2017 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Rumors: Dolan, Ntilikina, Kennard, Carmelo

June 13th, 2017 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on Fox 5 this week, Knicks owner James Dolan was asked about his involvement in basketball decisions, and maintained that he has no role in that side of the business. According to Dolan, who has been more hands-on with the basketball operations department in the past, people ask him all the time about the Knicks’ roster, and he tells them to “ask Phil [Jackson].”

“It’s all Phil. It’s all [GM] Steve [Mills],” Dolan said, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com. “I’m working on my music, they’re working on the basketball team.”

Here’s more out of New York:

The Knicks reportedly have interest in French point guard Frank Ntilikina, and it appears that interest is mutual. Marc Berman of The New York Post spoke to Ntilikina, a probable lottery pick, about his potential fit with the Knicks, the idea of playing with Kristaps Porzingis, and more.
Former Duke sharpshooter Luke Kennard is another player the Knicks figure to consider with the No. 8 overall pick, and he worked out for the team on Monday, writes Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Kennard is currently considered more likely to be picked outside of the top 10.
With the Cavaliers looking to find a way to add more firepower to compete with Golden State, Carmelo Anthony may find his name linked to Cleveland in the coming weeks. However, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, that scenario would probably only be viable if the Knicks bought out Anthony and he was willing to play on a discounted contract in Cleveland. In other words, a trade isn’t likely.

Lakers Host Josh Jackson For Workout

June 13th, 2017 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

After working out De’Aaron Fox earlier in the day, the Lakers are hosting another top-five prospect for a private workout this afternooon. The team announced today that former Kansas forward Josh Jackson will be in town for an audition (Twitter link). It will be the second time the Lakers have gotten a first-hand look at Jackson, having met with him in Sacramento last week.

Jackson’s workout with the Lakers comes on the heels of a Monday report indicating that he cancelled a workout with the Celtics, who have the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. There has been speculation that Jackson received a draft promise, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders tweets that the Lakers have told agents that haven’t made any promises to anyone.

If Jackson received a guarantee from a team drafting third or later, it’s not clear why he would cancel a workout with the Celtics, but not with the Lakers, so there could be another explanation for his decision. As our Dana Gauruder speculated on Monday night, perhaps Los Angeles is simply Jackson’s preferred landing spot.

We also heard a month ago that some agents may be reluctant to let their clients work out for the Celtics, since Boston already has a deep, talented lineup — a rookie who lands with the C’s, even a top prospect, is less likely to have a major role right away than he would with another lottery team.

Regardless of Jackson’s intentions or his workout schedule, the ex-Jayhawk is considered a lock to come off the board within the first few picks of this year’s draft. As for the Lakers, they’re viewed as a likely landing spot for Lonzo Ball, but they’re doing their homework on top prospects like Fox and Jackson as well, and have yet to make any final decisions.

Draft Notes: Early Entrants, Fultz, Ferguson

June 13th, 2017 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The deadline for early entrants to withdraw from the NBA draft came and went on Monday evening, with several more international prospects pulling their names out of the 2017 draft pool. The NCAA’s deadline to withdraw from the draft and retain college eligibility passed in May, so NCAA underclassmen generally weren’t affected by this week’s deadline, but it was a key date for international early entrants.

As agent Misko Raznatovic tweets, a handful of his clients withdrew from the draft on Monday — Ege Arar and Aleksa Ilic will now be draft-eligible in 2018, while Borisa Simanic and Kostja Mushidi will have the option of declaring again next year. Israeli forward Leo Cizmic has also withdrawn from the draft, according to agent Gerard Darnes (Twitter link).

As we wait for official word from the NBA on this year’s list of early entrants, let’s round up a few more draft-related items…

Probable No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz has hired an agent, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that Raymond Brothers will represent the former Washington point guard. The new client of IAM Sports & Entertainment is expected to meet with the Lakers this week.
Speaking to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, first-round prospect Terrance Ferguson explained why he circumvented the usual path to the NBA, criticizing the NCAA system. “At college, the only people making money off you are the coaches,” said Ferguson, who claims he’s more prepared for the NBA after playing international pro ball out of high school. “You’re not making anything off your jersey sales, ticket sales. Not anything. So go overseas, the way I did, and get your money’s worth. Get paid for what you’re doing.”
Pittsburgh’s Jamel Artis will work out this week for the Hornets on Wednesday and the Nets on Thursday, a source tells Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
South Carolina prospect P.J. Dozier, who worked out for the Hornets today, will audition for the Pelicans and Hawks next, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link) adds the Pistons, Jazz and Clippers to the list of teams that Michigan’s Derrick Walton has worked out for.

Lowe’s Latest: Warriors, Celtics, Heat, Hayward

June 13th, 2017 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of the Warriors‘ second championship in three years, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com details the scene in the team’s locker room a year ago, following Golden State’s Game 7 loss to the Cavaliers in the 2016 Finals. As Lowe describes it, Andre Iguodala told his teammates that if the Warriors responded the right way, they could put themselves in position to chase several titles.

According to Lowe, Kevin Durant‘s name wasn’t mentioned, and Iguodala never said anything about free agency, but there were some glances at Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut, who would be the expendable pieces if Durant came to Golden State. A couple weeks later, Durant was a Warrior, and a year later, he has captured the first title of his career, as well as being named Finals MVP.

Here’s more from Lowe’s latest piece for ESPN.com:

There are some team executives around the NBA who believe the league should have pushed harder to avoid last year’s cap spike after the union rejected the NBA’s cap-smoothing proposal, according to Lowe. That spike helped make the Warriors‘ signing of Durant possible.
While some executives who have talked to Lowe believe there may be fewer “win-now” transactions made by teams looking to knock off the Warriors and Cavaliers, several teams won’t change their approach to roster-building, including the Rockets and Spurs. “They are not unbeatable,” Rockets GM Daryl Morey said of the Warriors. “There have been bigger upsets in sports history. We are going to keep improving our roster.”
Celtics GM Danny Ainge expressed a similar sentiment, though he acknowledged that his club isn’t looking to give up key assets for small improvements either. “We are definitely not in punt mode,” Ainge said. “But trading away picks and promising young players for a veteran who might be 5 percent better is not in our plans, either.”
The Heat aren’t shying away from win-now moves either. League sources confirm to Lowe that Miami is “loading up” to pursue Gordon Hayward in free agency.
The Warriors have traded their first- and second-round picks for 2017, but are trying to buy their way back into this year’s draft, according to Lowe.

Josh Jackson Cancels Celtics Workout

June 12th, 2017 at 10:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kansas swingman Josh Jackson cancelled his scheduled workout with the Celtics, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets.

Goodman didn’t elaborate why the workout was nixed by Jackson and his camp. On the surface, it seems like a curious decision to back out of a workout with the team holding the No. 1 pick.

There has been speculation that some members of the Lakers front office are enamored with Jackson and perhaps that’s where, like Lonzo Ball, he’d rather land. It could also signal that Jackson doesn’t believe Boston has a serious interest in using the top pick on him.

The news of Jackson’s cancelled workout comes on the heels of the revelation that Markelle Fultz, the favorite to be chosen No. 1, will meet with the Lakers this week. Los Angeles has the second pick.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Mason, Clippers, Reed

June 12th, 2017 at 9:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A Lakers backcourt of D’Angelo Russell and Lonzo Ball might be potent offensively but a liability defensively, as Eric Pincus examines in a Bleacher Report piece. Russell could run pick-and-rolls, while Ball would excel in transition and ball movement, though neither tends to attack off the dribble, Pincus continues. The biggest concern would be on the defensive end because of quickness issues, which would require the Lakers to have a speedy, defensive-minded guard to rotate with both players, Pincus adds.

In other developments around the Pacific Division:

Kansas point guard Frank Mason III will work out for the Kings for a second time on Wednesday, according to the team’s website. Mason is considered a second-round prospect — he’s currently ranked No. 45 on Chad Ford’s Big Board. Sacramento, which has the No. 34 overall pick in the second round, will also bring in Kentucky point guard Isaiah Briscoe, UCLA shooting guard Isaac Hamilton, Florida shooting guard Canyon Barry, Indiana center Thomas Bryant and Miami forward Kamari Murphy.
The Clippers will bring in FIBA small forward Howard Sant-Roos for workouts later this week, international journalist David Pick tweets. The Cuban-born Sant-Roos, 26, has been playing for CEZ Nymburk in the Czech league, where he averaged 13.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 3.4 APG in 40 games this season.
Kansas State shooting guard Wesley Iwundu and Vanderbilt big man Luke Kornet headed the list of six draft hopeful that the Lakers brought in on Monday, the team’s website reported. Iwundu is ranked No. 53 overall by Draft Express, while Kornet comes in at No. 67. The Lakers do not have a second-round pick.
Miami shooting guard Davon Reed headlined a group of six players that the Clippers worked out on Monday, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders tweets. Reed is pegged as the No. 76 prospect by Draft Express. Murphy also participated in the workout.

Markelle Fultz To Meet With Lakers

June 12th, 2017 at 6:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Projected top pick Markelle Fultz is expected to meet this week with the Lakers, who hold the No. 2 pick, a source told Adam Zagoria of The 4 Quarters Podcast (Twitter link).

Fultz spent two days with the Celtics earlier this month and it’s generally assumed the University of Washington point guard will be Boston’s choice on draft day. The fact that Fultz is willing to meet with the team holding the next pick at this stage suggests that the Celtics may not be completely sold on Fultz, or at least haven’t made any promises that he’ll be their pick. It’s noteworthy that Fultz is only scheduled to meet with the Lakers and not work out for them, though that obviously could change.

The Fultz meeting the Lakers could also be a hedge by his representatives in case Boston decides to swap the pick in a blockbuster deal.

The Lakers did meet with Fultz at the scouting combine in Chicago last month. While most projections have Los Angeles taking UCLA passing wizard Lonzo Ball, the Lakers are covering all their bases. Some members of their front office are supposedly bullish on Kansas small forward Josh Jackson, and they will hold a closed workout for Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox on Tuesday morning, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets.

Possible First-Rounder Kurucs Withdraws From Draft

June 12th, 2017 at 4:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rodions Kurucs has withdrawn his name from the 2017 NBA draft, FIBA agent Alturs Kalnitis tweets.

This is a surprising development in that Kurucs was considered first-round material. The 19-year-old Latvian forward, who currently plays for Barcelona 2, was ranked No. 18 overall by DraftExpress, while ESPN.com’s Chad Ford ranked Kurucs at No. 33. Ford noted that Kurucs is a long, athletic shooter with good size for his position.

The Nets were reportedly high on Kurucs and perhaps even willing to move up in the first round to snare him.

Kurucs played 24 games for the Barcelona team this season, averaging 9.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 1.4 APG in 21.2 MPG. The 6’8” Kurucs shot 31.9% on 3-point attempts.

OG Anunoby Aims To Be At Full Strength Before End Of 2017

June 12th, 2017 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Indiana small forward OG Anunoby continues to recover from a knee injury, with some draft experts speculating that he could miss most or all of his NBA rookie season in 2017/18. However, a source tells Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports that Anunoby expects to be back at full health by late November or early December.

Anunoby’s sophomore season with the Hoosiers was cut short when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in January. However, Anunoby declared for the draft in the spring and the injury doesn’t appear to have significantly affected his draft stock. He still ranks 14th overall on DraftExpress’ big board, and 13th on ESPN’s top 100 list.

In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Chad Ford notes that Anunoby will be impacted by doctors’ opinions on his surgically repaired knee, since some teams believe he won’t be back to full health until well into 2018. However, Ford still had Anunoby coming off the board at No. 13, suggesting that the Nuggets are among the teams that probably won’t be scared off by that diagnosis.

Even if Anunoby feels as if he’ll be ready to make his NBA debut before the end of the calendar year, his NBA team may play it safe. As we saw with the Sixers and Ben Simmons this past season, clubs will typically take a long-term outlook with their first-round picks, rather than rushing them onto the court.

Draft Rumors: Ball, Kohs, Hawks, Blossomgame

June 12th, 2017 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Lakers are impressed with Lonzo Ball‘s passing, scoring, and leadership potential, some team observers of his workout with the team believe he came in out of shape, writes Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Ball is still viewed as the odds-on favorite to be the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, but if the Lakers do go in another direction, conditioning concerns could play a part in that decision.

Here are a few more draft-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

In advance of today’s deadline, Latvian prospect Verners Kohs has withdrawn his name from the 2017 NBA draft, per agent Arturs Kalnitis (via Twitter). The 6’8″ small forward is ranked 13th by DraftExpress among 1997-born international prospects.
The Hawks will likely be in the market for a big man when they pick at No. 19 in next week’s draft, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who identifies nine players Atlanta may be targeting with that selection.
Utah State’s Jalen Moore, who worked out for Philadelphia today, has auditions for the Celtics and Bulls coming up later this week, and has already worked out for the Bucks, Magic, and Thunder, per Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link).
Camerato also passes along some workout info for Clemson’s Jaron Blossomgame, tweeting that he has sessions lined up with the Hornets, Hawks, Pacers, Bucks, and Nuggets.