2015 NBA Draft

A.J. Hammons Declines To Enter Draft

April 18th, 2015 at 4:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Purdue junior A.J. Hammons will skip the NBA draft this season and return to school for his senior campaign, the team has announced. The big man was a potential second-rounder if he entered this year’s draft, with Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranking him the No. 45 overall prospect, and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress slotting him 51st.

“Earning my degree is one of the most important goals that I have for myself and returning to Purdue next year will enable me to reach that,” Hammons said. “In addition, I feel that our team has a lot of unfinished business to reach next season and I want to be a part of something special. Purdue is an outstanding school with great people and the chance to compete for a Big Ten Championship and more is something I want to experience again with my teammates.”

In 34 appearances for the Boilermakers last season, the seven-footer averaged 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks in 24.3 minutes per game. His career numbers are 11.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.6 BPG. Hammons’ career slash line is .516/.000/.684.

And-Ones: Salary Cap, Draft, Sefolosha

April 17th, 2015 at 9:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

At this week’s NBA Board of Governors meetings, teams were advised ‎that the league’s salary cap could rise past the $100MM mark as soon as the 2017/18 season, Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. Stein’s sources informed him that, based on current projections, league officials expect the salary cap to increase from its current $63.1MM figure to $67.1MM next season, $89MM in 2016/17, and $108MM in 2017/18. The league has been careful to stress to its teams that these projections are contingent on the NBA and its players avoiding a work stoppage after the 2016/17 season when the league and the NBPA can opt out of the current CBA, Stein adds.

Here’s more from around the league:

Alpha Kaba, a 6’10” forward playing for the French team Espoirs Pau-Orthez, will enter the 2015 NBA draft, Pedja Materic of BeoBasket.net tweets. The 19-year-old is not currently projected to be selected in June.
The league also discussed playoff reform during its Board of Governors meetings, and while no immediate changes are coming, the league is mulling a number of options, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report relays (Twitter links). One of the options being discussed according to commissioner Adam Silver is the addition of a play-in tournament, Beck notes.
The NBA also discussed potential draft lottery reform, but the league concluded that it wasn’t ready to make a change yet, Beck tweets.
Thabo Sefolosha underwent successful surgery today to repair a fractured fibula and ligament damage in his right leg, the Hawks announced. Sefolosha will have an expected recovery period of about six months, and Atlanta hopes that he’ll be ready for the start of training camp.

2015 NBA Draft Prospect Power Rankings 5.0

April 17th, 2015 at 6:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The 2015 NBA draft is a little over two months away and underclassmen are still in the process of declaring their intentions for June’s big event. Front offices and scouting departments throughout the NBA are hard at work trying to determine which players they will pin the future of their franchises on, and Hoops Rumors will be doing the same all the way up until the draft. Here are my current top 20 players in descending order with last month’s ranking in parentheses:

1 (4) Karl-Anthony Towns-PF/C (Kentucky/Freshman)

-7’0″, 250 pounds

–DraftExpress Rank: No. 1

–ESPN Rank: No. 1

–Stats: 10.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.3 BPG. .566/.250/.813.

Towns has officially declared himself eligible for the 2015 NBA draft and it was likely an easy decision for him to make. The talented big man has overtaken Jahlil Okafor as the player projected by most experts to be selected No. 1 overall. This ascent is more about what Towns has shown scouts and executives, and less about what Okafor has not. Towns possesses a much higher upside than Okafor, and his athleticism is far superior as well. The big man’s stats were negatively impacted by Kentucky’s depth and platoon system, but he showed more than enough to make NBA personnel drool at the thought of adding him to their squads.

2 (1) Jahlil Okafor-C (Duke/Freshman)

-6’11”, 272 pounds

–DraftExpress Rank: No. 2

–ESPN Rank: No. 2

–Stats: 17.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 1.4 BPG. .664/.000/.510.

While Okafor could still easily be the No. 1 overall selection in June, his lack of explosive athleticism and defensive limitations has opened the door for Towns to usurp him as the alpha of the 2015 draft. Okafor is still one of the most offensively polished big men to come along in quite some time, which should make any team that nabs him very happy. The big man is likely to produce earlier in his career than Towns, but he will also likely plateau quicker.

3 (3) D’Angelo Russell-SG/PG (Ohio State/Freshman)

-6’5″, 176 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 4

-ESPN Rank: No. 4

-Stats: 19.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 5.0 APG. .449/.411/.756.

No player has improved his draft stock more than Russell since the beginning of the college season. The lefty didn’t have a great NCAA tournament, and his lack of explosiveness was exposed by fellow draft prospect Rondae Hollis-Jefferson during Ohio State’s loss to Arizona. This quieted the Russell as the possible No. 1 overall pick talks a bit, but the versatile guard is almost assuredly a top four selection. When choosing between him and Emmanuel Mudiay, teams will need to weigh Mudiay’s higher ceiling and superior athletic skills to Russell’s excellent outside shooting and intangibles. I’m rating Russell higher because of his ability to play both guard spots, and him being the better known prospect right now around NBA circles. However, things could change rapidly when individual workouts begin and Mudiay is able to show off his wares. You can check out my expanded profile on Russell here.

4 (4) Emmanuel Mudiay-PG (Guangdong)

-6’5″, 200 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 3

-ESPN Rank: No. 3

-Stats: 18.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 6.3 APG. .493/.321/.586

Mudiay, despite barely having played in months due to an ankle injury, is still considered the most physically talented guard in the draft. Not playing college ball didn’t hurt Dante Exum prior to the 2014 draft, and Mudiay is a more NBA-ready prospect than he was, and it wouldn’t be a complete shock for him to go No. 1 overall, depending on the team selecting first and its needs (ie: the Sixers). The young guard also demonstrated great maturity during his time overseas, something not likely lost on NBA executives. Mudiay is almost sure to dazzle in his pre-draft workouts, and he’ll definitely be selected in the top five.

5 (8) Justise Winslow-SF (Duke/Freshman)

-6’6″, 221 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 5

-ESPN Rank: No. 6

-Stats: 12.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 2.1 APG. .486/.418/.641.

Winslow cemented himself as an early lottery pick with his stellar play during the NCAA tournament. For much of the season there wasn’t much separating the numerous wings slotted to enter June’s draft, but Winslow has finally overtaken all the rest. His physical skills are tantalizing and he appears to have just scratched the surface on his ample talent. Winslow’s a player who could easily sneak into the top three depending on how the draft lottery shakes out. The wing also may just become the jewel of the class of 2015 in a few short seasons.

6 (5) Willie Cauley-Stein-C (Kentucky/Junior)

-7’0″, 244 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 6

-ESPN Rank: No. 7

-Stats: 8.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 1.7 BPG. .572/.000/.617.

Cauley-Stein’s decision to return to Kentucky for his junior season has paid off handsomely for him. He is an absolute defensive monster, and can step into an NBA rotation immediately. The big man is still limited offensively, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. I project Cauley-Stein to produce similar numbers to Tyson Chandler, which isn’t a bad thing at all. While he may be close to his ceiling as a prospect, the big man is easily the most NBA-ready in the entire draft. If the Knicks fall out of the top three selections in the draft I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see them nab Cauley-Stein with their pick.

7 (7) Kristaps Porzingis-PF (Baloncesto Sevilla)

-7’0″, 220 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 8

-ESPN Rank: No. 5

-Stats: 10.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 0.9 BPG. .560/.328/.750.

Porzingis is a likely top five pick, but I still remain unimpressed with his game. He has excellent athleticism, and is a talented three-point shooter, but Porzingis hasn’t necessarily dominated in European competition, which raises all kinds of red flags with me. There have been plenty of European players who have entered the league with high expectations based on their physical skills, only to turn out to be draft busts. Porzingis is a project with an extremely high upside, but I would think twice about taking him in the top five. My first instinct was to rank him outside the top 10, but it’s almost assured that some team will take a gamble on him near the top of the draft. Porzingis is being compared to Nikola Mirotic by some scouts, though I don’t believe he has the same level of polish that the Bulls rookie had at the same age.

8 (6) Stanley Johnson-SF (Arizona/Freshman)

-6’7″, 237 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 9

-ESPN Rank: No. 11

-Stats: 13.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.5 SPG. .446/.371/.742.

Johnson is an absolute man-child with an NBA-ready body and excellent strength. He reminds me a bit of Larry Johnson (no relation), though he is nowhere near as polished on the offensive end as the elder Johnson was coming out of UNLV. Where the freshman will be selected is still a bit of a puzzle. As far as wings go in this draft: Winslow is more athletic and has a much higher upside; Mario Hezonja’s outside game is more highly regarded; and Kelly Oubre is also rated as a superior outside shooter, with his upside also projected to exceed that of Johnson’s. I still like Johnson’s chances to be a lottery pick, but he’s the most likely of my current top 10 to slide lower in the draft.

9 (9) Kevon Looney-PF (UCLA/Freshman)

-6’9″, 220 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 20

-ESPN Rank: No. 10

-Stats: 11.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 0.9 BPG. .470/.415/.626.

Looney’s production tailed off toward the end of the season, though his mediocre NCAA tournament numbers can be attributed to him dealing with the effects of a facial fracture that he suffered during the PAC-12 tournament. The freshman is a bit of a tweener, similar to Aaron Gordon a year ago in that respect, but he has a far more polished offensive game than Gordon did at Arizona last season. Looney’s potential as a player is off-the-charts, but he’ll need to find an NBA position in order to carve out a place in a rotation for himself. He’s a player that could be looked back on as a steal if he slides toward the middle of the draft.

10 (11) Myles Turner-C (Texas/Freshman)

-6’11”, 242 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 12

-ESPN Rank: No. 9

-Stats: 10.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 2.6 BPG. .455/.274/.839.

Turner is a project, but he’s one who could pay dividends for a patient team. He’s a good scorer with range out to the three-point line, but he lacks aggressiveness. Turner is a solid shot blocker, but he needs to improve as a rebounder if he wants to be more than just a rotation player in the NBA. There are also some legitimate concerns regarding his knees due to his odd way of running. Big men tend to break down faster than players at other positions, so long-term health is a definite concern with Turner. The big man isn’t as talented as Okafor and Towns, nor is he as polished as Cauley-Stein, but if a team is looking for a potential late lottery steal whose upside compares with LaMarcus Aldridge, then Turner could fit the bill. Patience will be required with the 19-year-old, and some serious D-League time will be needed during his rookie season. You can check out my expanded profile on Turner here.

11 (10) Mario Hezonja-SG (Barcelona Regal)

-6’7″, 200 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 7

-ESPN Rank: No. 8

-Stats: 8.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.1 APG. .475/.406/.739.

Hezonja is a projected lottery selection, but I’m not sold on his long-term future in the NBA. He’s a possible draft-and-stash pick, which could benefit him since he needs quite a bit more development before making the jump to the NBA. Hezonja is very athletic and can light it up from the outside when he’s “on,” but he’s a poor defender, which doesn’t help his value. He also isn’t putting up eye-catching numbers overseas, which doesn’t bode well for his NBA fortunes. There have also been some red flags raised about his attitude, ability to accept coaching, and overall maturity. These concerns could serve to lower Hezonja’s draft stock around the league.

12 (12) Kelly Oubre-SF (Kansas/Freshman)

-6’6″, 204 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 13

-ESPN Rank: No. 12

-Stats: 9.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 0.8 APG. .444/.358/.718.

Oubre’s draft stock has taken a hit since the beginning of the season when he was a projected top 5 pick in this year’s draft. The swingman has shown growth since the beginning of the campaign, but he’s still far too inconsistent a player for my liking. Oubre would benefit immensely from another year in school, and he’d likely work his way into the top seven picks in 2016 if he did return to Kansas. But with Oubre declaring his intent to enter this year’s draft, that is now a moot point. Oubre needs quite a bit of polish, but he is a talented defender who can nail three-pointers quite well. Players like that can usually find consistent work in the NBA, which makes Oubre worth the gamble toward the end of the lottery. You can check out my expanded profile on Oubre here.

13 (-) Sam Dekker-SF (Wisconsin/Junior)

-6’9″, 230 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 15

-ESPN Rank: No. 15

-Stats: 13.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.2 APG. .525/.331/.708.

Dekker’s play during the NCAA tournament boosted his draft stock mightily. Prior to March’s big dance, the 20-year-old was a projected mid-to-late first-rounder, and now he’s a potential lottery pick. The forward brings a lot of versatility to the court, and could be valuable as a stretch four off of the bench in the NBA. I’m taking his late season excellence as an outlier, and expect Dekker’s NBA performance to be more in line with the player who only shot 32% from deep the last two seasons. Dekker also carries the dreaded tweener tag, and will likely struggle on defense no matter which forward spot he mans. As a mid first-round pick I like Dekker, but don’t be blinded by a few excellent performances in March as to his true ability level.

14 (18) Jakob Poeltl-C (Utah/Freshman)

-7’0″, 230 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 11

-ESPN Rank: No. 14

-Stats: 9.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.9 BPG. .681/.000/.4.

Poeltl’s play cooled off after a strong start to the season, but he did impress with his play against Okafor in the NCAA tournament. There were, and perhaps still are, concerns about Poeltl being able to hold his ground in the post against bigger, more athletic players. But the freshman gave Okafor fits, and in the process cemented himself as a mid first-rounder. Poeltl hasn’t declared for the draft yet, and is reportedly considering returning to Utah for another season. The seven-footer could definitely use more polish, so another year in college would be a wise move for his long-term development. The Austrian could be a lottery pick next season if he resists the lure of NBA money this year.

15 (17) Frank Kaminsky-C (Wisconsin/Senior)

-7’0″, 242 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 10

-ESPN Rank: No. 13

-Stats: 18.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 1.5 BPG. .547/.416/.780.

Kaminsky isn’t likely to become a star in the NBA, nor even an effective starter. But he’ll be able to contribute on the offensive end immediately for whichever team selects him. Kaminsky reminds me quite a bit of the Celtics’ Kelly Olynyk offensively, which isn’t a bad thing at all. Unfortunately, he also shares Olynyk’s weaknesses as a rebounder and defender. As a mid first-rounder, Kaminsky would be a solid pick, though he will have a limited ceiling thanks to his athletic shortcomings.

16 (13) Devin Booker-SG (Kentucky/Freshman)

-6’6″, 195 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 17

-ESPN Rank: No. 18

-Stats: 10.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.1 APG. .470/.411/.828.

Booker has certainly come on since the beginning of the season, and he made a name for himself during conference play for Kentucky. He is by far one of the best 3-point shooters in the entire draft, and he has remarkable shot selection for a player his age. Booker isn’t a freakish athlete though, which makes him more of a one-dimensional threat. But with the NBA placing a premium on players who can stretch the floor, that could aid Booker and possibly sneak him into being a lottery pick.

17 (15) Bobby Portis-PF (Arkansas/Sophomore)

-6’11″, 242 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 18

-ESPN Rank: No. 16

-Stats: 17.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 1.4 BPG. .536/.467/.737.

Portis emerged as a potential mid first round pick since the beginning of the season. The big man isn’t an elite athlete, but he’s good enough to have a solid NBA career if he improves his defense and footwork in the post. Portis prefers to launch jump shots rather than mix-it-up in the paint, but with the NBA falling in love with stretch fours, this isn’t necessarily the negative it used to be when profiling big men. I’ve become more enamored with him as a player lately, and as a mid first-rounder he’ll be a good value pick, though he’ll need D-League seasoning before he’ll be ready to step into an NBA rotation.

18 (20) Tyus Jones-PG (Duke/Freshman)

-6’1″, 184 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 21

-ESPN Rank: No. 23

-Stats: 11.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 5.6 APG. .417/.379/.889.

The 18-year-old Jones has shown remarkable poise as a freshman, and he reminds me quite a bit of Tyler Ennis, another player I was extremely high on heading into the 2014 draft. Jones lacks elite athleticism, needs to work on his outside shot, and won’t be ready to play significant minutes his rookie campaign. But his court vision and basketball IQ will make him a valuable rotation piece in a couple of seasons. Jones’ turnover rate had increased significantly since conference play began, but he still displayed remarkable on court leadership for a freshman. Jones is the type of player whose value doesn’t always show up in the box score, and he is overshadowed by Okafor and Winslow on a talented Duke squad. But this kid has the potential to be an effective pro, and a mid first round gem for a patient team.

19 (14) Jerian Grant-PG (Notre Dame/Senior)

-6’5″, 185 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 16

-ESPN Rank: No. 21

-Stats: 16.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 6.7 APG. .478/.316/.780.

Grant had himself a heck of a season, and may just be the best all-around point guard in the draft. His age (22) may work against him a bit, such is the NBA world we live in nowadays. But his combination of size, skill, and leadership makes him a solid mid first round selection. Grant needs to improve on his jump shot consistency, and despite his 16.8 PPG average, is more of a pass-first point man at heart. He’ll definitely need to bulk up to be able to defend NBA guards, but whichever team nabs him in June will be getting a very solid player. A veteran team in need of a solid backup would do well to snag Grant. The Bulls perhaps…..

20 (16) Montrezl Harrell-PF (Louisville/Junior)

-6’8″, 243 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 23

-ESPN Rank: No. 24

-Stats: 15.7 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 1.4 APG. .566/.243/.597.

It was surprising to see Harrell return to Louisville for his junior season, but the move will likely reward him with a higher draft selection than he would have garnered in 2014. There’s a lot to like about Harrell’s game, but he’s another of those tweeners. He’s neither a true power forward nor a classic small forward, but Harrell can score from almost anywhere on the floor and has a high motor. He’s also a very good rebounder and a physical defender. But Harrell lacks a defined NBA position (ie: Derrick Williams and Thomas Robinson), which could end up lowering his draft stock as well as his ceiling as a player.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kupchak On Buss, Kobe, Free Agency, Draft

April 17th, 2015 at 9:39am CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers finished the season 21-61, their worst winning percentage of all-time, but GM Mitch Kupchak is just a year removed from having signed an extension that takes him through at least the 2016/17 season. Kupchak wishes last offseason had gone somewhat differently, telling reporters Thursday that he wishes the team had been able to Pau Gasol, who’s experiencing a renaissance in Chicago, notes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Still, the GM believes the Lakers can quickly right themselves in spite of “a terrible year,” notes Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com. He confirmed the team wants to retain Ed Davis, who plans on opting out but would like to return to the Lakers, Holmes also notes, and he had plenty more to say about the months and years ahead for the purple-and-gold. Holmes, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News and Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link) relay Kupchak’s comments, and we’ll pass along a few of the GM’s most noteworthy remarks here:

On the pledge Jim Buss made last year to step down if the team didn’t make the Western Conference Finals within three years (Kupchak said he wasn’t aware of the remark):

“What’s my sense of being in the conference finals within three years? I think it’s possible. But what if you get to the conference semifinals, you lose in seven [games] and you have a great team that you know is going to get better and better? So I don’t think there is anything etched in stone that would determine any change in direction. Three years from now is forever.”

On Kobe Bryant and retirement:

“I have assumed that he has one year to go and is 36 now. That’s all I can plan on. That’s all he’s planning on. A year from now, maybe different. But right now, that’s all we’re planning on.”

On summer spending plans:

“We’re not going to use cap room just to use cap room and maybe improve. I can use the expression 20 games because we won so few games this year. We don’t want to end up using our cap room and winning 40 games. That year doesn’t get you in the playoffs. Oklahoma City won 45 games, and they still didn’t make it in the playoffs. You work hard to create a future, whether it’s draft picks or an opportunity to make a trade or free agent dollars, and you don’t want to give it away just because you have it. But you do have to weigh anticipation and your fans wanting to see some improvement. That is a challenge. That’s not to say the only player we’ll spend our money on is a max player. There may be better opportunities out there. We don’t know that right now. We do have to balance how you use that money, and two years from now there’s a dramatic change in the landscape in terms of the cap.”

On the draft:

“This would be a good draft to participate in. Two months out, I’m pleased with the players that will be in this draft.”

And-Ones: HGH Testing, Demps, Simmons

April 16th, 2015 at 10:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA and the NBPA announced today that blood testing for Human Growth Hormone will commence under the league’s anti-drug program, beginning during the 2015/16 NBA season. According to the official announcement, all NBA players will be subject to three random, unannounced HGH tests annually (two in-season, and one during the offseason), and players will also be subject to reasonable cause testing for HGH. If a player tests positive for HGH, he will be suspended 20 games for his first violation, 45 games for his second violation, and he will be dismissed and disqualified from the NBA for his third violation.

Here’s more from around the league:

Pelicans GM Dell Demps refuted a report asserting that he and coach Monty Williams were under the mandate this season to make the playoffs or lose their jobs, John Reid of the Times Picayune relays. ”I am hoping to keep the focus on the Pelicans and our playoff run,” Demps said. ”To answer the question, I did not receive a mandate to make the playoffs from ownership or anyone else. That conversation did not happen. Our ownership group has been very supportive, patient and given us all the resources to be successful.”
21-year-old Bosnian forward Adin Vrabac, who is currently playing in Germany, will declare for the 2015 NBA draft, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress tweets. Vrabac, who isn’t currently projected to be picked in June, withdrew from last year’s draft after initially declaring his intent to enter.
The 2016 NBA draft is projected to be a much weaker field than this year’s, Givony told Josh Newman of SNY.tv (Twitter links). The player pool could improve based on which underclassmen decide to return to school this year, Newman adds.
Chris Mannix of SI.com unveiled his initial 2015 mock draft and his top three players are Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, and Emmanuel Mudiay.
Despite the 2015 NBA draft still being over two months away, scouts and executives are already turning their gaze toward the 2016 class and Australian Ben Simmons, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report writes. The 6’10” Simmons possesses point guard skills and is the projected No. 1 overall pick next season by Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required), Beck notes. One NBA executive was so enamored with Simmons’ potential, he said that the player was worth tanking for, Beck adds. Simmons will attend LSU next season.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Towns, Noel, Nets

April 16th, 2015 at 7:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Paul Pierce fired some shots across the Nets‘ bow the other day with his negative comments regarding his year spent in Brooklyn. Current Nets coach Lionel Hollins, who was not with the team during Pierce’s tenure, dismissed the veteran’s barbs, Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily writes. “I don’t really care,” Hollins said. “I wasn’t here. I don’t care. All I can go by is how we are this year, and as I’ve said many many times, the vocal leader of our team early on was Kevin Garnett, and since he’s left it’s been more of a collective. Paul Pierce is entitled to his own opinion. I don’t get into that kind of stuff. Players say stuff all the time. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn’t. But they’re entitled to it.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Sixers coach Brett Brown said that rookies Jerami Grant and JaKarr Sampson were both “keepers,” Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays (Twitter link). Both players are signed for next season to minimum salary arrangements, though Sampson’s pact is non-guaranteed.
The Knicks are now assured of having no lower than the fifth pick in this year’s NBA draft. Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal profiles prospect Karl-Anthony Towns, and what he would bring to New York. Towns is currently the No.1 ranked prospect by both ESPN.com and DraftExpress.
The Knicks are expected to remake their roster this offseason and Tim Hardaway Jr. wants to remain a part of what New York is building, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. “I gotta get stronger and faster and hopefully I’m back,” Hardaway said. “I wanna be back.“
Celtics president of Basketball operations Danny Ainge said that Isaiah Thomas was the type of player you had to pounce on when given the opportunity to acquire, the executive told CSNNE.com. Discussing the trade for Thomas, Ainge said, “You never know when you can get a deal like that again and you can’t sit around and wait for a player like Thomas.“
Ainge also referred to this year’s NBA draft as “mediocre,” and is unsure if he will keep Boston’s draft picks or look to trade them away.
On of the biggest contributions Nerlens Noel brought to the Sixers this season was his energy and hustle, something that Philly’s coaching staff has taken notice of, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report writes.

Mouhammadou Jaiteh Entering Draft

April 16th, 2015 at 2:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

French big man Mouhammadou Jaiteh will indeed enter this year’s draft, agent Herman Manaykan confirmed to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Jaiteh told Givony earlier this year that he intended to do so. He’s the 50th-best prospect in Givony‘s rankings, and Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks him 54th, so it appears that he has a strong chance to become a second-round pick if he stays in the draft this time, which he didn’t do after declaring in 2013. He said he would enter again in 2014, but he never formally submitted his name before deciding against it.

The 20-year-old averaged 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game for JSF Nanterre of France this season. The numbers are an improvement over last year, which was his first on France’s highest level. He impressed an American audience with nine rebounds in less than 15 minutes in a 2013 appearance at the Nike Hoop Summit.

It’s much easier for prospects from overseas, like Jaiteh, to declare and withdraw than it is for their counterparts from the NCAA. College players lose eligibility if they don’t pull out before April 12th, a deadline that passed this Sunday, while early entry candidates who are already pros can wait until the NBA’s draft-withdrawal deadline of June 15th, 10 days before the draft. Jaiteh wouldn’t be automatically eligible for the draft until 2016, the year in which he turns 22.

Cedi Osman, Nikola Milutinov Entering Draft

April 16th, 2015 at 12:42pm CST by Chuck Myron

Small forward Cedi Osman and center Nikola Milutinov will enter this year’s draft, according to their agents, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress reports (Twitter links). Both are overseas prospects with decent chances to become second-round picks in June. Small forward Rade Zagorac, another international hopeful, will also declare for the draft this year, agent Misko Raznatovic said, as Givony notes (Twitter link), though Zagorac isn’t as highly regarded. He’s not within the top 100 prospects for either Givony or Chad Ford of ESPN.com, and Givony ranks him 16th-best among overseas prospects born in 1995. Osman is No. 52 with both Ford and Givony, while Ford has Milutinov 59th and Givony ranks him 68th.

The 6’6″ Osman, another Raznatovic client, has averaged 7.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 19.7 minutes per game this season for Turkish mainstay Anadolu Efes. He’s not a strong three-point shooter at this point, having averaged 32.4% from behind the arc this year and 32.9% last year. The now 20-year-old averaged 2.3 points in a little more than nine minutes per game during last year’s FIBA World Cup.

Milutinov, who’s also 20, has put up somewhat more impressive numbers for KK Partizan in his native Serbia, averaging 9.2 PPG and 7.4 RPG in 26.4 MPG this season. The 7-footer isn’t much of a shot-blocker, swatting just 0.8 shots per contest. He’s a client of agent Marko Jelic.

Zagorac, 19, is the only double-figure scorer among the trio in spite of his status as a lesser prospect, having put up 10.8 PPG in 28.9 MPG with 39.4% three-point shooting this year for Serbia’s KK Mega Vizura. All three can withdraw from the draft anytime between now and June 15th.

2015 Draft Order, Lottery Odds

April 16th, 2015 at 10:28am CST by Chuck Myron

Here’s a look at the odds for the May 19th draft lottery. The figures in red denote the chances that the Sixers, who get the Lakers’ pick if it falls out of the top five and the Heat’s pick if it falls out of the top 10, have of receiving those picks in each lottery position. Picks marked with an X are impossible for a team to land. Spaces in which “0.0%” appears means there’s less than a 0.05% chance the team will end up with that pick.

Here’s a look at the full order, with each of the 60 picks as they stand:

First Round

*Timberwolves
*Knicks
*Sixers
*Lakers — to Sixers if pick falls out of top five
*Magic
*Kings
*Nuggets
*Pistons
*Hornets
*Heat — to Sixers if Miami is passed in lottery
*Pacers
*Jazz
*Suns
*Thunder
Hawks (via Nets)
Celtics
Bucks
Rockets (via Pelicans)
Wizards
Raptors
Mavericks
Bulls
Trail Blazers
Cavaliers
Grizzlies
Spurs
Lakers (via Rockets)
Celtics (via Clippers)
Nets (via Hawks)
Warriors

*— subject to lottery

Second Round

Timberwolves
Rockets (via Knicks)
Celtics (via Sixers)
Lakers
Sixers (via Magic)
Timberwolves (via Kings)
Sixers (via Nuggets)
Pistons
Hornets
Heat
Nets
**Jazz or Pacers
**Jazz or Pacers
Suns
Celtics
Bucks
Sixers (via Pelicans)
Thunder
Wizards
Hawks (via Raptors)
Magic (via Bulls)
Mavericks
Cavaliers (via Trail Blazers)
Jazz (via Cavaliers)
Spurs
Pelicans (via Grizzlies)
Nuggets (via Clippers)
Sixers (via Rockets)
Hawks
Sixers (via Warriors)

** — The Jazz and Pacers finished with identical regular season records, but the random draw for the teams’ first-round picks only determined lottery position, not final draft position. It’s possible that Utah’s first-rounder will emerge from the lottery in a higher position than Indiana’s. If that happens, Indiana will take the 12th pick in the second round (42nd overall) and Utah will take the 13th (43rd). Otherwise, the Jazz will have the 12th pick in the second round and the Pacers will have the 13th.

NBA.com and a Celtics.com piece by Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren were used in the creation of this post. For more on how the lottery works, check out our Hoops Rumors Glossary item.

Terran Petteway To Enter NBA Draft

April 16th, 2015 at 9:15am CST by Eddie Scarito

APRIL 16TH: The shooting guard is indeed entering this year’s draft, he announced in a statement released through the school.

APRIL 3RD: Petteway took to his private Twitter account to deny that he’s made a decision regarding the draft, notes Brian Rosenthal of the Lincoln Journal Star. He and Miles are scheduled to meet Tuesday, Miles told Rosenthal.

APRIL 2ND: Nebraska junior shooting guard Terran Petteway plans to declare for the 2015 NBA draft, Shams Charania of RealGM.com reports (Twitter link). Petteway plans on making the announcement official after the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, Charania adds. In 91 career NCAA games, Petteway averaged 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 27.1 minutes per contest. His career slash line is .407/.317/.749. Petteway notched a career best 18.2 PPG during the 2014/15 season, though he connected on only 39.6% of his field goal attempts.

The 6’6″ swingman isn’t a sure thing to be selected in June’s draft. Petteway is currently the No. 98 ranked prospect according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required), and he doesn’t appear at all amongst the top 100 prospects according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. The 22-year-old is most likely ticketed for the D-League or to play overseas next season, though that is merely my speculation.

Petteway began his college career at Texas Tech, appearing in 28 contests for the Red Raiders, averaging 3.1 points per game. At the completion of his freshman campaign Petteway chose to transfer to Nebraska, citing his relationship with Cornhuskers coach Tim Miles, who had recruited the swingman when he was still playing in high school. The guard was originally recruited to Texas Tech by Pat Knight, who was replaced as coach by Billy Gillispie prior to Petteway’s freshman campaign, which likely contributed to Petteway’s exodus from Lubbock.

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