Brazilian point guard Marcelo Huertas, also known as Marcelinho Huertas, was reportedly eyeing a move to the NBA next season. But it would now appear that the 31-year-old has changed his mind about leaving Barcelona, Ernest Macià of Catalunya Ràdio tweets (hat tip to HoopsHype). Huertas was expected to be in demand this offseason as a potential backup point guard if he chose to head stateside. In 29 games for FC Barcelona this past season, the 6’3″ Huertas averaged 7.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 21.7 minutes per contest.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com released his updated 2015 NBA draft rankings. The scribe’s top three players consist of Karl-Anthony Towns of Kentucky in the No. 1 slot, followed by Duke’s Jahlil Okafor and Emmanuel Mudiay, who played in the Chinese League last season.
- While many draftees require at least a season before they are productive at the NBA level, ESPN.com’s Fran Fraschilla (Insider subscription required) believes there are a number of players in the 2015 class who can buck that trend and contribute immediately. In addition to Towns, the ESPN scribe also predicts that point guards D’Angelo Russell and Jerian Grant will have the opportunity to put up solid numbers early in their NBA careers.
- Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) examined the draft needs of the Magic, Kings, Pistons and Hornets. The duo peg outside shooting and rim protection as the primary needs for Orlando, a wing who can stretch the floor for Charlotte, a solid defender for Sacramento, and both forward positions for Detroit.