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2017 NBA Draft

Mavs Notes: Noel, Draft, Harris

June 16th, 2017 at 7:27pm CST by Austin Kent

Having performed admirably during his half season with the Mavs and said all the right things to the media, Nerlens Noel is an excellent option to man the paint in Dallas for years to come. Unfortunately, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News explains, the restricted free agent will likely field significant offers from other teams this summer for those very same reasons.

In the last edition of his SportsDay series ranking notable available players, Sefko rounds up the five most appealing free agent options at the center position (he recently wrote about the top five power forwards and the top five small forwards). Noel, not surprisingly, is ranked No. 1 by Sefko, although Dewayne Dedmon, Greg Monroe, Nene Hilario and Tiago Splitter round out the list. The scribe adds that the athletic big man would work well in this era and could contribute to what the Mavericks are trying to accomplish.

In April, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News wrote about Noel’s time with the franchise since the trade deadline day deal that sent him from Philadelphia south. In it, Townsend quotes Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle saying that the available center has “got to get signed”.

“I’ve been impressed with him,” Carlisle added in the Townsend piece. “He’s a very likable guy. Guys in the locker room took to him. He’s an exciting young talent, and I do think he can expand his game.”

There’s more from the Mavs:

  • Count veteran point guard Devin Harris among those who admire how the Warriors built their dynasty. Harris recently told the Dallas Morning News’ Eddie Sefko that the Mavs should look to draft wisely and hone their talent. Harris adds that building through free agency should be a secondary option considering that there is so much competition with other franchises.
  • The Mavs have been busy working out possible draftees, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News tweets. On Thursday the team saw Zach Collins (projected to go No. 10 by NBADraft.net) and Lauri Markkanen (No. 11). Dallas holds the No. 9 pick in the June 22 NBA Draft.
  • Hoops fans may have to wait a while for the next great NBA team to come and unseat the Warriors and there’s no reason to believe that, when it happens, it will be any less of a surprise than when Golden State rose to prominence by drafting Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in consecutive drafts. Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News writes that it may not be the Mavs who take the throne in 2020 but, then again, it could be anybody.
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Central Notes: Korver, Williams, Workouts

June 16th, 2017 at 5:58pm CST by Austin Kent

There’s a better chance that the Cavaliers bring mid-season trade acquisition Kyle Korver back for 2017/18 than buyout season bargain Deron Williams, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. In response to a reader’s question, Vardon broke down the circumstances of their respective pending free agencies.

Because they gave up a first-round pick to acquire him, the Cavaliers hold Korver’s Bird Rights. That means, of course, that they can go above the salary cap to retain him, something outright inevitable given that they’re operating with the league’s highest payroll. Bringing Korver – who led the league in 3-point percentage at age 36 – back is a cost effective way of keeping offensive weapons on board for next season.

Williams, in contrast, will be limited in the size of contract he can land with the Cavaliers, a figure certainly less than what he drew on the open market with the Mavs last offseason. Despite his having been waived by Dallas in February, his eventual playoff struggles with Cleveland and the staggering fact that he’ll make $5.5MM for the next three years thanks to a stretch provision dating back to his time with the Nets, Vardon says he’s “unlikely” to sign with the Cavaliers for just their $5.1 exception.

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Bucks worked out a handful of guards Friday, including Donovan Mitchell (projected to be drafted at No. 14 by NBADraft.net) and Justin Jackson (No. 19). A report on Milwaukee’s official website has the details.
  • The Pistons spent time Friday working out a number of deep sleepers, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets. The scribe notes facetiously that the names aren’t likely candidates to go 12th overall. With no second-round pick, Detroit could be auditioning eventual free agent options.
  • The Pacers will bring John Collins (projected to be drafted at No. 13 by NBADraft.net) and Harry Giles (No. 22) in for a workout Saturday, the team writes on its official site, as well as several others.
  • A combination of age and limited financial flexibility could make it difficult for the Cavaliers to improve this offseason, Bobby Marks of The Vertical writes. Marks notes that even if the club looked elsewhere than Kyle Korver and Deron Williams, they’d only have minimum contracts and the mid-level exception at their disposal.
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Celtics To Meet With Josh Jackson, Dennis Smith Jr.

June 16th, 2017 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics continue to do their homework on several of the top prospects in this year’s draft, having lined up meetings with two more players. Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports that the C’s have scheduled a pre-draft meeting with Dennis Smith Jr., while Sean Cunningham of ABC10 tweets that Josh Jackson will head to Boston to meet with the team within the next few days.

Word of Jackson’s meeting is notable since the former Kansas swingman cancelled a scheduled workout with the Celtics earlier this week. It sounds like the upcoming meeting between the two sides won’t necessarily include a workout, but it comes in the wake of a report that Boston may be considering Jackson with the first overall pick.

Markelle Fultz is still viewed as the probable No. 1 pick, so it’s possible that the Celtics’ apparent interest in Jackson is a smoke screen designed to drum up interest in a trade, though at least one GM is convinced that Danny Ainge is legitimately leaning toward the ex-Jayhawk. As for Smith, the former North Carolina State point guard would likely only be on the Celtics’ radar if the team were to trade down, since he’s not considered a top-five prospect.

Cunningham’s report also indicates that Jackson is holding a private workout in Sacramento with the Sixers today. If Fultz and Lonzo Ball come off the board first and second overall next Thursday, Jackson would be a strong candidate to be Philadelphia’s pick at No. 3.

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How Cash-Trading Rules May Impact Teams’ Draft Plans

June 16th, 2017 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, five draft-night trades involving second-round picks saw money change hands between two NBA teams. In some cases, the cost of those picks wasn’t exorbitant — the Nuggets reportedly only received $730K from the Thunder in exchange for the rights to the No. 56 pick, which was used on Daniel Hamilton. However, the price tag on a few other picks was higher.

The Warriors, for instance, sent $2.4MM to the Bucks in exchange for the right to draft Patrick McCaw. The Nets gave $3MM to the Jazz for the right to move up and nab Isaiah Whitehead. The No. 54 pick, which was used on Kay Felder, cost the Cavaliers $2.47MM to acquire from Atlanta.

Teams with an excess of second-round picks will likely look to sell a selection or two this year, while clubs looking to get back into the second round can dangle cash in lieu of players or picks. But teams can’t simply send as much money as they want in order to acquire draft picks.

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement limits the amount of money teams can send and receive in trades during a given league year. For the 2016/17 season, the maximum is $3.5MM. A team can send out as much as $3.5MM in trades, and receive up to that amount as well, but after that point, they can’t use any more cash in trades.

Cash paid and cash received are separate entities, so a team that has sent out $3.5MM in trades can’t “start over” by receiving $3.5MM in another trade — once they’ve paid $3.5MM, they’re essentially capped out in terms of tradeable cash. Since the new league year doesn’t begin until July 1, trades made since July 2016 will affect how much money teams can pay or receive in this year’s draft.

There are potentially ways to get around these restrictions — if a team without any tradeable cash left badly wants to buy a second-round pick, it’s possible an agreement in principle with another club could be reached, and a trade could be finalized in July when spending resets. But both teams would have to be on board, and a team with the ability to send or receive cash this year may not want to hamper its 2017/18 flexibility by waiting. When teams sell draft picks for cash, those deals are generally made official on draft night.

According to data from Basketball Insiders, these are the teams that have already paid or received more than half of their $3.5MM limit in 2016/17, reducing their flexibility on draft night:

Cash Paid:

  • Cleveland Cavaliers: $0 remaining ($3,500,000 paid)
  • Dallas Mavericks: $272,714 remaining ($3,227,286 paid)
  • Portland Trail Blazers: $575,000 remaining ($2,925,000 paid)

Cash Received:

  • Denver Nuggets: $0 remaining ($3,500,000 received)
  • Philadelphia 76ers: $100,000 remaining ($3,400,000 received)
  • Indiana Pacers: $272,714 remaining ($3,227,286 received)

The two teams impacted most by the money they’ve already spent or received in trades are probably the Cavaliers and Sixers. Cleveland has traded both of its 2017 picks, and will have a hard time getting back into the draft without any cash to use.

As for the Sixers, they have more picks than any other team in this draft, including four second-rounders. Philadelphia probably doesn’t want to use all of those picks, but trading them could be tricky, since the team isn’t eligible to receive more than $100K. If Philadelphia does trade a second-rounder or two, the return could be future picks rather than cash.

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Draft Rumors: Lakers, Ball, Monk, Kennard

June 16th, 2017 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

On Thursday, we learned that the Lakers are “taking and making calls” about the No. 2 overall pick, and according to ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider-only link), one scenario in particular has piqued the team’s interest. Ford reports that the Lakers have had internal discussions about trading back to No. 4 if the Suns are willing to offer them a 2018 first-round pick. The Suns are currently in line to have two first-rounders next year, with Miami’s top-seven protected pick coming their way, but that’d still be a steep price to move up two spots.

According to Ford, the Lakers are unwilling to trade their No. 2 overall pick if it involves dropping out of the top five entirely, since they want to land at least one prospect with star potential next Thursday. The most likely scenario involves the team simply keeping the pick, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, who hears from team sources that a trade remains a long shot.

Here are more draft rumors and notes, with less than a week to go until the big day:

  • Lonzo Ball, who will work out for the Lakers again on Friday, is considering talking to other lottery teams that want to meet with him, according to Ramona Shelburne. Ball’s preference is to land in Los Angeles, but if the team doesn’t give him any indication after Friday’s meeting that he has “separated himself” from other contenders for that No. 2 pick, he may explore more options, per Shelburne.
  • Having worked out for four teams with picks between Nos. 3 and 8, Malik Monk doesn’t intend to audition for any more clubs before the draft, tweets Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com.
  • Former Duke sharpshooter Luke Kennard is starting to be considered alongside several second-tier prospects in this draft, according to Chad Ford, who reports that the Knicks are “seriously considering” Kennard at No. 8. One GM tells Ford that his team has Kennard ranked higher than Monk on its board, while a Lakers source says Kennard would be the favorite for L.A. if the club could acquire a second top-10 pick.
  • Another GM from a late-lottery team to Ford, regarding Kennard: “There’s no way he gets to us. I don’t think there’s any way he’s out of the top 10. We think he’s the best shooter in the draft. We think he’s tough. He’s more athletic than you think. He really thinks the game. He’s the most underrated guy in this draft.”
  • Danny Chau, Jonathan Tjarks, and Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer identify eight prospects who are rising or falling on their respective draft boards.
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Frank Ntilikina Current Target For Knicks At No. 8?

June 15th, 2017 at 9:46pm CST by marksuleymanov

9:46pm: Ntilikina’s agent Olivier Mazet tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that he could miss a decisive Game 5 of the French league finals to be in New York for the draft next week. The French guard will fly to New York after Game 4 Tuesday and with the draft on Thursday night and Game 5 on Friday, it remains to be seen if Ntilikina can honor all of those appearances.

4:55pm: There’s no general consensus on who the Knicks will draft with their eight overall pick next week, but French point guard Frank Ntilikina appears to be a frontrunner, per Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Isola states that the Knicks have a scout in Europe “babysitting” the 18-year-old and as of now, he is “their man.”

Ntilikina, who boasts a 6’5″ frame and a seven-foot wingspan, has been playing well in the French finals and has been linked to the Knicks extensively the past few weeks. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News spoke to Ntilikina recently and the young guard expressed his knowledge and interest in joining New York and learning the triangle offesne.

“I watch a lot of their games and I know how they play with their triangle offense with Phil Jackson as the president, and I know the players,” Ntilikina said. “I think it would be a good thing for me.”

Due to the length of the French postseason, Ntilikina has not been able to schedule a pre-draft workout, and with the draft scheduled for next Thursday, time is running out for the Belgium native to showcase his talents. However, targeting talented yet virtual unknowns in the NBA Draft has worked for the Knicks.

The team drafted Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth overall pick in 2015 and he has developed into a potential franchise-building piece. New York has expressed its desire to get younger and more athletic while running the triangle and Ntilikina, while not a well-known name, checks both of those boxes.

The Knicks have worked out most players likely to be drafted in the top 10, along with several other players that may be targets later in the draft. At this point, the first 10 selections could go in many directions, so the Knicks’ pick is far from certain.

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Celtics Considering Josh Jackson With No. 1 Pick?

June 15th, 2017 at 8:42pm CST by marksuleymanov

Washington’s Markelle Fultz has been linked to the Celtics as the likely first overall pick in the NBA Draft, but Kansas’ Josh Jackson is believed to be receiving serious consideration from Boston, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider-only link).

Jackson, 20, posted solid numbers in his lone season at Kansas, totaling 16.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, and 1.7 SPG in 35 contests. He has been praised for his versatility on the floor and as one general manager explained to Ford, that is the reason why the Celtics could change course.

“I’ve picked Danny’s brain for years,” the general manager said in regards to Ainge’s basketball acumen. “Jackson is an Ainge player all the way. Tough, athletic, long, versatile, elite motor. If he’s keeping the pick, Jackson just to me, far and away, is the most Celtics-type player for them to draft. From all my conversations with them, I’m convinced they’ll take Jackson No. 1.”

The concern with Jackson — or any player that Boston selects — is playing time. The Celtics have Isaiah Thomas cemented at point guard with solid complimentary pieces like Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, and last year’s draft pick, Jaylen Brown, all potentially blocking draftees.

Jackson cancelled a scheduled workout with the Celtics earlier this week, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman (via Twitter). The 6’8″ guard had a second workout with the Lakers on Tuesday and Los Angeles is reportedly torn between using its second overall selection on Jackson or UCLA product Lonzo Ball.

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Pacific Notes: Griffin, Divac, Suns Pre-Draft Workouts

June 15th, 2017 at 7:04pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Clippers could be a drastically different team next season as Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and J.J. Redick could leave for greener pastures this offseason. While Paul is a long shot to depart, Griffin and Redick are far from guaranteed to stay in Los Angeles. James Blancarte of Basketball Insiders examines Griffin’s options as he considers potential suitors.

The Celtics are an intriguing possibility as they have the No.1 pick in the NBA Draft, a budding superstar in Isaiah Thomas, and a young core of talented assets. Griffin, 28, can think long-term with a younger team in Boston and if Thomas departs after next season, he could become the primary option in Beantown.

Additionally, the Heat are a possibility as the team’s history luring LeBron James and Chris Bosh to Miami shows a commitment to winning. While the Heat lack Boston’s young assets, Blancarte explains that playing under Erik Spoelstra — who is known to bring out the best in his players — and being the definitive centerpiece in South Beach is an appealing proposition.

Here are additional links around the Pacific Division:

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Magic GM John Hammond Talks Draft, No. 6 Pick

June 15th, 2017 at 6:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have overhauled their front office in recent weeks, hiring former Raptors executive Jeff Weltman as their new president of basketball operations and ex-Bucks exec John Hammond as their new general manager.

Both Weltman and Hammond had been preparing for the 2017 draft with their old teams before joining the Bucks, so they’re very familiar with this year’s draft class, but they may be taking a different approach now that they’re working with a new roster, a new management group, and an extra first-round pick.

Speaking to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel, Hammond answered a number of questions about this year’s draft, the Magic’s options with their two first-round picks, and his philosophy to drafting. The whole Q&A is worth checking out, but here are a few of the notable answers from Orlando’s new GM:

On the Magic’s approach with the No. 6 overall pick:

“I think that our mindset today is fairly clear and definitive. We are going to be looking to draft the best player on the board with the sixth pick. … When you get this high into the draft, I think very few teams are thinking, ‘We’re going to fill a need.’ The standard thought process going into something like this is to always look for the best player on the board.

“We don’t feel like there is a gap [between the fifth and sixth players on the board]. And we feel confident with the sixth pick.”

On the strength of this year’s draft class:

“I think as we’re looking at it today, there may not be that transcendent player. There may not be that Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James or Patrick Ewing type of player that when you draft that player, you know that player has that ability to turn your team into basically a championship-caliber team in a matter of a years.

But I think that there are players in this draft, especially in the top of this draft, that have a chance to be All-Stars in this league and maybe multiple-time All-Stars in this league. And if you’re drafting a player like that, he could be a building-block piece to your team.”

On whether Hammond’s focus on length and athleticism in Milwaukee will carry over to the Magic:

“Jeff’s philosophy, and my philosophy in the past, has been that. We love length. We love athleticism. But a critical part of the game today is: Can a player stretch the floor and shoot the three-point shot? So if you can get a combination of something like that — a player who can play multiple positions, a player who has length, a player who has some athleticism, a player that can eventually step on the floor and stretch the floor — in this day and age in this league, those are potential All-Star players.”

On whether the Magic will target a draft-and-stash player with their second first-round pick (No. 25):

“Potentially we could. But we also have that ability with the 33rd and 35th picks. I think we’ll keep all those options open.”

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Southeast Notes: Millsap, White, Vasquez, NBA Draft

June 15th, 2017 at 2:51pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Hawks are planning on using their 19th overall pick in the NBA Draft on the best player available and Paul Millsap‘s contract situation will not change that, per Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (links via Twitter).

Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk told Vivlamore for a separate story that Millsap “might get better offers than we can make him.” Despite Atlanta’s desire to retain the four-time All-Star, the team is focused on assembling the best roster possible and worry about Millsap — or replacing him — afterward.

“You draft the best talent available regardless who is on your roster. … I think that’s when you get in trouble, when you draft off need not off talent,” Schlenk said. “Especially the way the league is going where guys are interchangeable and guys are multi-positional, you just take the best player.”

The Hawks went 43-39 last season, making the postseason as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. However, last year’s prized offseason acquisition Dwight Howard struggled in the postseason and expressed his issues with his lack of playing time; the team is also facing several potential departures in unrestricted free agency, such as Ersan Ilyasova, Kris Humphries and Mike Muscala. While those decisions will shape the 2017/18 Hawks, the club will look to attain the strongest asset in the NBA draft before worrying about anything else.

Below are notes from around the Southeast Division:

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