, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “Of course Carmelo loves playing for the Knicks — I know he loves playing for the Knicks,’’ Winslow said. “Our conversation wasn’t how I’d fit in with the Knicks. Our conversation was the adjustment from college to the league and how my workouts were going. He’s being a mentor for a similar guy, similar path, national champion freshman year. It’s great to have a guy like that who accomplished so much to look out for you.’’

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Draft, Woodson

May 15th, 2015 at 10:36pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Lakers have an 82.8% chance to secure a top five pick in this year’s NBA Draft lottery. But despite those excellent odds, Los Angeles’ GM Mitch Kupchak is stressed about the outcome, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. “It’s completely out of our control. But I’m somewhat of a worry-wart,” Kupchak said. “I know our percentage is very high that we end up with a top-five pick, but I have to prepare for if we don’t get it. We’ll be prepared either way.” The executive’s worries stem from the fact that if the pick falls out of the top five it will convey to the Sixers. “If we get a pick, that’s an asset,” Kupchak said. “That’s an asset you can use to trade or work to use it on the player in the draft. If we don’t, we’ll still be able to carry on and move forward.”

Here’s the latest out of the Pacific Division:

Despite having a roster already loaded with outside shooters the Warriors met with Georgia State gunner R.J. Hunter at the draft combine, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets.
The Lakers interviewed Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns and Duke forward Justise Winslow at the combine, Medina relays (Twitter links).
Mike Woodson, who is now an assistant with the Clippers, indicated he still hopes to land another spot as a head coach, Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets. “I’ve been a head coach for nine years in this league. Hopefully I’ll get another opportunity,” Woodson said. The former Hawks and Knicks coach has a career record of 315-365.
Kentucky products Willie Cauley-Stein and Trey Lyles interviewed with the Kings, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee relays (Twitter links).
The Suns will consider taking Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky when making their draft selection this June, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “I feel like I can fit into multiple roles and help the team on the offensive end,” Kaminsky said. “I don’t think I have as many deficiencies on the defensive end as has been so kindly brought up by so many different people. I think I can fit in with just about any team.“

Northwest Notes: Freeland, Jazz, Draft

May 15th, 2015 at 9:39pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Center Joel Freeland can become a restricted free agent this summer if the Blazers tender him a qualifying offer worth $3,766,890, and Sean Meagher of the Oregonian, along with a panel of writers, runs down the case for the team to retain the big man. While Freeland’s numbers don’t stand out, he can be a solid backup when healthy, the panel notes. Working against Freeland is the fact that he is relatively easy to replace, though there is mutual interest in the 28-year-old returning to Rip City next season, the writers add.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Jazz interviewed UNLV’s Christian Wood, Arizona’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Chris McCullough of Syracuse, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune relays in a series of tweets. Also scoring an interview with Utah was Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant, Jones adds.
Arizona forward Stanley Johnson is set to interview with representatives from the Jazz on Saturday, Jones tweets.
The Jazz also have an interest in Cameron Payne, and the team is expected to bring him in for an individual workout, Jones adds (Twitter link). Utah also wants to schedule individual workouts with Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky and Kansas swingman Kelly Oubre, Jones relays.
The Trail Blazers interviewed Arkansas’ Bobby Portis and Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell, both forwards, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com relays (Twitter links).
Duke point guard Tyus Jones met with the Timberwolves today, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune writes. Jones, who is a native of Minnesota, dished on his excitement about joining the NBA, Zgoda relays. “Every kid who plays basketball dreams it, but it’s one of those things that might not seem realistic,” Jones said. “You don’t necessarily see a lot of guys from Minnesota go to the NBA. Especially for me, being out of Apple Valley, it doesn’t seem like it’s possible. But it’s just one of those things: If you work hard, put your mind to something, you can do it. I’m proud to be from Apple Valley, Minnesota, and I’m very excited about this opportunity.”

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Raptors, Knicks

May 15th, 2015 at 8:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers fans may want to hope that the team doesn’t land the top pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Daily News opines. Cooney’s reasoning is that if Philly nabs the No. 1 overall pick the team will either select another big man, or quite possibly trade the selection for more future assets, which could further delay the team’s rebuilding process. Conversely, if the Sixers fall to third or fourth the team will be more likely to select D’Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay, and thus land its point guard of the future, Cooney adds.

Here’s more from the NBA’s Atlantic Division:

The Raptors have six free agents whom they need to decide the futures of, and Holly MacKenzie of NBA.com examines the situation for each. These players include Amir Johnson, Landry Fields, and Lou Williams.
Knicks team president Phil Jackson met with Russell at the draft combine today, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reports (Twitter links). Also meeting with the Knicks, though the Zen Master wasn’t present, was Kansas big man Cliff Alexander, Zagoria adds
The Knicks also met with Duke’s Justise Winslow and Jerian Grant of Notre Dame, Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal relays in a series of tweets. Kentucky big man Willie Cauley-Stein said that he is scheduled to work out for the team in New York this Sunday, Herring adds.
Cauley-Stein also sat down with members of the Sixers’ front office, and he came away with the impression that the team was genuinely interested in him, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
Arkansas power forward Bobby Portis has a workout scheduled with the Celtics, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com reports (Twitter link).
The Sixers have scheduled workouts on Tuesday for Keifer Sykes and Terry Rozier, both of whom are guards, Pompey tweets.

Draft Notes: Combine, Tokoto, Christmas

May 15th, 2015 at 5:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the 2015 NBA Draft combine in full swing, two players whose performances in the five-on-five events have elevated their draft stock are Syracuse’s Rakeem Christmas and North Carolina’s J.P. Tokoto, Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) relays. When discussing Christmas’ potential one NBA GM told Ford, “He had an advantage [over his combine competition] as a four-year senior. But that wasn’t what set him apart. I felt he showed that he could disrupt shots, attack the rim and play bigger than I felt he did at Syracuse. There aren’t many centers in this draft after the lottery, and I think he’ll draw a lot of interest for teams in the late first and early second.”

Here’s the latest news regarding the 2015 NBA Draft:

Another player who may have improved his draft stock according Ford was Kentucky guard Andrew Harrison. “I haven’t been a big fan of his all year,” one GM told Ford. “But if you take all of that away, he was one of the two or three best players here. He played under control, made some great passes, got to the line relentlessly [7-for-8] and just played with confidence. It was a very good showing.“
There were some scouts who questioned if Tokoto was ready to make the jump from college to the pros, but for his part the player has no regrets about his decision, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel writes. “I’m past that,” Tokoto said of worrying about his choice. “All that really matters is if my family and I are comfortable with my decision. I know I made the right decision. With the teams I’m interviewing with, the question about my jump shot comes up. To go out and have a game like this…I told them, ‘I’ve been working on it and I’m going to shoot jump shots.’“
Oregon guard Joseph Young worked out for the Pacers on Thursday, and he has upcoming workouts scheduled with the Blazers and Spurs, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com tweets.
Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter) also lauded the performances of Harrison and Christmas, while also adding Louisville’s Terry Rozier and Bowling Green’s Richaun Holmes to the list of players who stood out at the combine.

Bulls Notes: Butler, Noah, Anderson

May 15th, 2015 at 2:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jimmy Butler is a “lock” to get the max this summer, Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes, while sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com that the Knicks and Lakers are the teams that draw most frequent mention as potential suitors. It jibes with earlier reports from David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune, who wrote in January that the Bulls planned to quickly entice Butler to commit to a max deal, and from Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops and Shams Charania of RealGM, who identified the Knicks and Lakers, respectively, as likely suitors. In any case, it seems like Butler will be back with Chicago, with the question centering on just how long of a contract he’ll sign, as Lowe examines.

We’re keeping up with all the Tom Thibodeau rumors here, but we’ll round up more from Chicago in this post, with a little opinion on Thibs sprinkled in, as the Bulls lick their wounds from Thursday’s playoff ouster:

Lowe, in the same piece, speculates that Taj Gibson is the most likely trade candidate on the Bulls and relays that executives around the league are curious about whether Joakim Noah, whose contract is up after next season, is indeed too banged up to ever return to peak form.
The Bulls have a workout scheduled with Virginia small forward Justin Anderson soon after this week’s draft combine, MassLive’s Jay King tweets. Anderson is also working out with the Celtics, as we passed along earlier.
Tom Thibodeau’s sub-.500 playoff record and resistance to hiring an offensive-minded assistant are among the reasons why the Bulls would be justified in letting him go, Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune opines.
Defense has defined Thibodeau’s teams, but Chicago’s most pressing need in the offseason is to find a way to force more turnovers next season, as Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com opines in an Insider-only piece.