2018 June | Hoops Rumors

Heat Rumors: Whiteside, Winslow, Wade, Haslem

June 22nd, 2018 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat, one of two teams that entered Thursday’s draft without a pick in either round, explored the possibility of trading into the draft. However, team president Pat Riley told reporters late last night that the team didn’t feel it made sense to pay the asking price for a second-round selection.

“Every second-round pick cost two second-round picks or a future second-round pick and cash,” Riley said, per Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Although the Heat didn’t make any moves on draft night, Riley said the club has engaged in a “lot of discussion with a lot of teams about a lot of players,” according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Riley also discussed several other offseason topics during his session with the media, so we’ll round up the highlights below, via Winderman:

According to Riley, the Heat have yet to offer Hassan Whiteside to any teams in trade talks. “I expect a lot of out Hassan, contrary to what people might think about us trading him,” Riley said. “We haven’t offered him to anybody, really, to be honest with you. So you go through an emotional period with a player and you deal with it and you come back and you work things out.” Of course, Riley’s comments could reflect a lack of a market for the veteran center.
Riley denied that Justise Winslow was offered in trades leading up to the draft. However, Winslow is believed to be available in the right deal.
Riley confirmed that the Heat will try to find a way to keep Wayne Ellington, though he acknowledged potential luxury-tax concerns, hinting that Miami likely wouldn’t be able to match an aggressive offer from another team.
The Heat don’t know yet whether Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem want to continue their respective careers, but they’d be welcomed back if they want to return to the Heat. “They’ve been together forever and they also deserve the respect to sit and wait on this thing. And so there’s no rush,” Riley said.
Given the Heat’s lack of cap room, Riley isn’t necessarily expecting an action-packed offseason for the club. “I don’t know if there are going to be any midnight meetings (at the start of free agency),” Riley said (Twitter link). “Not this year.”
Dion Waiters continues to recover from ankle surgery, but the Heat are hoping that he’ll be ready for training camp, says Riley.

Dakota Mathias Gets Partial Guarantee From Cavaliers

June 22nd, 2018 at 10:27am CST by Arthur Hill

Purdue’s Dakota Mathias has agreed to a partially guaranteed contract with the Cavaliers, tweets Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated.

The 22-year-old senior is known for his accuracy from long distance. He finished sixth in the NCAA this season in 3-point field goal percentage at 46.6% and is the Boilermakers’ all-time leader with 250 made 3-pointers.

No details were released on how much of his contract will be guaranteed.

Recap Of 2018 NBA Draft-Day Trades

June 22nd, 2018 at 9:28am CST by Luke Adams

In a somewhat unusual development, not a single NBA veteran changed teams on Thursday night. While several trades were completed, all of those deals involved the rights to newly-drafted players, future draft picks, and/or cash.

Listed below are all the trades that were agreed upon at some point on Thursday. While most of these deals were made official during or after the draft, one won’t be finalized until June, which we noted below.

Here’s the full list:

Mavericks/Hawks

Mavericks acquire the draft rights to Luka Doncic (No. 3 pick).
Hawks acquire the draft rights to Trae Young (No. 5 pick) and the Mavericks’ 2019 first-round pick (top-5 protected).

Suns/Sixers

Suns acquire the draft rights to Mikal Bridges (No. 10 pick).
Sixers acquire the draft rights to Zhaire Smith (No. 16 pick) and the Heat’s 2021 first-round pick (unprotected).

Clippers/Hornets

Clippers acquire the draft rights to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 11 pick)
Hornets acquire the draft rights to Miles Bridges (No. 12 pick), the Cavaliers’ 2020 second-round pick, and the Clippers’ 2021 second-round pick.

Hornets/Hawks

Hornets acquire the draft rights to Devonte’ Graham (No. 34 pick).
Hawks acquire the Hornets’ 2019 second-round pick and the Hornets’ 2023 second-round pick.

Trail Blazers/Kings

Trail Blazers acquire the draft rights to Gary Trent Jr. (No. 37 pick).
Kings acquire either the Timberwolves’ or Lakers’ 2019 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), the Heat’s 2021 second-round pick, and cash ($1.5MM).

Pistons/Sixers

Pistons acquire the draft rights to Khyri Thomas (No. 38 pick).
Sixers acquire the Pistons’ 2021 second-round pick and the Pistons’ 2023 second-round pick.

Nuggets/Magic

Nuggets acquire the draft rights to Jarred Vanderbilt (No. 41 pick).
Magic acquire the draft rights to Justin Jackson (No. 43 pick) and either the Nuggets’ or Wizards’ 2019 second-round pick (whichever is less favorable).
- Note: The Nuggets’ 2019 second-round pick would be sent to Milwaukee if it falls between 56-60, in which case the Magic would receive the Wizards’ second-rounder.

Thunder/Hornets

Thunder acquire the draft rights to Hamidou Diallo (No. 45 pick).
Hornets acquire the Thunder’s 2019 second-round pick and cash.
Note: Trade won’t become official until the new league year, since No. 45 pick first has to be sent from Nets to Hornets.

Rockets/Jazz

Rockets acquire the draft rights to Vince Edwards (No. 52 pick).
Jazz acquire cash ($1.5MM).

Sixers/Mavericks

Sixers acquire the draft rights to Shake Milton (No. 54 pick).
Mavericks acquire the draft rights to Ray Spalding (No. 56 pick) and Kostas Antetokounmpo (No. 60 pick).

Note: Two other trades involving 2018 draft picks were agreed upon prior to draft day. We have separate stories on those Lakers/Sixers and Nets/Hornets swaps.

Bulls Rumors: LaVine, Draft Trade Talks, Hutchison

June 22nd, 2018 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

When the Bulls acquired Zach LaVine a year ago in a draft-night blockbuster with Minnesota, the team made it clear that it viewed the young guard as a long-term building block. The Bulls maintained that stance even after failing to agree to terms on a rookie scale extension with LaVine during the 2017 offseason, conveying that they fully intended to lock up LaVine in restricted free agency.

Now, with LaVine’s restricted free agency right around the corner, his return to the Bulls may not be the absolute lock it once was. According to Nick Friedell of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the “near universal support” LaVine once had internally in the organization isn’t there anymore.

A long-term deal for LaVine in Chicago remains a real possibility, but the Bulls plan to wait to see if he receives a big-money offer from another team, per Friedell. If the 23-year-old signs an offer sheet with a rival suitor, the Bulls could then decide if they want to match it.

LaVine’s ability to contribute in his first season with the Bulls was limited by his recovery from an ACL tear. The club should be able to reasonably expect more going forward from the former lottery pick than the modest production it got in his first 24 games in Chicago (16.7 PPG, .383/.341/.813 shooting).

Here’s more on the Bulls:

The Bulls liked several big men at the top of the draft, including Marvin Bagley III, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Mohamed Bamba. However, the price to move up was too high for the team, sources tell Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago. According to Goodwill, Chicago likely would have had to surrender the No. 22 pick and a future first-rounder to trade up from No. 7.
Executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson explained that it didn’t make sense for the Bulls to give up so many pieces at this point in their rebuild, Goodwill relays. “We feel we’re in a situation at this time of our rebuild that to give up assets, important draft assets to move up a spot or two, that didn’t make sense to us and the way we’re planning,” Paxson said. “We continue to talk about being patient and disciplined in how we make decisions.”
General manager Gar Forman on the team’s trade options and eventual No. 7 pick: “We’re always looking and probing for opportunity. How close we got, we don’t know. We looked into some things. We thought it was more than a six-player draft. And Wendell [Carter Jr.] is a guy we’ve been high on for quite awhile.”
The Bulls reportedly made a promise to No. 22 pick Chandler Hutchison very early in the pre-draft process. While Paxson and Forman declined to comment on that alleged promise, Paxson said the club likes the Boise State forward “a lot,” per Goodwill. “We scouted him early, scouted him often. He knew we liked him,” Paxson said. “He addresses a position of need. We had debates on wings and players at his position. His ability to rebound and take it off the board, those things are really valuable, especially the way we want to play.”

Lakers Expected To Sign Joel Berry, Jeffrey Carroll

June 22nd, 2018 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are expected to add a pair of undrafted rookies to their roster sometime after the new NBA league year begins, reports Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter links). According to Scotto, the Lakers have reached agreements on free agent deals with UNC guard Joel Berry and Oklahoma State guard Jeffrey Carroll.

A four-year veteran with the Tar Heels, Berry increased his scoring average to 17.1 PPG in 2017/18, though he struggled a little with his efficiency, posting a shooting line of .396/.344/.893. He won a national championship at North Carolina in 2017.

As for Carroll, he recorded 15.4 PPG and 6.2 RPG in his senior year with the Cowboys. Carroll ranked as the No. 96 prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com, while Berry wasn’t in the top 100.

At this time of year, reporting on agreements between teams and players can sometimes be ambiguous, since there’s a difference between Summer League deals, two-way contracts, and training camp invites. However, it sounds like both Berry and Carroll will be in camp with the Lakers this fall. Scotto classifies Berry’s agreement as a free agent deal and Carroll’s as an Exhibit 10 contract.

Raptors To Sign Rawle Alkins To Camp Deal

June 22nd, 2018 at 7:54am CST by Luke Adams

Rawle Alkins is expected to head to training camp with the Raptors this fall, according to Jeremy Woo of SI.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Toronto agreed to sign the Arizona guard to a camp deal.

Alkins, who wasn’t picked on Thursday night, entered the draft after his sophomore season with the Wildcats. In 2017/18, he averaged 13.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.5 APG with a shooting line of .432/.359/.724. He was ranked as the 49th-best prospect of the 2018 class on Jonathan Givony’s top-100 list at ESPN.com.

NBA teams are permitted to carry 20 players during the offseason up until the regular season begins, at which point they have to cut their rosters down to 15 (plus two two-way players). While exact terms of Alkins’ agreement with the Raptors aren’t known, he’ll likely receive a small guarantee as a camp invitee and may have a chance to compete for a roster spot during the preseason.

The signing can’t be finalized until after the new league year begins in July.

Rockets, Gary Clark Agree To Two-Way Contract

June 22nd, 2018 at 7:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets will fill one of their two-way contract slots for 2018/19 with undrafted rookie Gary Clark, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes, who reports (via Twitter) that Clark and the Rockets have reached an agreement on a two-way deal.

The No. 56 prospect on Jonathan Givony’s ESPN.com big board, Clark didn’t hear his name called on Thursday night, but quickly came to terms with the West’s No. 1 seed following the draft.

In his senior year at Cincinnati in 2017/18, the 6’8″ forward did a little of everything for the Bearcats, averaging 12.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 1.2 BPG. He also posted an impressive .526/.435/.741 shooting line.

R.J. Hunter‘s two-way contract with the Rockets reportedly spans two seasons, so Clark seems likely to take Markel Brown‘s spot on Houston’s roster. He’ll likely spend most of his time next season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, though two-way rules will allow him to be with the Rockets for up to 45 days during the G League season.

2018 NBA Draft Results

June 22nd, 2018 at 12:30am CST by Luke Adams

The 2018 NBA draft has come and gone, and we tracked all 60 picks in the space below.

From Deandre Ayton at No. 1 to Kostas Antetokounmpo at No. 60, here are 2018’s NBA draft results:

First Round:

Phoenix Suns: Deandre Ayton, C (Arizona) (story)
Sacramento Kings: Marvin Bagley III, F/C (Duke)
Dallas Mavericks (from Hawks): Luka Doncic, G (Real Madrid)
Memphis Grizzlies: Jaren Jackson Jr., F/C (Michigan State)
Atlanta Hawks (from Mavericks): Trae Young, G (Oklahoma)
Orlando Magic: Mohamed Bamba, C (Texas)
Chicago Bulls: Wendell Carter Jr., C (Duke)
Cleveland Cavaliers (from Nets): Collin Sexton, PG (Alabama)
New York Knicks: Kevin Knox, F (Kentucky)
Phoenix Suns (from Lakers via Sixers): Mikal Bridges, SF (Villanova)
Los Angeles Clippers (from Hornets): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G (Kentucky)
Charlotte Hornets (from Pistons via Clippers): Miles Bridges, F (Michigan State)
Los Angeles Clippers: Jerome Robinson, PG (Boston College)
Denver Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr., F (Missouri)
Washington Wizards: Troy Brown, SG (Oregon)
Philadelphia 76ers (from Heat via Suns): Zhaire Smith, SF (Texas Tech)
Milwaukee Bucks: Donte DiVincenzo, G (Villanova)
San Antonio Spurs: Lonnie Walker, SG (Miami)
Atlanta Hawks (from Timberwolves): Kevin Huerter, SG (Maryland)
Minnesota Timberwolves (from Thunder): Josh Okogie, SG (Georgia Tech)
Utah Jazz: Grayson Allen, SG (Duke)
Chicago Bulls (from Pelicans): Chandler Hutchison, G/F (Boise State)
Indiana Pacers: Aaron Holiday, PG (UCLA)
Portland Trail Blazers: Anfernee Simons, SG (IMG Academy)
Los Angeles Lakers (from Cavaliers): Moritz Wagner, C (Michigan)
Philadelphia 76ers: Landry Shamet, G (Wichita State)
Boston Celtics: Robert Williams, C (Texas A&M)
Golden State Warriors: Jacob Evans, G/F (Cincinnati)
Brooklyn Nets (from Raptors): Dzanan Musa, SF (Cedevita)
Atlanta Hawks (from Rockets): Omari Spellman, PF (Villanova)

Second Round:

Phoenix Suns: Elie Okobo, PG (Pau-Orthez)
Memphis Grizzlies: Jevon Carter, PG (West Virginia)
Dallas Mavericks: Jalen Brunson, PG (Villanova)
Charlotte Hornets (from Hawks): Devonte’ Graham, PG (Kansas)
Orlando Magic: Melvin Frazier, SF (Tulane)
New York Knicks (from Bulls): Mitchell Robinson, C (Western Kentucky)
Portland Trail Blazers (from Kings): Gary Trent Jr., SG (Duke)
Detroit Pistons (from Nets via Sixers): Khyri Thomas, SG (Creighton)
Los Angeles Lakers (from Knicks via Sixers): Isaac Bonga, SF (Frankfurt)
Brooklyn Nets (from Lakers): Rodions Kurucs, F (Barcelona)
Denver Nuggets (from Hornets via Magic): Jarred Vanderbilt, SF (Kentucky)
Detroit Pistons: Bruce Brown, SG (Miami)
Orlando Magic (from Nuggets): Justin Jackson, F (Maryland)
Washington Wizards: Issuf Sanon, G (Olimpija Ljubljana)
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Bucks via Nets and Hornets): Hamidou Diallo, SG (Kentucky)
Houston Rockets (from Heat): De’Anthony Melton, G (USC)
Los Angeles Lakers (from Nuggets): Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, SG (Kansas)
Minnesota Timberwolves: Keita Bates-Diop, PF (Ohio State)
San Antonio Spurs: Chimezie Metu, F/C (USC)
Indiana Pacers: Alize Johnson, PF (Missouri State)
New Orleans Pelicans: Tony Carr, PG (Penn State)
Houston Rockets (from Jazz): Vince Edwards, F (Purdue)
Oklahoma City Thunder: Devon Hall, SG (Virginia)
Philadelphia 76ers (from Trail Blazers via Mavericks): Shake Milton, G (SMU)
Charlotte Hornets (from Cavaliers): Arnoldas Kulboka, SF (Capo D’Orlando)
Dallas Mavericks (from Sixers): Ray Spalding, PF (Louisville)
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Celtics): Kevin Hervey, SF (Texas-Arlington)
Denver Nuggets (from Warriors): Thomas Welsh, C (UCLA)
Phoenix Suns (from Raptors): George King, SF (Colorado)
Dallas Mavericks (from Rockets via Sixers): Kostas Antetokounmpo, SF (Dayton)

Buford: Spurs Still Hope To Repair Relationship With Kawhi

June 22nd, 2018 at 12:19am CST by Luke Adams

Asked on Thursday night about the Kawhi Leonard situation, Spurs general manager R.C. Buford admitted that the relationship between the team and its star player needs work, but said San Antonio’s preferred outcome would be to keep Leonard on its roster going forward, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News.

“Kawhi and his family mean a lot to our organization and to our community,” Buford said. “While none of us would wish we are where we are, we are going to do what we can to build the best relationship we can with him. We will explore all of our options, but the first one would be to keep Kawhi as part of our group.”

After being at odds with the Spurs during the 2017/18 season over the treatment of Leonard’s quadriceps injury, his camp informed the media last week that the star forward would like to be traded, preferably to the Lakers. However, the Spurs hadn’t yet had a face-to-face meeting with Leonard to discuss the situation at that point.

Leonard reportedly met with head coach Gregg Popovich in San Diego within the last few days, and while it’s not clear whether any progress was made during that sit-down, the Spurs still sound like they’ll do all they can to mend fences. Asked about a potential timeline for resolution on the situation, Buford didn’t offer any specifics.

“I don’t know that timing is a factor in this,” Buford said, per McDonald. “[Leonard] is under contract for another year. Our goal is to keep him as part of our program for a long time.”

The Spurs have reportedly been listening to other teams’ inquiries on – and offers for – Leonard, but haven’t been making calls themselves and aren’t actively trying to move the two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

Jazz Trade No. 52 Pick To Rockets

June 21st, 2018 at 11:00pm CST by Austin Kent

11:00pm: Houston bought the No. 52 pick from Utah, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle tweets, so there will be no future draft picks changing hands.

10:49pm: The Jazz will trade the No. 52 pick to the Rockets, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Houston will select Purdue swingman Vince Edwards with the pick.

It’s not currently known what they’ll be giving up to buy back into the second round.

Edwards thrived in four seasons with the Boilermakers and could step into Houston’s rotation as a reliable, battled tested wing option. The 22-year-old shot .392 beyond the arc in four collegiate seasons.

Month: November 2024

First Round:

Second Round: