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Draft Notes: DiVincenzo, Spellman, Walker, Bearden

May 19th, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Coach Jay Wright will recommend to Donte DiVincenzo and Omari Spellman that they return to Villanova if it doesn’t look like they’ll be drafted in the first round, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. DiVincenzo goes to the Mavericks at No. 33 in the latest mock draft compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, while Spellman isn’t projected to be taken. Players have until May 30 to make their decisions.

“Omari and Donte are out there to try to prove themselves as first-round picks,” Wright said of his players’ trips to the NBA Draft Combine. “For them, I hope they are. And I think this process has been good for them. I think they will get some good information.”

DiVincenzo met with the Lakers, Magic, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Spurs, Hawks and Grizzlies at the combine and said he received a lot of “positive feedback.” Spellman has upcoming workouts with the Lakers [May 23], Clippers [May 24], Spurs [26] and Jazz [28] that will likely influence his decision, Zagoria adds.

There’s more draft news as the deadline for decisions draws closer:

  • The Sixers may consider Miami guard Lonnie Walker at No. 10, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Walker met with Philadelphia officials Friday and was impressed by the experience. “It went well,” he said. “See a little bit of Elton Brand and all those guys, I felt like a little kid, seeing guys I watched on TV.” Givony has Walker projected at No. 13 to the Clippers.
  • Lamonte Bearden of Western Kentucky will sign with an agent and stay in the draft, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. The guard averaged 11.8 points and 3.4 assists as a redshirt junior.
  • Kent State’s Jaylin Walker tweeted that he will return to school for his senior season. He averaged 16.6 points per game for the Golden Flashes this season.
  • The Nuggets have pre-draft workouts scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, the team announced in an e-mail. Scheduled to appear at Monday’s session are Tyler Davis of Texas A&M, Cody Martin of Nevada, William McDowell-White of Brose Bamberg, Isaiah Reese of Canisius, Admiral Schofield of Tennessee and Reid Travis of Stanford. Tuesday’s schedule features Tyler Cook of Iowa, Jon Elmore of Marshall, Ethan Happ of Wisconsin, Mustapha Heron of Auburn, Charles Matthews of Michigan and Shamorie Ponds of St. John’s.
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Community Shootaround: Best Expansion Cities

May 19th, 2018 at 8:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kansas City has been off the NBA map since the Kings moved to Sacramento in 1985, but there’s a push to bring it back. A report emerged last night that Kansas City is on the short list to get a franchise the next time the league expands.

“Kansas City will get an NBA team at some point. … Just a matter of time,” an unidentified league executive told NBA scout Jarrett Sutton. “Seattle and KC, to me, are most valuable markets for league expansion when it makes sense.”

Seattle has been among the front-runners for a new franchise ever since the SuperSonics were moved to Oklahoma City a decade ago. Late last year, Seattle’s City Council approved a $650MM renovation project at Key Arena, the Sonics’ former home, with the goal of attracting an NBA or NHL franchise before the end of the decade. The league is planning a preseason game in Seattle in October, so its commitment to the Pacific Northwest city seems solid.

Kansas City is more of a surprise, but it does have a 19,000-seat facility to offer in the Sprint Center. The city was never considered an NBA hotbed when the Kings were there from 1972-85, and they adopted Omaha, Nebraska, as a dual home city for three of those seasons. However, Kansas City is one of the largest media markets without an NBA team and it offers a larger television market than either Oklahoma City or New Orleans.

Here are a few other locations the league may consider when it decides the time is right to expand:

  • Louisville — The city has a rich college basketball tradition and the 22,000-seat KFC Yum! Center. The Kentucky Colonels were among the most successful and well-supported ABA teams, but the city has never gotten a shot at the NBA. Louisville made efforts to attract the Rockets, Grizzlies and Hornets last decade, but came up empty each time.
  • Las Vegas — The NHL’s Golden Knights have been a huge hit in their first season in Vegas, and their new T-Mobile Arena could easily house a basketball team. The Las Vegas Summer League has become a must-see event on the NBA calendar with all 30 teams now signed up. The Oakland Raiders are headed to town soon, and the city may want to add a basketball franchise as well.
  • Vancouver — The NBA struck out in its first attempt to put a team in western Canada, but it hasn’t given up on the market. With the Rogers Arena housing the Canucks, a facility is already in place. However, if Seattle is a lock for an expansion franchise, it’s hard to imagine the league putting another team so close by.
  • Mexico City — The NBA has long tried to expand the borders of its fan base and has scheduled two regular season games in Mexico City in each of the past two seasons. The Palacio de los Deportes can hold more than 20,000 fans, and commissioner Adam Silver has discussed putting a G League team there and launching an NBA Academy for Latin American and Caribbean players.
  • Pittsburgh — The Steel City hasn’t had a team since the early days of the ABA, but it does have PPG Paints Arena, which can hold 19,000 people for basketball. The city also boasts an enthusiastic fan base, especially for its NFL and NHL teams. Five years ago, David Stern listed Pittsburgh as a possible expansion site, and the city was mentioned as a potential destination when the Pistons discussed relocation in 2010.

We want to get your input. The next expansion franchise will probably go to Seattle, but if the NBA adds two teams, who should get the other one? Please leave you feedback in the comments section below.

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Trail Blazers Notes: Combine, Trent, Hutchison, Walker

May 19th, 2018 at 7:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Trail Blazers took an unorthodox approach to the NBA Draft Combine by giving a prominent role to their sports psychologist, writes Jason Quick of NBA Sports Northwest. Dana Sinclair has been working with the team for the past seven years and her role has evolved to coordinating pre-draft intelligence.

Players who met with Sinclair received a checklist with character traits and were asked to pick the ones that described them. Once they completed the list, they were given several follow-up questions.

“It was questions like, ‘What would people describe you as?’’’ said Louisville recruit Brian Bowen, who sat out the season. “And ‘What would you describe yourself as?’ It was interesting. It was her getting to know me personally. I liked it.’’

There’s more to pass on from Portland:

  • Among the players the team interviewed at the combine was Duke’s Gary Trent Jr., Quick adds in the same story. Trent, who averaged 14.5 points and 4.2 rebounds as a freshman with the Blue Devils, would be a second-generation Blazer if he gets drafted by Portland. His  father spent three full seasons with the organization at the start of his career. “He always he told me stories of those teams, and the name they had, the Jail Blazers,’’ Trent said. “But he told me funny stories, stories of him, JR [Rider], Rasheed [Wallace].’’
  • Boise State’s Chandler Hutchison was a late withdrawal from the combine, sparking rumors that he had a promise from a team with a pick in the 20s, but that promise didn’t come from Portland, Quick tweets. Hutchison would be a nice fit with the Blazers, who need to add wing depth, writes Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype.
  • Shooting guard Lonnie Walker of Miami was among the players who interviewed with Sinclair, but he isn’t planning a workout in Portland, according to Quick (Twitter link). The Trail Blazers hold the 24th pick, and Walker’s agent, Happy Walters, said that falls below the range where he expects Walker to be chosen. Walker was extremely impressive at the combine media session and reminded many observers of Donovan Mitchell‘s performance last year (Twitter link).
  • Oregon’s Troy Brown expects to work out for the Blazers in the coming weeks, Quick adds (Twitter link).
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Knicks Notes: Smart, Porzingis, Delany, Draft

May 19th, 2018 at 6:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Grizzlies assistant Keith Smart is expected to become a top assistant on David Fizdale’s staff with the Knicks, tweets ESPN’s Ian Begley. Smart was an assistant with Fizdale for two years in Miami and came to Memphis with him when he was hired as head coach in 2016.

Smart, who appeared in just two NBA games as a player, began his coaching career in 2000. He has also been an assistant with the Cavaliers, Warriors and Kings and eventually became head coach of all three franchises, compiling a 93-170 career record.

J.B. Bickerstaff, who recently had his interim tag removed by the Grizzlies, has started interviewing potential replacements in anticipation of Smart’s departure, according to Begley.

There’s more today from New York:

  • Fizdale met Friday with Janis Porzingis, the older brother and agent for Kristaps Porzingis, relays Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. Fizdale is hoping to travel to Latvia this summer to talk with the Knicks’ star, who is currently rehabbing his left knee in Spain. Fizdale is working to repair a damaged relationship, Isola adds, as Porzingis has been losing faith in the front office, the Knicks’ medical staff and former coach Jeff Hornacek. In Friday’s meeting, Fizdale reportedly addressed his issues with Marc Gasol in Memphis and a reputation that he doesn’t deal well with foreign-born players.
  • Pat Delany, who also worked with Fizdale in Miami, could be another addition to the coaching staff, Isola adds. Delany has been with the Hornets the past four seasons.
  • Small forward is an obvious position of need for the Knicks, but they plan to approach the ninth pick in this year’s draft with a best-player-available philosophy, writes Chris Iseman of NorthJersey.com. Wing players Miles Bridges and Kevin Knox met with the Knicks during the draft combine, but so did point guards Collin Sexton and Trae Young, even though New York drafted Frank Ntilikina in the first round last year. “There’s no secret that we can use help on the wing,” GM Scott Perry said. “But at the end of the day I think we’re still in that talent-acquisition mode. If that happens to be at No. 9 a wing player, great. If we feel the most talented guy clearly is at another position then we got to look at that direction as well.”
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Luka Doncic Named EuroLeague MVP, Rising Star

May 19th, 2018 at 5:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

Luka Doncic picked up a pair of honors at today’s EuroLeague Awards Gala, relays Nicola Lupo of Sportando. The 19-year-old, who is expected to be taken early in next month’s NBA draft, was named both MVP and Rising Star. The MVP is determined by a vote of the media and fans, while the coaches choose the Rising Star.

Doncic, who became the youngest MVP in league history, put up a 14.5/5.2/4.7 line this year in helping Real Madrid reach the league final, which will be played tomorrow. He declared for the draft in March, but indicated this week that he might play another season or two in Europe, depending on the circumstances.

“It’s amazing. It’s like a dream come true,” Doncic said in a video tweeted by the EuroLeague. “Still we have one more game to go, which would make me so much happier. But thank you to all the media, all the fans and all the coaches. Especially to my coaches, my teammates and all my team. Without them, this wouldn’t be possible.”

The All-EuroLeague First Team is filled with names that are familiar to NBA fans, as Doncic is joined by Nick Calathes, Nando De Colo and Jan Vesely. Calathes spent two seasons with the Grizzlies, DeColo played for the Spurs and Raptors and Vesely played three NBA seasons after being drafted sixth overall by the Wizards in 2011.

The fifth member of the First Team is Tornike Shengelia, who was taken by the Sixers in the second round of the 2012 draft. His NBA career consisted of 36 games with the Nets and nine with the Bulls.

The Defensive Player of the Year is Kyle Hines, who played at North Carolina Greensboro and went undrafted in 2008.

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Chandler Hutchison, Mitchell Robinson Made Promises?

May 19th, 2018 at 3:50pm CST by clarkcrum

As we relayed on Wednesday, two notable NBA prospects, Chandler Hutchison  and Mitchell Robinson, withdrew from this week’s 2018 NBA Draft Combine in advance of the event. We also heard on Thursday that Hutchison was reported to have found a “safe landing spot” in the late first round.

Now, according to a tweet from NBADraft.net and a story from Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype, it appears that promises may have been made to both players by teams picking in the 20’s of the upcoming draft. Hutchison is rumored to have received a promise by the Bulls at pick No. 22 while Robinson’s promise is purported to have come by the Lakers at pick No. 25.

It remains fairly early in the draft process for teams to be making promises to prospects, but the report at least provides a bit of context as to why Hutchison and Robinson may have withdrawn from the combine.

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 5/12/18 – 5/19/18

May 19th, 2018 at 3:05pm CST by clarkcrum

Every week we strive to create interesting and original content to complement our news feed. Here are the original segments and features from the past seven days:

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Central Notes: LeBron, Draft, Sexton, Zipser

May 19th, 2018 at 1:55pm CST by clarkcrum

Much has been made in the last week of the Cavaliers’ poor performance against the Celtics in Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. One topic approached in particular is the potential free agency of LeBron James this summer. James, who has a player option worth a little more than $35.6MM, will again be the showcase of his free agent class like he was in 2010 if he decides to decline his option.

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer opines that James, should he choose to enter the open market, may again change the way we think about free agency. O’Connor writes that as the most powerful player in the game, James could leave the Cavaliers and potentially land with the Rockets this offseason – most likely by opting in to his contract and forcing a sign and trade a la Chris Paul last season – then join the Sixers a year or two later before ending his career in Hollywood with the Lakers.

It may seem improbable, but as O’Connor notes, LeBron is probably the one player – other than perhaps Kevin Durant – who can get away with signing one-year contracts season after season, relying on his power and talent to confidently assure himself he’ll be able to sign another maximum-salary deal the next year. He’s been doing it with the Cavaliers ever since he returned to Cleveland in 2014.

Ultimately, while there likely won’t be another “The Decision” debacle if James ends up leaving the Cavaliers, it’ll be interesting to see where James ends up playing next season nonetheless.

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • Both the Bucks and Pacers have first round selections in this summer’s draft, with Milwaukee selecting at No. 17 and Indiana at No. 23. Beat writers J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star and Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provide five potential draft targets for each team.
  • Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago takes a look at the fit of Alabama point guard Collin Sexton, aptly nicknamed “Young Bull,” as the pick for the Bulls at No. 7. Sexton, who was coached in college by former NBA coach Avery Johnson, averaged 24.2 points on 53 percent shooting, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in five postseason games this past season.
  • And speaking of the Bulls, Dan Santaromita of NBC Sports Chicago reports that reserve forward Paul Zipser underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair a broken left foot. Zipser has a non-guaranteed contract worth just over $1.54MM for next season.
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Five Key Stories: 5/12/18 – 5/19/18

May 19th, 2018 at 12:59pm CST by clarkcrum

In case you missed any of the past week’s top stories from around the NBA, we have you covered with our Week in Review. Below are the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.

The NBA Draft Lottery took place on Tuesday night, with the Suns winning the top prize – the No. 1 pick in June’s draft. Arizona big man DeAndre Ayton is the favorite to be selected No. 1 overall, but he isn’t a lock, with Phoenix also interested in top European prospect Luka Doncic, who already has a player-coach relationship with new Suns’ head coach Igor Kokoskov. Both the Kings and Hawks moved up in the draft through the lottery, with the Grizzlies and Mavericks, and to a lesser extent the Magic and Bulls, dropping down. The full results of the lottery can be found right here, with the newly set draft order in its entirety here.

Speaking of Doncic, he is reportedly unsure as to whether or not he will come to the NBA next season. Speaking to reporters at the EuroLeague Final Four Press Conference on Thursday, Doncic said that he and his team have yet to make a decision as to where he will play next season, leaving open the possibility that he will remain overseas. While it’s certainly an option, some believe that Doncic’s comments are simply being used as a leverage to avoid certain teams selecting him in this summer’s draft.

After receiving strong interest from both the Bucks and the Raptors, former Hawks’ head coach Mike Budenholzer has chosen to take his talents to Milwaukee, with the Bucks officially naming Budenholzer as the franchise’s sixteenth head coach on Thursday. Both Budenholzer and Spurs’ assistant Ettore Messina received second interviews with the Bucks that included team ownership, but the Bucks ultimately decided on someone who many considered to be the most popular candidate on the coaching market this offseason. Budenholzer will reportedly sign a four-year contract with the Bucks.

Wizards’ big man Jason Smith will exercise his player option for the 2018/19 season worth $5.45MM, putting the Wizards’ dangerously close to the estimated luxury tax line for next season while still awaiting a player option decision from reserve shooting guard Jodie Meeks worth approximately $3.45MM. Smith’s player option was given to him when he signed a three-year contract during the free agency bonanza of 2016.

A potential frontrunner has emerged for the vacant head coaching job in Orlando, with the Magic reportedly having serious interest in University of Houston’s head coach Kelvin Sampson. The Magic, who are the only team still looking for a coach among those teams who have had an opening since the end of the regular season, have been quiet during their search, with only a few candidates – David Fizdale, Blazers assistant David Vanterpool, and Spurs assistant Ime Udoka – confirmed to have received interviews.

Here are 10 more headlines from the past week:

  • The United States Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a federal statute that banned sports gambling, thereby opening the door for states to pass laws legalizing sports betting.
  • Hawks’ point guard Dennis Schroder made some comments while in his home country of Germany that indicated he may not be happy in Atlanta.
  • There is also some reported tension between the Timberwolves and their franchise youngster, big man Karl-Anthony Towns.
  • Creighton guard Khyri Thomas, currently ranked as the 23rd best NBA prospect by ESPN, has announced his intention to keep his name in the 2018 NBA Draft.
  • The Grizzlies, disappointed by moving from No. 2 to No. 4 in this year’s draft, are more likely than other high-selecting teams to trade their pick.
  • After already being ruled out for Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, it is now being reported that Celtics’ guard Shane Larkin will likely miss the remainder of the series.
  • The Raptors plan to interview assistant coaches Nick Nurse and Rex Kalamian for their vacant head coaching position.
  • Before hiring Budenholzer and meeting with Messina for a second time, the Bucks also met with Celtics’ assistant coach Jay Larranaga.
  • The Hornets and new coach James Borrego have their eye on Jay Triano as a potential assistant on Borrego’s new coaching staff.
  • Finalists for this season’s NBA awards were announced on Wednesday night.
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Pacific Notes: Untouchable Players, Bagley, Collins, McDonough

May 19th, 2018 at 12:04pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Lakers have a busy offseason ahead of them as the organization enters the summer with ample cap space and a young roster loaded with potential. However, when it comes to trade discussions, the Lakers have let teams know that nobody on the roster is untouchable, Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times writes.

“While they like their young core and would prefer to keep those players growing together, they have told teams no player is untouchable in trades, according to multiple sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of trade and free-agent negotiations,” Ganguli writes.

Los Angeles wields four solid young assets, including Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Julius Randle, and Brandon Ingram. All four players are 23 years old or younger, which gives the Lakers a surplus of talent to deal with.

Check out more Pacific Division notes below:

  • The 2018 NBA Draft will be the Lakers’ opportunity to move on from the now ill-fated trades to acquire Steve Nash and Dwight Howard in 2013. The team does not have its own first-round pick this year, stemming from the Nash trade, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus writes.
  • In a fun piece, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times looks at Warriors assistant coach Jarron Collins and how he may be fighting a bias against really tall people getting head coaching jobs. Collins, who stands at 6’11”, would be the tallest head coach in the league if he were hired.
  • The Kings own the second overall pick in the NBA Draft and a lot has been made of who Sacramento will target. Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee examines whether or not drafting Duke’s Marvin Bagley III makes sense given the team’s surplus of big men.
  • Suns general manager Ryan McDonough gave a personal scouting report on Deandre Ayton and Luka Doncic as the team prepares to pick first in the draft, Scott Bordow of Arizona Central Sports writes. Ayton and Doncic — if he commits to leaving Europe for the NBA — are widely expected to be the top two picks.
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