Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Draft Notes: Childs, Combine, DiVincenzo, Knox

May 16th, 2018 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

BYU forward Yoeli Childs is the latest early entrant to remove his name from 2018’s NBA draft class, announcing late on Tuesday night (via Twitter) that he won’t be going pro quite yet.

“After several weeks of prayer, talking with my family, those close to me, and NBA teams, I feel the best decision for my future and my family is to return to BYU for my junior year!” Childs wrote in his statement.

In his sophomore year, Childs averaged 17.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 1.8 BPG for the Cougars. However, his odds to be drafted in 2018 weren’t great. The 6’8″ forward will head back to BYU looking to improve his draft stock during his junior year in 2018/19.

Here are more draft-related notes and rumors from around the league:

  • With the NBA draft combine set to begin today in Chicago, Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN.com preview the event, providing a schedule of what to expect for the rest of the week and identifying several prospects who could most significantly hurt or help their draft stocks in the coming days.
  • According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), Villanova sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo “has some real fans in NBA circles,” and is a legit candidate to come off the board late in the first round. DiVincenzo is still technically just testing the draft waters without an agent, but he’s probably a good bet to go pro if he gets that sort of feedback from NBA evaluators.
  • Kyler passes along another note from the combine, tweeting that Kevin Knox‘s stock may be on the rise, as his initial workout schedule includes several teams in the top 10.
  • Former Seton Hall forward Desi Rodriguez has worked out for the Nets and Celtics so far in the pre-draft process, tweets Zach Braziller of The New York Post.
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA Owners To Gain From Legalized Sports Betting, Players Could Be Next

May 15th, 2018 at 10:47pm CST by ChrisCrouse

New Jersey is expected to offer sports bets by the end of the month and many states will likely open up their own shops in the coming months. It’s a huge win for the gambling community and those in the gaming industry, but it’s also a huge win for owners of NBA teams.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he believes franchise owners saw the value of their teams double as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that will allow states the right to permit sports gambling. The Shark Tank star added that he has no plans to sell the Mavericks regardless of how high the valuation for his team is, as I relayed on Twitter.

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, who is also a part owner of the Golden Nugget casinos, sees the ruling as a plus, but not necessarily a 100% increase in value for his franchise.

“Do I hope Mark is right? Yes, but I don’t think that’s where it really is,” Fertitta said on CNBC’s Power Lunch. “Remember, there’s already a black market … out there and you’re not going to be able to go to a game and bet on a game…Even though this has been pushed back to the states, there is still going to be a lot of federal regulation.”

The NBA and NFL are among the leagues pushing for federal regulation, but that might not be in the cards, as I explain on NBAMath’s Hardwood Knocks podcast. States have owned the decision-making power with regard to gambling for quite some time and it’ll be difficult for the federal government to take that from them. Cuban believes the leagues and states need to work together to come up with the right framework or there will parties that win and parties that lose.

The possible increased interest in the NBA as a result of sports betting is also a plus for the players over the long-term since the salary cap is tied to the league’s revenue. While the record-setting $24 billion dollar TV contract won’t expire until after the 2024/25 season, once the deal is complete, I speculate that the NBA will have the leverage in negotiations with media companies to set a new record as a result of this month’s ruling.

Then again, the players may not have to wait until the next TV deal to see significant gains. The NBPA previously expressed a desire to have a seat at the table as the NBA negotiates with states on the integrity fee, a proposed tax which is designed to help pay for policing the game from match-fixing and protect the integrity of the game.

The NBA is one of several leagues angling for this tax and it remains open to having its players’ union in on the conversation. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the NBPA negotiate a piece of the integrity fee pie for themselves should the leagues get their wishes with the tax, although that’s strictly my speculation.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Knicks Looking For “Unquestioned Upgrade” If Drafting PG At No. 9

May 15th, 2018 at 9:12pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks didn’t move up in the lottery and ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has the team selecting Collin Sexton in his post-lottery mock draft. However, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that they have yet to decide whether the Alabama product is an “unquestioned upgrade” over the point guards already on the roster.

The team selected Frank Ntilikina with the No.8 overall pick last summer. “Frank’s a better defender,’’ one NBA personnel director said. “And Collin can struggle with his shot.’’

New York’s preference is to take a small forward, though Berman notes that’s only the case if prospects are seen as equal. The available prospect with the highest upside may be the pick regardless of the player’s position.

The Knicks also have Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke in-house. Neither appears to be the point guard of the future in New York, though both should be near-locks to make the roster next season.

The option of passing on Sexton might not even present itself, as Alabama coach Avery Johnson believes Sexton will rise in the draft after working out for teams. “Nine range?’’ the former NBA player and coach said. “If they saw what I have seen, I’m not trying to promote my player [because] my reputation is on the line also. But if they’ve seen what I’ve seen, I don’t see how he gets past five.’’

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Full 2018 NBA Draft Order

May 15th, 2018 at 7:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that the NBA’s draft lottery results are in, the full 2018 draft order has been set.

We’ll likely see some of these picks change hands on June 21, or in the days leading up to draft night — we’ll be sure to update the list below if and when picks are traded.

Here’s the full 2018 NBA draft order:

First Round:

  1. Phoenix Suns
  2. Sacramento Kings
  3. Atlanta Hawks
  4. Memphis Grizzlies
  5. Dallas Mavericks
  6. Orlando Magic
  7. Chicago Bulls
  8. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Nets)
  9. New York Knicks
  10. Philadelphia 76ers (from Lakers)
  11. Charlotte Hornets
  12. Los Angeles Clippers (from Pistons)
  13. Los Angeles Clippers
  14. Denver Nuggets
  15. Washington Wizards
  16. Phoenix Suns (from Heat)
  17. Milwaukee Bucks
  18. San Antonio Spurs
  19. Atlanta Hawks (from Timberwolves)
  20. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Thunder)
  21. Utah Jazz
  22. Chicago Bulls (from Pelicans)
  23. Indiana Pacers
  24. Portland Trail Blazers
  25. Los Angeles Lakers (from Cavaliers)
  26. Philadelphia 76ers
  27. Boston Celtics
  28. Golden State Warriors
  29. Brooklyn Nets (from Raptors)
  30. Atlanta Hawks (from Rockets)

Second Round:

  1. Phoenix Suns
  2. Memphis Grizzlies
  3. Dallas Mavericks
  4. Atlanta Hawks
  5. Orlando Magic
  6. New York Knicks (from Bulls)
  7. Sacramento Kings
  8. Philadelphia 76ers (from Nets)
  9. Los Angeles Lakers (from Knicks via Sixers)
  10. Brooklyn Nets (from Lakers)
  11. Orlando Magic (from Hornets)
  12. Detroit Pistons
  13. Denver Nuggets (from Clippers)
  14. Washington Wizards
  15. Charlotte Hornets (from Bucks via Nets)
  16. Houston Rockets (from Heat)
  17. Los Angeles Lakers (from Nuggets)
  18. Minnesota Timberwolves
  19. San Antonio Spurs
  20. Indiana Pacers
  21. New Orleans Pelicans
  22. Utah Jazz
  23. Oklahoma City Thunder
  24. Dallas Mavericks (from Trail Blazers)
  25. Charlotte Hornets (from Cavaliers)
  26. Philadelphia 76ers
  27. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Celtics)
  28. Denver Nuggets (from Warriors)
  29. Phoenix Suns (from Raptors)
  30. Philadelphia 76ers (from Rockets)
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Full 2018 NBA Draft Lottery Results

May 15th, 2018 at 7:28pm CST by clarkcrum

With Tuesday night’s lottery results now official, the top 14 picks in the 2018 NBA draft have been set. The lottery order is as follows:

  1. Phoenix Suns
  2. Sacramento Kings
  3. Atlanta Hawks
  4. Memphis Grizzlies
  5. Dallas Mavericks
  6. Orlando Magic
  7. Chicago Bulls
  8. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Nets)
  9. New York Knicks
  10. Philadelphia 76ers (from Lakers)
  11. Charlotte Hornets
  12. Los Angeles Clippers (from Pistons)
  13. Los Angeles Clippers
  14. Denver Nuggets

The Suns entered the night with the best odds (25.0%) at landing the No. 1 overall pick, and came away with that selection. The Kings, seventh in the lottery standings, only had an 18.3% chance at a top-three selection, but moved all the way up to No. 2. The Hawks, who had a 42.3% chance at a top-three pick, moved up from No. 4 to No. 3.

The Grizzlies, Mavericks, Magic, and Bulls had no lottery luck — Memphis and Dallas fell two spots each, while Orlando and Chicago each slipped one spot. Picks eight through 14 held to form.

With the Lakers’ first-rounder headed to Philadelphia, the Sixers will now owe the Celtics a first-round pick in 2019. That selection will be the more favorable of the Kings and Sixers first-rounders, unless one of those picks lands at No. 1. In that scenario, Boston would receive the less favorable pick.

The Pistons will send their first-round pick to the Clippers since it didn’t land in the top four, so Detroit’s obligation to L.A. has now been fulfilled — Detroit will have its own first-rounder in 2019 and beyond.

As we detailed earlier today, this is the last year these specific lottery odds will be in effect. Beginning in 2019, the NBA will smooth out those odds, reducing the chances of the worst teams landing the top picks, and putting the top four selections up for grabs instead of just the top three.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Phoenix Suns Win No. 1 Pick In Draft Lottery

May 15th, 2018 at 7:26pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Having entered draft lottery night with the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick, the Suns won the first overall pick, making good on those 25.0% odds. The Kings grabbed the No. 2 overall selection, with the Hawks coming in at No. 3.

The Suns are looking for a franchise player they can pair with Devin Booker, and the top two contenders for the No. 1 pick appear to be Arizona’s Deandre Ayton and Real Madrid’s Luka Doncic.

Ayton is the favorite to go No. 1, but the center isn’t a lock to be the top pick, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). The Suns have been scouting Doncic all season and they like what they see.

New Phoenix head coach Igor Kokoskov previously coached Doncic on the Slovenian national team and he knows the 19-year-old wing very well.

“We call him wunderkind,” Kokoskov said (via Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic). “He’s an upcoming, rising star. Luka is a very talented player. His ability to pass, that’s the hardest part of the game, the most difficult part to teach. To be a good passer you have to understand the game. It’s basketball IQ. He’s really unique and special at that age to understand the game well and to be a team player. He’s not necessarily playing point guard but he’s a playmaker who makes everybody else better on the court.”

Ayton is a “lock” to go to the Kings if he’s there at No. 2, per Givony (Twitter link). The scribe adds that GM Vlade Divac “won’t have any issue” recommending Doncic as the pick if the Suns pick Ayton.

The Hawks moved up one spot in the lottery and they are thrilled to be in the top three. “If somebody wants to make us a great (trade) offer, we will listen. Right now we are happy to pick (third) and we know we are going to get a good player,” GM Travis Schlenk said tonight, as Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays (on Twitter).

Atlanta figures to get one of the Doncic, Ayton, and Marvin Bagley trio and Givony tweets that the team will gladly settle for whichever player is left out of that group. Givony adds that the Hawks would have had strong interest in Trae Young had they landed outside the top three.

[RELATED: Full 2018 NBA Draft Order]

In addition to the No. 1 selection, the Suns also own the No. 16 overall pick (via the Goran Dragic deal), plus the Nos. 31 and 59 selections in the second round. The Kings’ only other pick is their own second-rounder (No. 37).

The Hawks have a pair of extra first-rounders — one from the Wolves (No. 19 via the Adreian Payne trade) and one originally from the Rockets (No. 30, via a three-way trade with the Clippers). They also own their second-round pick (No. 34).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Hornets Considering Jay Triano For Coaching Staff

May 15th, 2018 at 6:06pm CST by clarkcrum

As first relayed by international basketball journalist David Pick, the Hornets are reportedly in discussions to hire former Suns’ interim head coach Jay Triano to new head coach James Borrego‘s coaching staff.

In a story for The Charlotte Observer, Rick Bonnell adds that the Hornets wouldn’t comment earlier today when asked about Triano, but that the report makes sense given the fact that it’s common for first-time head coaches in the NBA like Borrego to hire former head coaches to their staff as a resource.

An example cited by Bonnell is this past season’s head coach for the Hornets, Steve Clifford, having both former Spurs, Hawks, Clippers, and Sonics’ head coach Bob Weiss and former Kings, Wizards, and Sixers’ coach Eddie Jordan on his staff in Charlotte.

Triano, 59, coached all but three games for the Suns last season after Earl Watson was fired and was a candidate for the permanent job in Phoenix before the Suns hired former Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Co-Owner Wyc Grousbeck Confident About Celtics’ Future

May 15th, 2018 at 5:06pm CST by clarkcrum

Celtics co-owner, managing partner, and CEO Wyc Grousbeck appeared today on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston before tonight’s Game 2 between the Celtics and Cavaliers to discuss a bevy of topics, as relayed by Adam Kaufman of WBZ-AM NewsRadio 1030 (click here for links).

Perhaps most interestingly, Grousbeck uncovered the fact that the Cavs were interested in obtaining/would have accepted Jayson Tatum instead of the Nets’ upcoming pick in the 2018 NBA Draft in last summer’s blockbuster trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Celtics. Ultimately, the Celtics preferred to send the pick instead of their prized rookie, which sure appears to have been the right decision as we sit here today.

Faced with the upcoming free agency of Marcus Smart this summer and the potential free agency of Irving, Al Horford, and Terry Rozier next summer, Grousbeck was also asked to discuss the Celtics’ willingness to dip into the luxury tax if necessary. Per Kaufman, Grousbeck said the Celtics are prepared to “pay for performance” and “to do whatever it takes to win again.”

As for Irving’s knee injury that has kept him out of this year’s postseason, Grousbeck said that he has no long-term concerns about Irving’s knee, which parallels the report from about a month ago that Irving was already seen walking around without a noticeable limp just a little over a week after his surgery.

Given Irving’s positive prognosis, the relative youth of the Celtics’ roster and head coach, and the prowess the team has exhibited so far this postseason without Irving, Gordon Hayward, or Daniel Theis, it’s no surprise that Grousbeck feels very confident about his team’s future, even going as far as to say he’d be disappointed if the Celtics aren’t back in the same position they’re in now for the next five years.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Oklahoma City Thunder

May 15th, 2018 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder went all-in during the 2017 offseason, trading four key rotation players for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. While George had a strong season, Anthony looked like a shell of his former self. Now, the Thunder will have to figure out how to bring back George and avoid paying Anthony upwards of $28MM in 2018/19.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Thunder financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • None

Restricted Free Agents

  • None

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: None

  • While the Thunder currently have less than $89MM in guaranteed salary on their books, Anthony’s early termination option essentially eliminates the opportunity for cap room. And if the Thunder want to re-sign George after he declines his player option, they’ll have to keep a massive cap hold on their books to retain his Bird rights. Even if George were to depart and Anthony were to be waived and stretched, the Thunder’s total team salary would still be $101,541,846 (eight guaranteed salaries, Anthony’s dead money, and cap charges for four empty roster spots).
  • If the Thunder had to account for Anthony’s option and a max contract for George, team salary would balloon to $147,135,362 for only 10 players. That’s simply not feasible for a small-market team, so if George wants to return, Anthony will have to go, via either trade, buyout, or stretch provision.

Footnotes:

  1. Westbrook will have a maximum salary worth 35% of the salary cap. This projected max salary is based on a $101MM cap, but it could be higher or lower depending on where the cap lands.
  2. Anthony’s option is technically an early termination option. However, it essentially functions the same as a player option does. To opt into the final year of his contract, he’ll simply have to decline his option to terminate it early.
  3. Collison has announced his retirement.

Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 8 Share 0 Send via email0

Latest On Dennis Schroder, Hawks

May 15th, 2018 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

As we relayed earlier today, Dennis Schroder made some comments on Monday at a press conference for the German Basketball Federation that have raised eyebrows around the NBA. During that presser, Schroder talked about not wanting to keep finishing “second to last” in the East going forward, and specifically identified the Bucks and Pacers as teams he might like to play for, even though his contract with the Hawks runs through 2021.

“I have to look individually what’s the best for me,” Schroder said, per ESPN (via David Hein of FIBA.basketball). “I will be 25 in September and of course you want to win a title some time. In my prime — 23, 26, 27, 28, 29 — I want to compete. I cannot be second to last in the Eastern Conference. That’s why I will have the talks with the Atlanta Hawks.”

So what’s the story with Schroder? Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution explores that topic, writing that a person “in the know” says neither the point guard nor his agent have contacted the Hawks to discuss the possibility of a trade. In fact, according to Cunningham, all indications are that Schroder didn’t want to be traded at the deadline — he was bothered when his name came up in trade rumors, prompting Hawks GM Travis Schlenk to tell him he’d be staying put.

Schroder also said during Monday’s press conference that he’s “not in the position to decide what direction the organization will take,” per Cunningham. The veteran guard added that he’d like to stay in Atlanta “if everything moves into the right direction.”

Still, the Hawks have made no secret of the fact that they’re in the midst of what could be a lengthy rebuilding process, and Schroder’s other comments make it sound like he’s not interested in sticking around for that entire process. Schroder indicated that he’ll meet soon with Schlenk and Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler, so perhaps he’ll broach the subject of a trade during that meeting. For what it’s worth, the Hawks’ Reddit (Twitter link) noticed that Schroder also appears to have scrubbed his Instagram page of any mentions of his current team.

Complicating matters further is Schroder’s pending legal case. He was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge last September, with Georgia officials recommending in March that he be prosecuted for felony aggravated battery. Schroder figures to face discipline from his team and/or the league when that case is resolved.

While it’s not clear what the next step here is for Schroder and the Hawks, it’ll be a story worth watching during the 2018 offseason, and perhaps the first major challenge for new head coach Lloyd Pierce.

Retweet 7 Share 0 Send via email0