2016 May | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Dunn, Trimble, Wiltjer, Hart

May 12th, 2016 at 10:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Coach Brett Brown has promised Providence sophomore point guard Kris Dunn a chance to play right away if the Sixers draft him, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Dunn met with Sixers officials Wednesday and both he and the team appeared to come away impressed. “They made me feel like they really wanted me there,” he said. “We all were very engaged. We talked about a lot of things. I appreciate them having me.” Philadelphia notched the NBA’s worst record this season and has a 26.9% chance at landing the top overall pick. That will probably be LSU’s Ben Simmons or Duke’s Brandon Ingram, but the Sixers will also get the Lakers’ pick if it falls outside the top three, which is where they might take Dunn.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers are interviewing a lot of guards, including Maryland sophomore point guard Melo Trimble, Pompey tweets.
Gonzaga senior power forward Kyle Wiltjer will work out for the Sixers later this month, Pompey tweets.
Villanova junior shooting guard Josh Hart plans a workout with the Sixers, tweets Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com. Hart is undecided on whether to stay in the draft or return to school. Philadelphia will also work out freshman small forward Dedric Lawson of Memphis on Monday (Twitter link).
The Celtics have met with several top prospects, including Ingram, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Other projected top-10 players that Boston has interviewed include Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, Kentucky’s Jamal Murray and California’s Jaylen Brown. The team has also scheduled an interview with Utah center Jakob Poeltl. According to Himmelsbach, the Celtics have either met with or are planning interviews with Oakland’s Kay Felder, Maryland’s Diamond Stone, Vanderbilt’s Wade Baldwin, New Mexico State’s Pascal Siakam, Michigan State’s Deyonta Davis, China’s Zhou Qi, Syracuse’s Malachi Richardson, UNLV’s Patrick McCaw, Louisville’s Chinanu Onuaku, Vanderbilt’s Damian Jones, Mississippi State’s Malik Newman, North Carolina State’s Cat Barber, Kansas’ Cheick Diallo, Wisconsin’s Nigel Hayes and high school prospect Thon Maker.
Seton Hall sophomore point guard Isaiah Whitehead, who has met with the Sixers, Celtics, Knicks and Nets among others, will “100%” leave college if a team offers him a first-round guarantee, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. “You can’t give up opportunities like that,” Whitehead said. “I mean, when they tell you it’s time to go, you just gotta go.”
Assistant GM Allan Houston conducted the Knicks‘ meeting with Whitehead as team president Phil Jackson apparently skipped the draft combine, Zagoria writes in a separate piece.
Diallo is scheduled to meet with the Knicks, Celtics and Raptors on Friday, Zagoria tweets.

Spurs To Pursue Mike Conley

May 12th, 2016 at 9:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs will try to attract soon-to-be free agent Mike Conley this summer, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). San Antonio would have to clear salary to create enough room for a max offer worth an estimated $26MM for next season. Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace has pledged to re-sign the point guard, but Conley isn’t making any promises until he gets a sense of the direction the Memphis franchise will take in the offseason ahead.

Conley is expected to be the most sought-after point guard on the free agent market this summer, with the Knicks, Nets, Pacers and others believed to be interested. He has averaged 13.6 points and 5.6 assists in nine years with the Grizzlies and has a chance to more than double the $9,588,426 salary he earned this season.

Tony Parker, the Spurs’ current starting point guard, will turn 34 next week. He has two seasons and nearly $29.9MM left on his contract. Parker’s scoring average dipped to 11.9 points per game this season, the lowest since his rookie year, and his playing time fell to 27.5 minutes per night.

It’s conceivable that the Spurs will give Conley a chance to team with a center named Gasol just as the Grizzlies have done. Marc Gasol recently suggested brother Pau Gasol should sign with the Spurs, an idea Pau Gasol finds intriguing.

Northwest Notes: Leonard, Diallo, Felder, Davis

May 12th, 2016 at 9:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Impending free agent center Meyers Leonard is making progress with his injured shoulder, according to The Oregonian. In a video interview posted on the paper’s website, Leonard discusses the torn labrum in his left shoulder and what he expects out of restricted free agency this summer. “The frustrating thing is I’m not in pain, but it just takes time for things to heal,” said Leonard, who faces a six- to eight-month timetable to return after undergoing surgery last month. He admits feeling jealous while watching his teammates during the playoffs. The injury could limit the offers for Leonard, who declined an extension from the Blazers in October.

There’s more news from the Northwest Division:

Kansas freshman big man Cheick Diallo will have an interview with the Jazz on Friday, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Oakland junior point guard Kay Felder had meetings with the Jazz and Nuggets, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
Freshman big man Deyonta Davis of Michigan State talked with the Jazz, according to Beard (Twitter link).
The Jazz also interviewed Purdue freshman power forward Caleb Swanigan, according to Nathan Baird of The Lafayette Journal & Courier.
The Wolves, who own the league’s fifth-worst record entering the draft lottery, held interviews with Providence sophomore point guard Kris Dunn and California freshman swingman Jaylen Brown, tweets Jerry Zgoda of The Star-Tribune.
Minnesota also interviewed Dunn’s teammate, sophomore power forward Ben Bentil (Twitter link). Bentil joined several other players in a workout for the Wolves last week.
Also meeting with the Wolves was Henry Ellenson, a freshman power forward out of Marquette, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.

Southwest Notes: Smith, Demps, Labissiere, Ulis

May 12th, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kenny Smith, a candidate for the Rockets‘ head coaching position, said he had “a great meeting” with team officials, relays Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. Smith sat down with owner Leslie Alexander and GM Daryl Morey for 2 1/2 hours Tuesday at Alexander’s Florida home. “They have a clear vision of what they want to do,” Smith said. “I have a clear vision of what I’d like to do. Sometimes you meet in the middle. Sometimes it doesn’t meet at all, but it was something that we both had to explore, and [are] still exploring.” Smith, who helped bring two NBA titles to Houston in the mid-1990s, said he and the team are “just staying in contact” with each other at this point. He added that he enjoys his job as a TNT analyst and said it would take a fantastic offer to make him leave.

There’s more tonight from the Southwest Division:

The combine in Chicago is “an integral part of the draft process,” Pelicans GM Dell Demps told Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com. Coaches, GMs and other team officials from around the league gather each year to watch prospects display their skills and get to know them on a personal basis. Demps said that contact is vital in preparing for the draft. “Most NBA coaches do not get the opportunity to watch college players during the NBA season [due to the 82-game schedule], so the combine is usually the first time they can watch them play in person,” he said.
The Pelicans spoke with Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
The Spurs and Grizzlies were among the nine teams that interviewed Kentucky sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis, relays Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Seton Hall sophomore point guard Isaiah Whitehead had an interview with the Rockets, tweets Zach Braziller of The New York Post.

Southeast Notes: Skiles, Felder, Swanigan, Chriss

May 12th, 2016 at 7:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Already fired three times in his NBA coaching career, Orlando resident Scott Skiles was concerned how it might impact his family if he met that fate with the Magic, says Adrian Wojnarowski in a video on The Vertical. Wojnarowski reports that some officials in the Magic organization were “livid” after Skiles announced his decision to resign from his post today after one season of a four-year contract. Others were relieved, saying “every day was a battle” with Skiles, who became less enamored with his roster as time went on.

Skiles was never a fan of point guard Elfrid Payton, according to Wojnarowski, which put him at odds with GM Rob Hennigan. Ownership and Magic CEO Alex Martins pushed hard to hire Skiles last summer in an effort to bring more discipline to the team, but he and Hennigan never meshed and their partnership was strained to the end.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

The Magic have interviewed Kay Felder, a junior point guard out of Oakland, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Felder, who turned heads with his 44-inch vertical jump, said, “I never tested because I always felt I was a great leaper.” (Twitter link).
Purdue freshman power forward Caleb Swanigan plans a workout with the Hawks for after the combine, writes Nathan Baird of The Lafayette Journal & Courier. Swanigan suffered an injury to his left calf last week in a session with the Spurs and had to cancel workouts with other teams. He said he’s still deciding whether to stay in the draft or return to school. “If an NBA team tells me they think I have an opportunity to come and help their organization in the next few years, even if it’s not right away but it’s going to be soon and they have a vision for me, than I think that’s where I’ll go,” Swanigan said.
The Hawks met with Washington freshman power forward Marquese Chriss, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).
Connecticut sophomore shooting guard Daniel Hamilton interviewed with the Hornets and expressed a desire to play with UConn alum Kemba Walker, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.

Central Notes: Bird, Swanigan, Whitehead, Dunn

May 12th, 2016 at 6:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

Larry Bird hasn’t started his search to replace fired head coach Frank Vogel, relays Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star. The Pacers‘ president of basketball operations, who spent several hours watching watching five-on-five competitions today at the draft combine, said he has not talked to agents for any prospective coaches. “I got a list of guys and I’m just putting it together,” Bird said. Vogel, who was fired last week, has talked to the Rockets about their open head coaching spot, but no formal interview has been scheduled. The Pacers, who hold the No. 20 pick in next month’s draft, have conducted interviews with several players and will start workouts next week.

There’s more news from the Central Division:

One of those players the Pacers interviewed is Purdue freshman power forward Caleb Swanigan, according to a tweet from Buckner. Swanigan says he will hold a predraft workout with Indiana.
Seton Hall sophomore point guard Isaiah Whitehead has interviewed with the Bulls and Pacers, tweets Zach Braziller of The New York Post.
The Pacers also talked to Indiana junior small forward Troy Williams, according to Nathan Baird of The Lafayette Journal & Courier (Twitter link).
The Bulls interviewed Providence sophomore point guard Kris Dunn, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Unless they get really lucky in the lottery, the Bulls would have to make a deal to rise into Dunn’s expected draft range. Chicago currently sits at pick No. 14.
Kentucky sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that he talked to the Pistons among nine team interviews (Twitter link).
Notre Dame junior point guard Demetrius Jackson also met with the Pistons today, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
The Pistons interviewed Florida State freshman shooting guard Malik Beasley, Beard tweets. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy talked about toughness and what role Beasley might have in Detroit.
The Pistons also talked to Vanderbilt sophomore point guard Wade Baldwin, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). Baldwin had an interview with the Bucks as well, tweets Matt Velazquez of The Journal Sentinel.
Michigan State freshman big man Deyonta Davis also met with the Bucks, according to Beard (Twitter link).
Virginia senior shooting guard Malcolm Brogdon interviewed with the Bucks, tweets Charles F. Garnder of The Journal-Sentinel. “I’m 23; I’m one of the oldest guys in the draft,” Brogdon said. “So I hope I come off as mature and experienced.” (Twitter link).
The Bucks also met with Washington freshman power forward Marquese Chriss, Velazquez tweets. Coach Jason Kidd was in the meeting as the team asked Chriss to write down his “personal pillars.”

Atlantic Notes: Dunn, Ulis, Jackson

May 12th, 2016 at 5:13pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite the reports that interim coach Kurt Rambis is team president Phil Jackson‘s choice to lead the Knicks next season, league sources have informed Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that the competition for the post is still wide open. It’s also notable that Rambis is in attendance at the scouting combine this week but Jackson is not in Chicago for the event, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays. “When Larry Bird took over for the Pacers, he was the first guy in the gym in Chicago,” a league executive told Zagoria. “Jerry West was always in the gym. Those guys are not on ranches in Montana. Phil obviously doesn’t worry or care about that.” While the Knicks don’t currently own a pick in this year’s NBA Draft, the team could look to acquire one from another team.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics interviewed Duke freshman forward Brandon Ingram today, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com relays. Boston also interviewed Syracuse freshman swingman Malachi Richardson, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (via Twitter).
The Sixers interviewed Florida State freshman shooting guard Malik Beasley, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays (via Twitter). The swingman noted that Philadelphia intends to bring him in for a workout, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com adds (Twitter links). The team has an interview scheduled for Friday with Michigan State freshman big man Deyonta Davis, Camerato also reports.
The Sixers met with Clemson junior small forward Jaron Blossomgame on Wednesday and have a workout scheduled with him on May 20th, Camerato tweets. Philly also met with former Weber State power forward Joel Bolomboy today, Camerato notes. Also sitting down with team personnel today were Providence junior point guard Kris Dunn and Notre Dame’s Demetrius Jackson, Camerato adds (Twitter links).
North Carolina State point guard Cat Barber has a workout scheduled with the Sixers on Monday, Pompey relays (on Twitter).
Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo indicated that the team is open to trading away some of its draft picks this year in exchange for veteran players, Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers tweets. “You can only have so many developing players,” Colangelo told Andy Katz of ESPN. “We may be in play with some of those picks.“
The Sixers met with Kentucky sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis today and intend to bring him in for a workout in the near future, Camerato tweets.
Vanderbilt sophomore point guard Wade Baldwin interviewed with the Celtics today, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe tweets, Baldwin also met with the Sixers, Camerato notes (on Twitter).
Former Syracuse swingman Michael Gbinije will interview with the Sixers on Friday or Saturday, Pompey relays (via Twitter). Gbinije is also scheduled to meet with the Knicks, Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal tweets.

Knicks Prepare Four-Year Offer For Hernangomez?

May 12th, 2016 at 4:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:39pm: Miller says New York has made no offer to his client, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Of course, this could simply be a matter of semantics, as the Knicks can’t formally make an offer until July, as we noted below.

1:02pm: The Knicks have a four-year, $4.5MM offer in the works for draft-and-stash prospect Guillermo “Willy” Hernangomez, reports Javier Maestro of Encestando (translation via HoopsHype and Joe Flynn of SB Nation’s Posting and Toasting). The 6’11” center has rejected two offers from Real Madrid, his Spanish team, and it would take a significant shift in momentum for him not to wind up with New York next season, according to Maestro.

Still, the latest news is a change from this past fall, when Hernangomez said he wanted to stay with Madrid for many years to come, despite an earlier report that the Knicks were planning to sign him before the 2016/17 season. He’d like to play for the Spanish national team this year, which would keep him from taking part in Knicks summer league action, among the obstacles agent Andy Miller discussed a few months ago with Marc Berman of the New York Post.

The Knicks won’t be able to formally present Hernangomez with a contract until July 7th, when the July moratorium is over, and they’ll need to use cap space or the mid-level exception, since the deal would cover more than two years. Still, New York has his NBA rights exclusively, having acquired them in a draft-night deal last June with the Sixers, who picked him 35th overall. Hernangomez, who turns 22 later this month, has posted averages of 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game for Real Madrid this season.

Northwest Notes: Allen, Crabbe, Dudley

May 12th, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen regaled his team with an emotional speech regarding how proud it made him by overachieving this season, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com relays. “What he said came from the heart,’’ point guard Damian Lillard said. “You could hear it in his voice. He really meant what he was saying. He saw that we left it out there, and he saw how bad we wanted it. And he felt it, he felt what we did.’’ The players noted that the owner’s faith in them never wavered, even when the team struggled early in the campaign, Quick adds. “All owners aren’t connected to their teams like that,” swingman Gerald Henderson noted. “To a lot, their teams are just an investment. But he is committed and invested into the team, not just with his money. He is a clear basketball fanatic, a Blazers fanatic. I think he loves his players, and that’s pretty cool.’’

It remains to be seen just how impressed Allen was by Portland’s 2015/16 campaign, as the team is reportedly set to open extension talks with coach Terry Stotts this summer. Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

Allen Crabbe is excited about his upcoming restricted free agency this summer but had all positives to say about the Trail Blazers, his incumbent team, in exit interviews today, notes Erik Gunderson of The Columbian (Twitter link). Henderson, who’s hitting unrestricted free agency, was a reserve this season for the Blazers but said he places less of a priority on starting than he used to, instead favoring a chance to win and play a role that fits, Gunderson tweets.
The Jazz want to arrange interviews and workouts with University of Utah center Jakob Poeltl and Weber State power forward Joel Bolomboy, as Walt Perrin, the team’s vice president of player personnel, told Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune.
In response to a fan’s question on Twitter, soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Jared Dudley noted that the Timberwolves‘ young roster reminded him of the Bucks’ and that he could envision himself playing in Minnesota next season if the team is interested in his services.
The Wolves interviewed former North Carolina power forward Brice Johnson today, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN relays (via Twitter).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Magic Eye Vogel, Hornacek, Ewing, Griffin, Borrego

May 12th, 2016 at 3:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

3:38pm: Frank Vogel is also among the Magic candidates, Berger writes in an updated version of his story.

2:15pm: Jeff Hornacek, Patrick Ewing, Adrian Griffin and James Borrego have emerged as early candidates for the Magic coaching job, sources told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The position became open earlier today when Scott Skiles resigned.

Hornacek is in high demand, having interviewed Tuesday with the Rockets, and the Pacers are believed to be strongly considering him, too, Berger hears. The Grizzlies also reportedly have him on their list of candidates, one that includes Ewing, too. Griffin is a Magic assistant coach, while Ewing, currently a Hornets assistant, and Borrego, an assistant with the Spurs, are former Magic assistants. Borrego served as interim head coach for the Magic last season after they fired Jacque Vaughn. Hornacek impressed the Orlando brass when he interviewed in 2012 for the head coaching vacancy that went to Vaughn, Berger notes.

The Magic have yet to contact any candidates at this point, GM Rob Hennigan said minutes ago in a press conference to address Skiles’ resignation, tweets Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders. Hennigan and Magic CEO Alex Martins took a trip with Skiles late last month in part to alleviate the concerns the coach had about the franchise, and while Martins and Hennigan returned thinking they’d been successful in doing so, Skiles’ resignation today was a clear signal they weren’t, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel details. Hennigan said in the press conference that he didn’t think he and Skiles had a disconnect (Twitter link).

Skiles thinks the team struggled this season because the players are soft and lack a professional mindset, shortcomings he believes the Magic fostered because of an overemphasis on player development and lack of concern for winning in recent years, Robbins writes. Skiles was also upset that the Magic hadn’t picked up a team option on his contract, sources told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link), presumably referring to the option on the final season of the four-year contract he signed last spring.

Orlando hired Skiles just last year after also interviewing Clippers assistant Mike Woodson, former Warriors head coach Mark Jackson and Fred Hoiberg, who later took the Bulls head coaching job.

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