2018 May | Hoops Rumors

Donte DiVincenzo To Remain In 2018 NBA Draft

May 29th, 2018 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Villanova sophomore Donte DiVincenzo, the star of last month’s NCAA championship game, will keep his name in the 2018 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility, sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Charania initially reported last week that DiVincenzo was likely to remain in the draft.

DiVincenzo, the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, racked up 31 points in this year’s title game against Michigan, knocking down five three-pointers to help Villanova secure its second championship in three years. For the season, DiVincenzo averaged 13.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 3.5 APG with a .481/.401/.710 shooting line.

The 6’5″ shooting guard raised his stock substantially during the Wildcats’ NCAA tournament run, and impressed NBA evaluators again at this month’s draft combine in Chicago. DiVincenzo, currently ranked No. 33 on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com, suggested at the combine that the prospect of being a first-round pick made it likely he’d go pro.

“I think I have a really good chance to being a late first-round pick,” DiVincenzo told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski at the time. “Obviously, things can change, other people can fall in the draft. I’m aware of that. But my confidence level is that I can be a first-round pick.”

Villanova is also losing Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson to the NBA draft this offseason, with Omari Spellman‘s decision due on Wednesday.

2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Houston Rockets

May 29th, 2018 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets went all-in on Chris Paul last June, trading nearly half their roster for the star point guard, and the acquisition paid dividends throughout the 2017/18 season — led by Paul and MVP favorite James Harden, Houston won an NBA-best 65 games. However, CP3’s old injury issues resurfaced at the worst possible time, sidelining him for the last two games of the Rockets’ season as the team failed to hang onto a 3-2 lead over Golden State in the Western Conference Finals. And with Paul and Clint Capela up for new deals, Houston’s roster could get awfully expensive this summer.

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

Guaranteed Salary

James Harden ($30,421,854)
Ryan Anderson ($20,421,546)
Eric Gordon ($13,500,375)
P.J. Tucker ($7,969,537)
Nene ($3,651,480)
Chinanu Onuaku ($1,544,951)
Troy Williams ($122,741) — Waived via stretch provision
Total: $77,632,484

Player Options

None

Team Options

Aaron Jackson ($1,378,242)
Total: $1,378,242

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Zhou Qi ($1,378,242)
Total: $1,378,242

Restricted Free Agents

Clint Capela ($4,749,591 qualifying offer / $7,003,584 cap hold): Bird rights
Total: $7,003,584

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Chris Paul ($35,350,000)¹: Bird rights
Trevor Ariza ($14,099,732): Bird rights
Tarik Black ($3,948,000): Non-Bird rights
Gerald Green ($1,499,698): Non-Bird rights
Joe Johnson ($1,499,698): Non-Bird rights
Luc Mbah a Moute ($1,499,698): Non-Bird rights
Total: $57,896,826

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: None

We’re assuming that the Rockets will keep cap holds for Paul and Capela on their books in an effort to re-sign both players. In that scenario, the team would remain well over the cap.
In the extremely unlikely event that Houston wants to clear space by parting with those two players and the rest of their free agents, the Rockets could get up to about $18.38MM in cap room without trading or cutting any guaranteed contracts.

Footnotes:

Based on CBA rules, Paul’s cap hold should be $36,899,243. However, his cap hold can’t exceed his maximum salary, which currently projects to be $35,350,000.

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.

Draft Decisions: Crawford, Heron, B. Brown, Reese

May 29th, 2018 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Wake Forest guard Bryant Crawford has decided to remain in the 2018 NBA draft and will sign with an agent, sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Crawford is coming off a junior year in which he averaged 16.9 PPG and 4.9 APG with a .413/.358/.868 shooting line for the Demon Deacons.

Crawford, who doesn’t show up on Jonathan Givony’s top-100 list at ESPN.com, seems unlikely to be drafted, but would have the opportunity to seek out a training camp invite or a roster spot on an international team if he’s not selected next month.

With Wednesday’s NCAA early entrant withdrawal deadline looming, here are more updates on underclassmen making draft decisions:

Auburn’s Mustapha Heron has decided to withdraw from the draft, but won’t be returning to the Tigers, according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com, who writes that Heron will transfer to a school closer to his Connecticut home to be near his ailing mother. The sophomore guard initially indicated he planned to hire an agent, but never did so, preserving his NCAA eligibility.
Bryce Brown, Heron’s teammate at Auburn, will return to the Tigers for his senior year, he announced today (via Twitter). Brown is the second Auburn underclassmen to withdraw from the draft today, along with center Austin Wiley.
ESPN’s Jeff Goodman passes along updates on two more players who are withdrawing from the draft, reporting (via Twitter) that Canisius guard Isaiah Reese and Northern Colorado guard Jordan Davis are headed back to school for their junior year and senior year, respectively.

Latest On Andre Iguodala, Kevin Love

May 29th, 2018 at 11:19am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors and Cavaliers are gearing up for a fourth straight NBA Finals matchup after having made it through their respective Conference Finals without key contributors. Andre Iguodala missed the last four games of the Western Conference Finals with a left knee injury, while Kevin Love sat out Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals as he remained in the concussion protocol.

Iguodala’s status for Game 1 on Thursday is still up in the air, according to Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News, who writes that the veteran swingman can walk – but not run – without pain. League sources tell ESPN’s Chris Haynes that Iguodala recently got a second opinion on his troublesome left knee in an effort to address the issue.

According to Haynes, Iguodala plans to search in the coming days for a remedy to the injury, which the Warriors are calling a left lateral leg contusion. Head coach Steve Kerr had said prior to Game 7 of the Western Finals that the 34-year-old’s body “has not responded at this point.”

Meanwhile, Love’s availability for Game 1 of the NBA Finals is also uncertain. Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue said on Tuesday morning that the team’s starting power forward remains in the concussion protocol, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Love will need to be cleared of possible concussion symptoms before he’s permitted to suit up again for the club.

If Iguodala and Love remain on the shelf for Game 1, Kevon Looney and Jeff Green are the most likely candidates to take their spots in the starting lineups.

Joe Johnson Intends To Continue Playing Career

May 29th, 2018 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

Joe Johnson‘s 17th NBA season came to an end on Monday night, and his current contract will expire in a little over a month. However, Johnson told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that he has no doubts about wanting to continue his playing career next season.

“Hell yeah, I want to keep rolling,” Johnson said. “I’m not even thinking about [retiring].”

Johnson, who turns 37 next month, has seen his role and production decline in recent years. He established new career lows in several categories this year, averaging 6.8 PPG in 55 games (21.9 MPG) with the Jazz and Rockets. While Johnson is still capable of making the occasional big shot, his .276 3PT% was the worst mark of his career, and his .406 FG% was well below his career rate.

Still, having already earned over $200MM in his NBA career, Johnson likely won’t be seeking more than a minimum salary deal this summer, and his locker-room leadership should earn him a spot on a 15-man roster, so it will be a matter of finding the right fit. The veteran forward tells MacMahon that he’d have interest in re-signing with the Rockets or perhaps joining another team capable of vying for a title.

“I would love to have a chance to win a ring,” Johnson said. “I thought we had a great opportunity, man. It slipped away from us. I want to go to a contender. I don’t want to just be out here playing just to be playing.”

Jalen Hudson To Return To Florida

May 29th, 2018 at 9:39am CST by Luke Adams

After testing the 2018 NBA draft waters without an agent, Florida shooting guard Jalen Hudson intends to withdraw and return to the Gators for his senior year, according to his father (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports). Hudson confirmed his decision to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman (Twitter link).

Hudson, who turned 22 last week, started his college career at Virginia Tech before transferring to Florida for his junior year. In his first season with the Gators in 2017/18, the 6’6″ guard averaged 15.5 PPG and 3.9 RPG with a shooting line of .455/.404/.662.

The No. 45 prospect on Jonathan Givony’s top-100 list at ESPN.com, Hudson wasn’t considered likely to be a first-round pick, though he appeared to have a decent chance to be drafted — Givony had the Gator coming off the board at No. 55 in his most recent mock draft. Rather than take his chances in this year’s second round though, Hudson will look to improve his draft stock before he becomes automatically eligible in 2019.

NCAA early entrants have until Wednesday to withdraw from the 2018 draft if they want to retain their college eligibility.

Austin Wiley Returning To Auburn

May 29th, 2018 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

Sophomore big man Austin Wiley will return to Auburn for the 2018/19 season after initially entering the NBA draft without an agent, he tells Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports (Twitter link).

Wiley, who averaged 8.8 PPG and 4.7 RPG for the Tigers in his freshman year back in 2016/17, didn’t play at all during his sophomore season. Auburn initially opted to sit Wiley out due to concerns about a link to former associate head coach Chuck Person, who was being investigated by the FBI, and he was eventually ruled ineligible for 2017/18. However, he should be cleared to return next season.

Despite not having played in a game for over a year, Wiley earned a spot on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com, ranking as the No. 81 prospect in this year’s draft class. The young center will look to boost his stock next season and will have another chance to declare for the draft as an early entrant in 2019.

As ESPN’s Jeff Goodman observes (via Twitter), Wiley is one of several dominoes to fall for the Tigers. Jared Harper and Bryce Brown are also testing the draft waters, but are likely to withdraw before Wednesday’s deadline. It’s not clear what Mustapha Heron‘s plans are — he voiced his intent to sign with an agent nearly two months ago, but has yet to actually hire representation, per Goodman.

Middleton Hopes To Play Long-Term With Bucks

May 28th, 2018 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Khris Middleton feels appreciated by the Bucks’ management team and hopes to play in Milwaukee beyond his current deal, he told Michael Scotto of The Athletic. Middleton has two years and $26MM remaining on his contract, with a player option in that final year. During the process in which Mike Budenholzer was hired as head coach, Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo were invited to a breakfast with the ex-Hawks coach.

“They want me to be there long-term. They brought it to my attention that they wanted me to be a part of the process,” Middleton said. “That’s a huge thing for me. It makes me feel comfortable. It makes me want to be there longer.”

Some other nuggets from Scotto’s story:

Budenholzer will emphasize player and ball movement over isolation plays. That should help take some of the scoring burden off of Antetokounmpo and Middleton.
Co-owner Jamie Dinan is impressed by the way Budenholzer takes responsibility for a team’s success or failure. “He basically said a poor coach blames his players,” Dinan said. “He says, ‘I think I can get the most out of my players, and you’d be amazed at how good, if you motivate people, that they can actually be.’”
Middleton has toured the team’s new arena, slated to open next season, and gives it a big thumbs up. “It’s top-notch and first class. The locker rooms are amazing,” he said. “I gave Peter Feigin, our president, a little bit of grief about the visiting locker rooms being nice, too. They can’t be this nice in the arena.”

Draft Updates: Elmore, Morgan, Jazz

May 28th, 2018 at 9:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Marshall’s Jon Elmore has withdrawn his name from the draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN tweets. Elmore did that same thing last year after his sophomore campaign. That stat-stuffing guard posted 22.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.8 APG and 1.6 SPG in his junior year.

In other draft-related developments:

Cornell’s Matt Morgan is headed back to school, Goodman reports in another tweet. Morgan, a 6’2” guard, averaged 22.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 3.2 APG for the Big Red as a junior.
The Jazz own the No. 21 and No. 52 picks and VP of player personnel Walt Perrin said the team is leaning toward developmental players with upside, Ryan McDonald of Deseret News reports. “I think next year with the majority hopefully of our team coming back, if not all of them, you look at more upside,” Perrin told McDonald. “You’re looking more at, ‘Can we bring this player in and work with him, probably play him a little bit with the [G League’s Salt Lake City] Stars, and how much better can we get him in, say, two or three years?’”
The Jazz have been busy working out prospects. Get the latest update here.

Southeast Rumors: Thomas, Nored, Whiteside, Hawks

May 28th, 2018 at 7:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Free agent point guard Isaiah Thomas would be a good fit for the Heat but they probably don’t have the salary-cap space to sign him, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel speculates. Thomas’ ability to score in bunches would boost a team prone to scoring droughts, Winderman continues. But it’s doubtful that a former All-Star coming off an injury-marred season would take a short-term deal, Winderman notes, as the Lakers guard is more likely to pursue what could be his last significant contract.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Hornets will hire Ronald Nored as an assistant coach on James Borrego‘s staff, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Nored served as the Nets’ G-League head coach this past season.
Pat Riley‘s silence over the Hassan Whiteside situation in recent weeks suggests a trade is more likely than reconciliation, Winderman opines in another blog. Though Winderman believes Whiteside and coach Erik Spoelstra would like to find some middle ground, a separation appears to be in order despite the issue of Whiteside’s contract, which has two years and over $52MM remaining. Whiteside was disappointed with his reduced playing time.
The Hawks will bring in six prospects for a workout on Tuesday, according to a team press release. That group includes Carsen Edwards (Purdue), Kyran Bowman (Boston College), Dorian Pickens (Stanford), Kerem Kanter (Xavier), Tremont Waters (LSU) and Kenrich Williams (TCU).

Month: November 2024