2015 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Thunder Sign Cameron Payne

July 10th, 2015 at 2:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The Thunder have signed Cameron Payne, this year’s No. 14 overall pick, the team announced. His rookie scale contract is likely worth slightly more than $9.6MM over four years, with a first-year salary of nearly $2.022MM, presuming he gets the standard 120% of the rookie scale, as our table of salaries for 2015 first-round picks shows.

Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors had predicted in our final mock draft that Payne would go to the Thunder amid rumors of a promise from the team. Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who originally reported that chatter, had Payne as the No. 14 prospect in his rankings. Payne starred at mid-major Murray State, averaging 20.2 points, 6.0 assists and 2.5 turnovers this past season, and he told Zach Links of Hoops Rumors before the draft that he compares his game to that of Tony Parker.

The signing of the Travis King client raises his cap hold by roughly $300K, but it does little to affect flexibility for Oklahoma City, which is already well above the $70MM cap. The Thunder figure to pay the tax should they match Portland’s offer sheet to Enes Kanter, as expected, but the club didn’t end up trading its pick and seems committed to Payne as a backup for Russell Westbrook.

Jazz Sign Trey Lyles

July 7th, 2015 at 6:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

6:50pm: The Jazz have officially signed Lyles, the team announced.

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

4:06pm: Trey Lyles, this year’s No. 12 overall pick, has agreed to sign his rookie scale contract with the Jazz, reports TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link). That a first-round pick would do so is not usually news, as the existence of the rookie scale usually resolves all meaningful negotiation, but the sides had been struggling to hash out details, as GM Dennis Lindsey acknowledged. The Jazz still haven’t made any formal announcement. The Jazz are giving him four years at $10.4MM, according to Aldridge, who appears to be rounding up from $10,386,049, which is 120% of his scale amount and the most Utah can pay.

Utah could have paid the Rich Paul client as little as 80% of rookie scale, but that would be highly unusual for a lottery pick. Lindsey suggested that the hangup had to do with cap holds, and indeed, many teams with the flexibility to open cap room wait to sign their first-round picks. The Jazz entered July with about $49MM in guaranteed salary and have since reportedly struck a two-year, $4.5MM deal with Joe Ingles, and apparently are poised to sign draft-and-stash point guard Raul Neto, too. The cap hold for Lyles will jump from $1,866,500 to $2,239,800 when he signs for 120% of the rookie scale, so the Jazz would retain a touch of financial flexibility if they wait.

Lyles hasn’t participated in any summer league games or practices for the Jazz so far, likely a matter of consternation as Utah revives its in-house summer league this year. It’s not uncommon for draftees to appear in summer league games even before they sign.

Just how the combo forward’s game will translate to the NBA remains a mystery, as Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors wrote in his prospect profile of one of the many University of Kentucky players in this year’s draft. Still, he has an intriguing mid-range game and was the ninth-best prospect this year, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranked him 18th. Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors had him going 13th in his last mock draft.

Rockets Sign Sam Dekker

July 7th, 2015 at 12:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Rockets have signed Sam Dekker, this year’s No. 18 overall pick, the Priority Sports agency tweets (hat tip to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle). Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston says agent Mark Bartelstein told him the sides have a verbal agreement in place (Twitter link), and the team has yet to make any official announcement. Regardless of whether Dekker has actually put pen to paper, the signing is likely a mere formality, as the rookie scale usually removes any substantive negotiation between teams and their first-round picks. Dekker will make more than $1.646MM this year in the first year of a four-year deal, presuming he receives the standard 120% of the rookie scale.

Dekker’s stock surged amid Wisconsin’s run to the national championship game in the NCAA Tournament. The small forward is dynamic, with high basketball IQ and toughness, though he’s not a standout in any particular area, and his outside shooting could use some work, as Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors wrote in his prospect profile.

Houston took Dekker largely within his projected range. Chad Ford of ESPN.com had him as the 16th-best prospect, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranked him 21st. Our Eddie Scarito predicted he’d go 17th in the final Hoops Rumors Mock Draft.

The Rockets will likely remain over the cap after missing out on star targets LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love, so the Dekker signing, which will lift his cap hold by roughly $300K, is unlikely to affect the team’s flexibility.

Timberwolves Sign Karl-Anthony Towns

July 7th, 2015 at 9:06am CST by Chuck Myron

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The Timberwolves have officially signed No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns, the team announced (Twitter link). He’ll almost certainly make close to $5.704MM this season, the first of his four-year rookie scale contract, on the standard 120% of the rookie scale, as our table of likely salaries for first-round picks shows. The formal signing represents one of the few types of transactions that can take place before Thursday, when the July Moratorium will be over.

Towns emerged as the top contender to become the No. 1 pick during the NCAA Tournament, even though his star-studded Kentucky team fell short of the national title that Jahlil Okafor, previously the leading prospect, came away with as a part of Duke’s team. Timberwolves coach/president of basketball operations Flip Saunders seemed like a late convert, but he ultimately came on board. Towns’ superior all-court game sets him apart, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors examined in his prospect profile.

The timing of the move, coming along with the team’s signing of No. 24 overall pick Tyus Jones and shortly after reports of agreements with Kevin Garnett and Nemanja Bjelica, likely signals an end to the major business of the summer for Minnesota, outside of trades. The team will almost certainly operate above the cap, though it will have a roughly $1.7MM portion of its mid-level left to make additions after likely having committed part of it to Bjelica.

Wolves Sign Tyus Jones

July 7th, 2015 at 9:04am CST by Will Joseph

TUESDAY, 9:04am: The deal is official, the team announced (on Twitter).

SUNDAY, 11:17pm: The Wolves signed No. 24 pick Tyus Jones, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reports (Twitter link). The team hasn’t made any formal announcement, but Jones put pen to paper days ago, according to Wolfson.

Judging from the standard 120% of the rookie scale, Jones can expect to earn $1,282,080 the first year, $1,339,680 in year two, $1,397,400 the third year, and $2,444,053 during the final season.

The Wolves acquired Jones, a Minnesota native, from the Cavaliers. Jones, who has solid floor vision and leadership skills, was the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four this year at Duke. Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors profiled Jones and described him as “quite possibly the best pure point guard in this year’s draft.”

2015 Draft Pick Signings

July 6th, 2015 at 12:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

Teams commonly show their newly minted draft picks off to the public in the days following the event, even going to the trouble of printing up jerseys for them to hold for the cameras. Yet unlike free agency, when such displays only happen after contracts are officially signed, most teams wait a while to finalize their deals with draft picks. In some cases, the players never wind up wearing those jerseys in a game, and that’s especially true of second-rounders.

Still, most first-rounders end up signing at some point, and the predetermined rookie scale contracts they sign eliminate most of the negotiation. I recently ran down the likely salary for each first-round pick, and that’s what the first-rounders with “signed” by their names are getting, unless otherwise noted. There’s no scale for second-rounders, so they wind up signing deals of varying structure and worth. As we update this post throughout the offseason, you’ll see links to details on the contracts for each second-rounder who signs with his NBA club.

Each player is listed next to the team that holds his rights, which isn’t necessarily the team that drafted him, since so many picks change hands on draft night. We’ll update this post whenever there’s news of a signing, and you’ll be able to find a link to it under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar so you can keep up to date throughout the summer.

First Round

Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns, F/C, Kentucky — signed
Lakers: D’Angelo Russell, G, Ohio State — signed
Sixers: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke — signed
Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis, F, Latvia — signed
Magic: Mario Hezonja, SG, Croatia — signed
Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky — signed
Nuggets: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Guangdong Southern — signed
Pistons: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona — signed
Hornets: Frank Kaminsky, PF, Wisconsin — signed
Heat: Justise Winslow, SF, Duke — signed
Pacers: Myles Turner, C, Texas — signed
Jazz: Trey Lyles, F, Kentucky — signed
Suns: Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky — signed
Thunder: Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State — signed
Wizards: Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas — signed
Celtics: Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville — signed
Bucks: Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV — signed
Rockets: Sam Dekker, F, Wisconsin — signed
Knicks: Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame — signed
Raptors: Delon Wright, PG, Utah — signed
Mavericks: Justin Anderson, F, Virginia — signed
Bulls: Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas — signed
Nets: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona — signed
Timberwolves: Tyus Jones, PG, Duke — signed
Grizzlies: Jarell Martin, F, LSU — signed
Spurs: Nikola Milutinov, C, Serbia — signed overseas
Lakers: Larry Nance Jr., PF, Wyoming — signed
Celtics: R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State — signed
Nets: Chris McCullough, PF, Syracuse — signed
Warriors: Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA — signed

Second Round

Cavaliers: Cedi Osman, G/F, Macedonia — remains overseas
Rockets: Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville — signed to a three-year, $3.135MM deal.
Celtics: Jordan Mickey, PF, LSU — signed to a four-year, $5MM deal.
Lakers: Anthony Brown, SF, Stanford — signed to a three-year deal for about $2.589MM.
Knicks: Guillermo Hernangomez, C, Spain — likely to stay overseas
Pacers: Rakeem Christmas, F/C, Syracuse — signed to a four-year, $4.3MM deal.
Sixers: Richaun Holmes, PF, Bowling Green — signed to a four-year, $4.2MM deal.
Pistons: Darrun Hilliard, SF, Villanova — signed to a three-year deal for $2,489,382.
Nets: Juan Vaulet, SF, Argentina — likely to stay overseas
Heat: Josh Richardson, SG, Tennessee — signed a three-year, minimum-salary deal.
Trail Blazers: Pat Connaughton, SG, Notre Dame — signed to a three-year deal for about $2.5MM.
Jazz: Olivier Hanlan, G, Boston College — signed overseas.
Pacers: Joseph Young, G, Oregon — signed to four year deal for $4.3MM.
Grizzlies: Andrew Harrison, G, Kentucky — agreed to sign in D-League
Celtics: Marcus Thornton, G, William & Mary — signed to play overseas
Raptors: Norman Powell, SG, UCLA — signed to a three-year deal for about $2.5MM.
Kings: Arturas Gudaitis, C, Lithuania — signed overseas
Thunder: Dakari Johnson, C, Kentucky — agreed to sign in D-League
Wizards: Aaron White, F, Iowa — signed overseas
Hawks: Marcus Eriksson, SG, Sweden — likely to stay overseas
Magic: Tyler Harvey, SG, Eastern Washington — agreed to sign in D-League
Mavericks: Satnam Singh, C, India — likely to sign in D-League
Cavaliers: Sir’Dominic Pointer, SF, St. John’s — agreed to sign in D-League
Trail Blazers: Daniel Diez, SF, Spain — under contract overseas
Spurs: Cady Lalanne, F/C, Massachusetts — signing in D-League
Clippers: Branden Dawson, F, Michigan State — signed to a two-year, minimum salary deal.
Nuggets: Nikola Radicevic, PG, Serbia — likely to stay overseas
Sixers: J.P. Tokoto, G/F, North Carolina — signed one-year, non-guaranteed minimum salary required tender
Hawks: Dimitrios Agravanis, F, Greece — likely to stay overseas
Kings: Luka Mitrovic, PF, Serbia — extended overseas contract

Categories:
2015 NBA Draft

Raptors Sign Delon Wright

July 3rd, 2015 at 1:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors have signed Delon Wright, whom they took No. 20 in last week’s draft, the team announced. The signing of a first-round pick is one of the few sorts of transactions allowed during the July Moratorium.

The formal signing is a subtle hint that the Raptors are out on targets like LaMarcus Aldridge, just as Justise Winslow‘s signing earlier today was for the Heat, though both may have more to do with having them under contract in time for summer league, as their cap holds increase, but only slightly. The cap hold for Wright had been nearly $1.258MM, and it increases to slightly more than $1.509MM as he formally joins Toronto’s roster, assuming the point guard from the University of Utah is getting the standard 120% of the rookie scale.

Wright was a slight reach, having been ranked No. 27 in Chad Ford’s ESPN Insider listings and No. 28 with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress going into the draft. Still, he was a far more conventional selection than Bruno Caboclo was last year when Toronto took him at the same No. 20 spot.

Heat Sign Justise Winslow

July 3rd, 2015 at 10:49am CST by Chuck Myron

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The Heat have signed No. 10 overall pick Justise Winslow, the team announced, as Miami formally brings the Duke small forward that team president Pat Riley raved about onto the roster. Teams may officially sign first-round picks during the July Moratorium, as Miami is doing here, though most other moves must wait until Thursday, when the Moratorium is over.

Most teams hesitate to sign their first-rounders until after they’re done making free agent moves, so this news is further indication that the Heat are extreme long shots to land LaMarcus Aldridge, in spite of Riley’s meeting with the power forward Thursday. Still, the timing might just have to do with summer league, as Winslow put pen to paper before the team’s first summer league practice, notes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).

Winslow’s cap hold likely goes from slightly more than $2.068MM to nearly $2.482MM, assuming the Heat are giving him the standard 120% of the rookie scale. If that’s the case, he’ll be in line to make a total of $11,613,750 over the four-year rookie scale contract.

Winslow is a versatile player, though it’s possible he’ll end up a tweener, stuck between both forward positions, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors wrote in his prospect profile. Eddie had Winslow going at No. 5 in our final mock draft, so perhaps that positional concern played into his drop on draft night.

Northwest Rumors: Thunder, Mudiay, Jazz

June 30th, 2015 at 5:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Thunder want a first-round pick to part with Perry Jones, according to two execs who spoke with Chris Mannix of SI. Unfortunately for OKC, however, that doesn’t seem to be a realistic demand. Here’s more from the Northwest Division..

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone spoke with Mannix about the chaos of draft night and the events leading up the selection of Emmanuel Mudiay. Mudiay did not work out for Denver, but the Nuggets did watch a great deal of film on him. Despite the uncertainty, Malone said that he trusted his front office and wasn’t hesitant about the pick.
The Jazz will have a conversation with Raul Neto, the Brazilian point guard they drafted two years ago, to gauge his interest in playing in the NBA next season, according to Aaron Falk, Tony Jones, and Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune. The sense is that the Jazz want the 2013 second round pick to join them sooner rather than later. However, it’s not clear where he’d fit in given the team’s current logjam at point guard.
The Raptors never considered Tomislav Zubčić, a late second-round pick in the 2012 draft whose rights Toronto sent to the Thunder today, to be an NBA prospect, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (on Twitter). Apparently, the Raptors drafted him mostly as a favor to help speed up the team’s buyout for Jonas Valanciunas, Wolstat writes.
Blazers GM Neil Olshey is prepared for what’s ahead, regardless of whether LaMarcus Aldridge stays or goes, Ian Thomsen of NBA.com writes.
The Thunder announced that they have named Monty Williams, Maurice Cheeks, and Anthony Grant as assistant coaches.

Southeast Rumors: Heat, Winslow, Harris, Brand

June 30th, 2015 at 2:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald (via Barry Jackson on Twitter) hears that the Celtics offered the Heat four first-round picks and two second-rounders for their No. 10 pick so that they could grab Justise Winslow. Instead, Miami stood pat and grabbed the Duke star, who many feel could wind up being the sleeper of the draft. Here’s more from the Southeast Division..

Magic forward Tobias Harris is looking for a max or near-max offer sheet since the salary cap is set to rise, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). If he gets a large enough offer, Kennedy adds, the Magic might not match. Harris, as expected, received a QO from Orlando earlier today.
The Hawks likely won’t re-sign Elton Brand, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Vivlamore anticipates that Mike Muscala, entering his third season, will have an increased role with Brand out of the picture.
More from Vivlamore, who tweets that the Hawks have announced that Kyle Korver will undergo surgery. The sharpshooter’s procedure will be done in New York by Dr. David Altchek.
Magic GM Rob Hennigan said it’s possible he will be “very active” in free agency, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Still, Robbins points out that Orlando is unlikely to jump into the mix for Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, or Kevin Love.
Janis Timma, whose NBA rights were traded to the Magic last week, has joined up with B.C. Zenit Saint Petersburg, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (on Twitter).
Mario Hezonja‘s buyout agreement calls for him to give $1.4MM to his former club, not ~$1.8MM as previously reported, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.net (on Twitter). In a chat with Robbins, agent Arn Tellem confirmed that the buyout for the Magic‘s top draft pick has been finalized.