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2015 NBA Draft

Hoops Rumors 2015 NBA Draft Primer

June 25th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Eddie Scarito

After months of speculation, the 2015 NBA Draft is finally upon us. While this year’s draft class doesn’t bring with it the same level of hype as 2014’s, there are still a number of players who can change the face of a franchise and develop into tomorrow’s superstars. No draft pick is ever a sure thing, and careers will be made as well as broken based on the moves made this evening. There should also be a significant amount of trade talk revolving around the draft, and there are quite a few teams that could end up dealing away draft picks in exchange for veteran players or future assets.

Hoops Rumors will be relaying all of the breaking news and rumors throughout the day and covering the selections as they happen during tonight’s big event. We’ll also be hosting a live chat in which we’ll answer reader questions, share insights, and critique each selection as it is made. Join us beginning at 6pm Central time to participate. To get you prepped for all that is to occur this evening, we whipped up this handy reference guide featuring a wealth of information to keep you up to speed on all that you need to know for tonight’s draft.

Full Draft Order

First Round

  1. Timberwolves
  2. Lakers
  3. Sixers
  4. Knicks
  5. Magic
  6. Kings
  7. Nuggets
  8. Pistons
  9. Hornets
  10. Heat
  11. Pacers
  12. Jazz
  13. Suns
  14. Thunder
  15. Hawks (via Nets)
  16. Celtics
  17. Bucks
  18. Rockets (via Pelicans)
  19. Wizards
  20. Raptors
  21. Mavericks
  22. Bulls
  23. Trail Blazers
  24. Cavaliers
  25. Grizzlies
  26. Spurs
  27. Lakers (via Rockets)
  28. Celtics (via Clippers)
  29. Nets (via Hawks)
  30. Warriors

Second Round

  1. Timberwolves
  2. Rockets (via Knicks)
  3. Celtics (via Sixers)
  4. Lakers
  5. Sixers (via Magic)
  6. Timberwolves (via Kings)
  7. Sixers (via Nuggets)
  8. Pistons
  9. Hornets
  10. Heat
  11. Nets
  12. Jazz
  13. Pacers
  14. Suns
  15. Celtics
  16. Bucks
  17. Sixers (via Pelicans)
  18. Thunder
  19. Wizards
  20. Hawks (via Raptors)
  21. Magic (via Bulls)
  22. Mavericks
  23. Cavaliers (via Trail Blazers)
  24. Jazz (via Cavaliers)
  25. Spurs
  26. Pelicans (via Grizzlies)
  27. Nuggets (via Clippers)
  28. Sixers (via Rockets)
  29. Hawks
  30. Sixers (via Warriors)

Mock Drafts

Below are links to not only all the versions of our own mock drafts, but to those from a number of prominent prognosticators, as well:

Hoops Rumors

Miscellaneous Mock Drafts

Hoops Rumors Prospect Profiles

The hype surrounding this year’s draft class didn’t quite equal the attention 2014’s received, but there are still plenty of young players for teams and fans to get excited about. While there are a number of players at the top of the draft rankings who have superstar potential, the remainder of this year’s crop offers some intriguing possibilities. The Hoops Rumors staff took a look at a number of projected first round candidates, sorted by their rankings on the DraftExpress list of the top 100 prospects for 2015. Just click on a player’s name to view his profile:

Draft Prospect Q&A Series

Countless words are dedicated to draft prospects this time of year, as NBA observers try to get a feel for the dozens of new players who’ll soon become a part of the league. There’s no shortage of analysis of their strengths, weaknesses and how they would fit with each team, but sometimes, the best way to understand what a player can do is to talk to him.

That’s what our Zach Links has been doing during the weeks leading up to the draft. Prospects in play for a lottery pick and those just hoping to be drafted have shared their thoughts with Zach, and we’ve passed that along to you. Here are the soon-to-be pros we’ve heard from so far. Click each name to see the interview:

NBA Executive Draft Histories

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 have begun to take 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 they make this evening, and we’ve been examining what they’ve done in previous years in charge of a club’s front office.

Top Ranked Prospects By Position

For quick reference I’ve listed below the DraftExpress top-5 ranked prospects at each position:

Center

  1. Karl-Anthony Towns  (Kentucky)
  2. Jahlil Okafor (Duke)
  3. Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky)
  4. Myles Turner (Texas)
  5. Robert Upshaw (Washington)

Power Forward

  1. Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia)
  2. Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin)
  3. Bobby Portis (Arkansas)
  4. Trey Lyles (Kentucky)
  5. Kevon Looney (UCLA)

Small Forward

  1. Justise Winslow (Duke)
  2. Stanley Johnson (Arizona)
  3. Kelly Oubre (Kansas)
  4. Sam Dekker (Wisconsin)
  5. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Arizona)

Point Guard

  1. D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State)
  2. Emmanuel Mudiay (Guangdong)
  3. Cameron Payne (Murray State)
  4. Tyus Jones (Duke)
  5. Jerian Grant (Notre Dame)

Shooting Guard

  1. Mario Hezonja (Croatia)
  2. Devin Booker (Kentucky)
  3. R.J. Hunter (Georgia State)
  4. Rashad Vaughn (UNLV)
  5. J.P. Tokoto (North Carolina)

Salary Cap Hit Associated With Each First Round Pick

Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors calculated, via the scale amounts listed on Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ, the expected salaries for each pick of this year’s first round at the standard 120% of scale. Each season in the four-year rookie contracts is reflected as well as the total:

likelysalariesfor2015firstroundpicks

 

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Mario Hezonja’s Camp Steering Him To Pistons?

June 25th, 2015 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links

Some teams are expressing frustration with the lack of information coming from Mario Hezonja‘s camp, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress tweets.  Those officials feel that Hezonja’s camp could be trying to get the youngster to the Pistons, similar to the way Kobe Bryant‘s reps steered him to the Lakers years ago.

Even though that could be the motivation of the guard’s people, Givony (link) doesn’t see him falling to Detroit at No. 8.  If the Pistons really want the Croatian, Givony feels they’ll have to move up for him as teams No. 4-7 are all high on him.  Hezonja’s buyout information is already well known as it was negotiated by his previous agents, but there have been no interviews conducted and medical information has not been disclosed (link).

Earlier today we learned that the Kings are considering moving back from No. 6, but Hezonja is a very likely target for them if they stay.

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Suns Dangling Eric Bledsoe In Trade Talks?

June 25th, 2015 at 10:46am CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 10:46am: Some within the Knicks’ organization want Bledsoe, but so far, the Suns are holding off on talks, Broussard tweets.

8:07am: Sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that there are no talks happening between the Knicks and Suns regarding Bledsoe and the No. 4 pick.

WEDNESDAY, 9:35am: The Knicks continue to mull the idea of trading for Bledsoe, along with the 13th pick, if D’Angelo Russell isn’t available to the Knicks at the No. 4 spot in Thursday’s draft, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv hears (Twitter link). Still, just how enthusiastic the Suns are about the notion is unclear, given the conflicting reports.

TUESDAY, 11:53am: Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders heard from sources close to Bledsoe and the Knicks who laughed off the idea of trade talks (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 2:15pm: The Suns have discussed Eric Bledsoe trade scenarios with other teams, including the Knicks, and are likely to continue to do so after the draft if they haven’t dealt him by then, according to sources who spoke with Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. The No. 4 overall pick was also a subject of talks with New York, Deveney notes, adding on Twitter that the team has shopped Bledsoe to the Knicks and just about every team higher up on the lottery. It’s not clear whether he means higher than the Knicks or higher than themselves, as Phoenix is set to pick 13th.

Bledsoe is one season into a five-year, $70MM deal. That Phoenix would be willing, or even eager, to trade Bledsoe is somewhat surprising and represents an apparent shift in thinking from last summer. That’s when the team re-signed Bledsoe and signed-and-traded for Isaiah Thomas, banking that they and Goran Dragic would work in a backcourt that featured three highly skilled point guards. The Suns traded Thomas and Dragic at the deadline, as well as 2014 first-round pick Tyler Ennis, who’s also a point guard. The deadline moves did bring in Brandon Knight, who’s poised to become a restricted free agent next week.

Knicks team president Phil Jackson has indicated a willingness to trade the No. 4 pick, though Bledsoe would appear to be the most significant target yet to emerge. Still, it’s unclear what other assets, if any, New York would have to relinquish to acquire the Rich Paul client.

Bledsoe’s scoring output regressed slightly on the same 12.9 shots per game he saw last season. He put up 17.0 points in 2014/15 after notching 17.7 PPG in fewer minutes during 2013/14. Still, the 25-year-old bettered his assists, with 6.1 per game this year, and rebounds, with 5.2, again showing his versatility. Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby is moving into a reduced role with the club, though that shouldn’t have had too much of an effect on the team’s philosophy with GM Ryan McDonough still entrenched.

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Hawks, Wizards Swapping Picks

June 25th, 2015 at 10:22am CST by Chuck Myron

10:22pm: The deal is official, the Wizards and Hawks announced. The second-rounders going to Atlanta are for 2016 and 2019, according to the Wizards.

8:24pm: The Wizards have a deal to acquire the rights to 15th pick Kelly Oubre from the Hawks, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter), with the 19th pick going to Atlanta. Two future second-round picks will go to the Hawks, too, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link).

Oubre was a highly touted prospect coming out of high school who endured a tough season at Kansas, averaging fewer than 10 points per game. Still, Washington is banking on the upside that Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors examined in a Prospect Profile. He’ll represent a cap hold of $1,600,200 on Washington’s books.

Atlanta is reportedly flipping the rights to the 19th pick, Jerian Grant, into Tim Hardaway Jr. in a deal with the Knicks.

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Draft Rumors: Hornets, Lakers, Russell

June 25th, 2015 at 9:47am CST by Zachary Links

The Hornets have been extremely active this week and sources have indicated to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News that they’re probably not done.  The Celtics and Suns, according to a source, have been the most ardent suitors of Charlotte’s No. 9 pick.  The Suns have the No. 13 pick but want to move up to draft Frank Kaminsky, who they fear could be a target of the Heat at No. 10 or the Pacers at No. 11. The Celtics, meanwhile, have interest in Willie Cauley-Stein.  If the Hornets stay at No. 9, Deveney believes they will want to add shooting, which could lead them to Kentucky guard Devin Booker.

  • Jahlil Okafor did not perform well in his second pre-draft workout with the Lakers, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report.  While Okafor had a drop-off from his first showing in Los Angeles, D’Angelo Russell flourished and knocked down his shots.  Ding expects the Lakers to target Russell at No. 2 in Thursday night’s draft.
  • Oregon guard Joseph Young does not have a first round promise from the Lakers or anyone else, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News tweets.   Young’s foot injury remains a concern and he’ll be reevaluated to see if he needs surgery.
  • The Lakers, Sixers, Knicks, Magic, Kings, Hornets, Pacers are all talking trades and could shake up the draft order, Chad Ford of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Richaun Holmes is drawing consideration from several teams picking in the 20s, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated (on Twitter).  Holmes spoke with Hoops Rumors recently as a part of our Draft Prospect Q&A series.
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Nets Dangle Mason Plumlee, Seek Higher Pick

June 25th, 2015 at 9:38am CST by Chuck Myron

JUNE 25TH, 9:38am: The Nets are still trying to use Plumlee to get into the lottery, sources tell Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

JUNE 23RD, 8:55pm: Brooklyn is unlikely to part with Plumlee unless it can secure a 2015 lottery pick in return, league sources have informed Stein (via Twitter).

6:57pm: The Nets continue to explore trade possibilities involving Plumlee in advance of the draft, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.

JUNE 15TH, 3:37pm: The Nets are trying to trade Mason Plumlee to further their goal of landing a higher draft pick than the ones they have at 29th and 41st overall, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, responding to a NetsDaily tweet that posed the question of whether the Nets should trade Plumlee. Brooklyn’s desire to keep Plumlee derailed a proposal that would have sent Deron Williams to Sacramento this past season, as multiple reports made clear, but circumstances have changed for the 25-year-old big man, as Bondy detailed in May.

Some executives from teams around the league figured that Brooklyn would come to this point after the trade-deadline acquisition of Thaddeus Young and the resurgence of center Brook Lopez reduced Plumlee’s role, as Marc Stein and Mike Mazzeo reported a few weeks ago. Opposing teams had begun to inquire about Plumlee’s availability, as Stein added at the time. Lopez and Young aren’t necessarily locks to return, with Lopez possessing a player option and Young an early termination option, though Nets GM Billy King has made it clear that retaining both is a priority.

King said early last month that he explored trading everyone on the roster at some point last season, and in the same press conference, he said that the team will indeed try to trade up in the draft, as it’s often done in years past. King cautioned that he preferred not to deal away future draft assets to do so, leaving cash and current players as more likely trade bait.

Plumlee, whom the Nets mined with the 22nd overall pick two years ago, has two more years left on his rookie scale contract, which pays him slightly less than $1.416MM next season. That would make him a bargain with the kind of production he displayed in the first half of the season, when he averaged 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per game coming off a summer with Team USA. Those numbers dropped to 6.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 17.5 MPG in the season’s second half.

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Kings Exploring Trading Back From No. 6

June 25th, 2015 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

The Kings have been making calls on the possibility of moving back in the top 10, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).  If the Kings do remain at No. 6, however, Mario Hezonja is a strong possibility to be their target.

Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has Hezonja ranked as the fifth-best prospect in this year’s draft and predicts that he’ll go No. 4 to the Knicks, so it’s quite possible that the guard won’t be there when the Kings pick at No. 6.  Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required), meanwhile, has the Kings landing Hezonja at No. 6.

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And-Ones: Batum, Booker, Milutinov

June 24th, 2015 at 11:44pm CST by Eddie Scarito

A change that would allow underclassmen greater capacity to return to school after declaring for the draft would indeed take effect for next year if the NCAA approves the proposal in January, as Dan Guerrero, chairman of the NCAA men’s basketball oversight committee, said to Andy Katz of ESPN.com. The committee lent its sponsorship to the measure Wednesday, and a formal vote on adoption is to take place in January, according to Katz.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • The Hawks have discussed moving up from the No. 15 overall pick in the draft with a number of teams, including the Pacers, who sit at No. 11, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (via Twitter). A number of executives around the league believe that Atlanta is trying to land Wisconsin big man Frank Kaminsky, Kennedy adds. Kaminsky is a draft possibility for the Hornets (No. 9), Heat (No. 10), and the Jazz (No. 12), which could complicate the Hawks’ designs on snagging the talented shooter.
  • Speaking about newly acquired swingman Nicolas Batum, Hornets GM Rich Cho said, “He is a quality defender and a solid outside shooter who brings versatility and playoff experience,” Mike Tokito of The Oregonian tweets. Batum’s deal includes a trade bonus that will lift his cap hit by about $890K for the 2014/15 campaign and approximately $890K again for 2015/16, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes (Twitter links). The Blazers also end up with a trade exception, according to Pincus, worth $3,241,300.
  • Many executives around the NBA believe that Kentucky guard Devin Booker is the player in this year’s NBA Draft who could benefit the most from significant time spent in the D-League during his rookie campaign, Keith Schlosser of SBNation writes. While Booker is regarded as the best pure shooter in this year’s draft, a large number of NBA and D-League executives believe that Booker could stand to improve his agility, quickness, and instincts on both ends of the floor, Schlosser adds.
  • Serbian big man Nikola Milutinov is climbing up the draft boards and could possibly be selected in the first round, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). It’s doubtful that the Spurs would be the team to select the seven-footer, a league source informed Dan McCarney of The San Antonio Express-News tweets. San Antonio currently owns the No. 26 overall pick.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Central Notes: Jackson, Pacers, Bulls

June 24th, 2015 at 10:49pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons have tendered a qualifying offer worth $4,433,683 to Reggie Jackson, making him a restricted free agent this summer, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). Detroit will now have the opportunity to match any offer sheet that Jackson signs, though it is not a given that it will do so. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com had previously relayed that if Emmanuel Mudiay were to be available at the No. 8 overall pick, the Pistons would consider allowing Jackson to depart this offseason. Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) concurs that Detroit would snag Mudiay if he were available, though the franchise doesn’t believe he is ready to run an NBA team just yet.

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

  • The Pacers will focus on accumulating talent in the draft, and not on any particular position, Indiana GM Kevin Pritchard said, notes Mark Montieth of NBA.com. “More than ever, it’s not like you’re going after a quarterback or point guard,” Pritchard said. “You’re seeing the teams that really succeed put five guys who can really make plays out there. You try to get the best player you can, because in a small market, it’s your only chance to get special. We’re not New York or L.A., so to get special you have to do it in the draft.“
  • Pritchard also said that the Pacers are focused on “four or five” players with the No. 11 overall pick, but are prepared to call audibles if a player “drops” during the draft, Montieth adds. The team isn’t opposed to dealing the pick either, the NBA.com scribe adds. “We’re not afraid to trade the pick; we talk about that all the time,” Pritchard said. “We’ve heard a lot about 11. There’s interest in 11. Moving down is tough because then the draft selects for you instead of you selecting the draft.“
  • The Bulls, who are badly in need of backcourt depth, will have numerous options in the draft to add a rotation piece, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. Playmakers who could potentially be available at the No. 22 overall pick include Delon Wright, Jerian Grant, and Tyus Jones, Johnson adds.
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Atlantic Notes: Smith, Embiid, Thomas

June 24th, 2015 at 9:47pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks president Phil Jackson would love to have big man Jason Smith back for the 2015/16 season, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. Jackson is aware that it may not be possible to re-sign the unrestricted free agent if he is offered a deal by another team for more than the veteran’s minimum, Berman adds. New York may be willing to go above the minimum to retain the 29-year-old, but that is dependent on how the team’s pursuit of bigger ticket free agents goes, the Post scribe notes. The Zen Master has acknowledged that he may not be able to land a big man via the NBA Draft, and with the Knicks’ roster currently devoid of big men, as well as Smith relaying that he would indeed like to return to New York, the two sides could be a fit, Berman relays.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Raptors brought in Kentucky center Dakari Johnson for a workout on Tuesday, Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun relays. Johnson is projected to be a second round pick in this year’s draft, and though Toronto doesn’t currently own any second-rounders, the team is considering trying to purchase one, Wolstat adds. “You always got to come into the opportunity and just make the best of it, no matter the circumstances, you’ve got to come in and work your hardest,” Johnson said. “That’s the type of person I am, I love to compete. I initially didn’t have this workout scheduled, but they added it on for me and I decided to come in and just compete. I just love to compete.”
  • Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil has indicated that additional doctors will evaluate the latest setback in the healing of center Joel Embiid‘s right foot, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We’re still waiting,” O’Neil said. “We have another three doctors to come see him. The nice thing about jobs like these – you can literally get the best experts in the world. All you have to do is call and they love to see us.” Philly has legitimate concerns that Embiid could miss the entire 2015/16 campaign.
  • The Nets are pessimistic that they will be able to move up from the No. 29 overall pick in this year’s draft, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The New York Liberty of the WNBA have suspended consideration of Isiah Thomas‘ application to become part owner of the team, Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg News relays (Twitter link). Thomas will remain in his duties as team president, but the ownership review process is expected to take an extended period, Berman notes in a separate piece. Both Jackson and GM Steve Mills had expressed concerns to owner James Dolan when he informed them he was hiring the former Knicks executive.
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