2019 NBA Draft

Community Shootaround: Most Fun Lottery Outcome

February 25th, 2019 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

As a group, the Suns, Knicks, Cavaliers, and Bulls have established themselves in recent weeks and months as the NBA’s bottom tier for 2018/19. Lengthy losing streaks by the Suns (11-50) and the Knicks (12-48) have put them at the “top” of our reverse standings, and even after a little recent success, the Cavaliers (14-46) and Bulls (16-44) are right there with them.

Given how much separation those four teams have had from the NBA’s other 26 clubs for much of the season, speculation about the No. 1 overall pick for 2019 has centered mostly on them. It’s easy to imagine top prospect Zion Williamson ending up in Phoenix, New York, Cleveland, or Chicago.

However, the NBA’s new lottery system could shake things up this spring for the 2019 draft. In past seasons, the league’s worst team had a 25% shot at the No. 1 overall pick, and there was a 72.4% chance that one of those bottom four clubs would end up in the top slot. Under the new system, the odds for the worst team have been reduced just to 14%, and there’s only a 54.5% chance that a bottom-four club gets the first overall pick.

In other words, some scenarios that would have previously been considered long shots are a little more realistic this season. Could the Grizzlies jumpstart their rebuild and put together one of them most athletic young frontcourts in the NBA by pairing Williamson with Jaren Jackson? Could the Mavericks add Williamson to a core that already features Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis? How about the Wizards salvaging an otherwise lost season by landing the top pick and giving Bradley Beal and John Wall the frontcourt star they’ve long sought?

Whichever teams lose the playoff races in each conference won’t have a great chance to secure the No. 1 pick, but those odds will still be more favorable than in the past. Maybe the Heat could get lucky and land a young star after failing to secure any in free agency in recent years. If the Hornets lucked into the top pick, that could cement Kemba Walker‘s decision to stay in Charlotte.

If the Lakers were to miss the postseason and somehow scored the No. 1 selection, it could be the key to finally getting the Pelicans to accept their offer for Anthony Davis — assuming they wouldn’t want to keep Williamson themselves.

And then there’s the nightmare scenario for every Eastern Conference team outside of Philadelphia: What if the Kings miss the postseason and land the first overall pick? In that scenario, the pick would go to the Sixers (if it’s not No. 1, the Celtics will get it).

The lottery is still a few months away, but Williamson looks like the kind of prospect who could transform a franchise, so it’s not too early to speculate about which landing spot would represent the most fun outcome. What do you think? Putting aside your fandom, what draft lottery scenario would be the most enjoyable, or would make the best story?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in!

Zion Williamson Day-To-Day With Grade 1 Knee Sprain

February 21st, 2019 at 5:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 21, 5:06pm: Williamson sustained a Grade 1 right knee sprain and will be listed as day-to-day moving forward, the school announced. The injury news comes as a sigh of relief for Williamson, who exited the game shortly after suffering the injury on Wednesday.

FEBRUARY 20, 10:30pm: Duke — along with several NBA teams — received a scare when star forward Zion Williamson left tonight’s game with an injury in the opening minute. However, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said the consensus No. 1 pick has been diagnosed with only a mild knee sprain, tweets AP basketball writer Tim Reynolds. He added that doctors found the knee to be stable, and more news is expected Thursday.

“We’re very concerned about Zion,” Krzyzewski said in a tweet sent out by the university. “It’s a mild knee sprain. We will know about length of time tomorrow. It’s stable. Obviously it has an impact. You lose the (National Player of the Year) on the first play.”

Williamson was hurt 36 seconds into a marquee matchup with North Carolina when his left shoe tore open, causing him to lose his balance. He left the court under his own power, but remained in the locker room for the rest of the game.

Several NBA players posted messages of support for Williamson on social media, relays ESPN. LeBron James and Spencer Dinwiddie both said they hoped Williamson would be OK, while Donovan Mitchell made a case that college athletes should be paid in a tweet that was supported by Trae Young.

Puma posted a message blaming the injury on Williamson’s Nike shoes, but later took it down (Twitter link from The Sporting News).

2019’s Most Valuable Traded Second Round Picks

February 15th, 2019 at 12:35pm CST by Luke Adams

For fans of teams like the Knicks, Suns, Cavaliers, and Bulls, the bottom of the NBA’s standings are of particular interest this season because of the effect they’ll have on the first-round order of the 2019 NBA draft.

Of course, those reverse standings will also dictate the order of the draft’s second round, and an early second round pick can nearly as valuable as a first rounder.

So, while traded first round selections like the one the Raptors sent the Spurs or the one the Nuggets traded to the Nets may have received more attention, it’s worth taking a closer look at some traded 2019 second rounders that now project to be valuable picks.

Here are five of those picks:

1. Knicks’ pick traded to Nets

The Knicks originally sent their 2019 second round pick to Philadelphia in a 2014 salary dump involving Travis Outlaw. The Sixers subsequently sent it to to the Nets, along with Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas, last season for Trevor Booker.

Now, that pick looks pretty intriguing — if the season ended today, it would be the No. 32 overall selection.

2. Cavaliers’ pick traded to Sixers (or Kings)

Cleveland initially surrendered this pick in a 2015 trade that netted them Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith, and it has since changed hands multiple times and become tied up in a convoluted series of swaps — the Sixers will receive it as a result of this month’s Markelle Fultz trade, assuming it’s more favorable than the Orlando, Houston, and Portland second rounders, which seems like a safe bet.

While this selection projects to be No. 33 overall, the Cavaliers probably feel it was worth it to give it up years ago, since Shumpert and Smith played roles on 2016’s title team.

3. Bulls’ pick traded to Sixers

The Bulls attached this pick to Jose Calderon in a salary-dump deal during the 2016 offseason, trading it to the Lakers. L.A., in turn, sent it to Philadelphia as part of a draft-day deal this past summer — it was the price to acquire Isaac Bonga.

It now projects to be the No. 34 pick this year, which could give the Sixers two of the first four selections in the second round.

4. Grizzlies’ pick traded to Bulls

It may seem hard to believe now, but less than a month and a half ago, the Grizzlies were still in buying mode, sending a pair of second round picks – including their 2019 selection – to Chicago for Justin Holiday.

Memphis has slumped badly since then, and that pick would be No. 36 overall if the season ended today. For the Bulls, getting this selection helps make up for having moved their own second rounder.

5. Wizards’ pick traded to Hornets or Nuggets

The Wizards first dealt this pick on draft night in 2015 in a trade that allowed them to move up to select Kelly Oubre. The Hawks, who received it in that deal, flipped it to Denver in a 2017 three-way trade involving Danilo Gallinari and Jamal Crawford.

Here’s where it gets complicated: When they moved up two spots in the 2018 draft to nab Jarred Vanderbilt, the Nuggets agreed to give the Magic the least favorable of Denver’s own 2019 second round pick and that Wizards’ second rounder they got from Atlanta. Orlando then sent the least favorable of those two picks to Charlotte in a deal involving Timofey Mozgov, Jerian Grant, and Bismack Biyombo.

But the Nuggets had sent their own top-55 protected second rounder to New Orleans – by way of Milwaukee – in a separate deal, meaning the “least favorable” pick sent to Charlotte via Orlando had to account for those conditions too. So, if Denver’s pick falls between 56-60, the Pelicans will acquire it and the Hornets will instead get the more favorable pick, Washington’s second rounder. Got all that?

For now, the Nuggets’ second rounder projects to be No. 57 — in that scenario, the Pelicans would receive it and the Hornets would receive Washington’s pick, which would be No. 37. But if Denver’s pick ends up at, say, No. 54, Orlando will get it, New Orleans won’t get anything, and the Nuggets will get the Wizards’ selection.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

And-Ones: Team USA, Walton, J. Crawford, Draft

February 13th, 2019 at 6:06pm CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball has announced its 13-man roster for the upcoming 2019 World Cup qualifiers, with the squad once again made up of NBA G League players. Of the 13 players on the roster, Reggie Hearn, Xavier Munford, Cameron Reynolds, and Travis Trice have suited up for previous World Cup qualifiers.

They’ll be joined by nine newcomers, including players with a little NBA experience like Chinanu Onuaku and Emanuel Terry.

Josh Adams, Kyle Casey, Chris Chiozza, Charles Cooke, Michael Frazier II, D.J. Hogg, and Tanner McGrew round out the roster.

Team USA, having gone 8-2 in previous qualifiers, has already earned its spot in the 2019 World Cup, so there won’t be as much pressure on this group for the games taking place in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 22 (vs. Panama) and February 25 (vs. Argentina).

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former Michigan and Heat point guard Derrick Walton, who recently left his team in Lithuania, has signed with ALBA Berlin in Germany, according to the club (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando). Walton was on a two-way contract with Miami last season and was in training camp with the Bulls in the fall before heading overseas.
Veteran NBA guard Jordan Crawford saw his one-month contract with Israeli club Ironi Nahariya expire and is once again a free agent, as Nicola Lupo of Sportando relays.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) has released an updated 2019 mock draft at ESPN.com, with Murray State’s Ja Morant moving up to No. 3 to break up a run of Duke prospects at the top of the draft.
In an entertaining piece for SI.com, Jake Fischer spoke to a number of role players who have been traded along with stars to find out what it’s like to be an afterthought at an introductory press conference.

Darius Garland Withdraws From Vanderbilt To Prepare For Draft

January 23rd, 2019 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

Potential 2019 lottery pick Darius Garland has withdrawn from Vanderbilt after suffering a season-ending knee injury, he announced on Tuesday (via Twitter). According to Garland, he made the decision after “considerable deliberation” with his family and medical staff, and his focus going forward will be on preparing for the draft.

“It was a really hard to decision from sitting down with my family,” Garland said, per Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com. “I talked to coach [Bryce] Drew and the coaching staff and it was the best fit for me because of where I’m placed right now is really unbelievable especially coming off the injury. Just having a chance to play in the league, which I’ve been dreaming about that since I can remember, playing in the NBA, just having that chance I couldn’t turn that down.”

As Daniels observes, Garland and Murray State’s Ja Morant look like the two clear top point guards in the 2019 draft class, and both players figure to be top-10 picks. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony agrees with that assessment, placing Garland seventh in his latest mock draft.

Garland appeared in just five games for Vanderbilt before having his season cut short by his knee issue, but looked good in that limited sample size, averaging 16.2 PPG on .537/.478/.750 shooting. One high-ranking NBA executive tells Daniels that he thinks the knee injury will have “zero” impact on the freshman’s draft stock.

“I think they are being cautious and that’s a good thing,” the exec said. “There’s too much body of work. Anyone that has done their homework, knows what his game and know who he is as a person.”

And-Ones: Trade Deadline, Cap Space, 2019 Draft

January 21st, 2019 at 9:44pm CST by Luke Adams

For a second consecutive season, the NBA’s trade deadline will fall earlier in the calendar year than it has in the past. The February 7 deadline arrives well before the All-Star break, whereas as recently as 2017, the All-Star Game took place several days before the deadline.

As Danny Leroux of The Athletic writes, the earlier deadline could have some unintended consequences. For one, the buyer/seller ratio is one-sided — so many teams are still within striking distance of the top eight in their respective conferences that there may only be a handful of full-fledged sellers, while most of the rest of the league’s teams will be buyers.

Leroux points to the Magic as one example of a team that could be impacted significantly by the early deadline. Despite an underwhelming 19-27 record, Orlando is still just three games out of the No. 8 seed in the East. With a couple extra weeks to evaluate their playoff odds, perhaps the Magic would be more inclined to sell off pieces like Nikola Vucevic, Terrence Ross, and Jonathon Simmons. If the team is still in the postseason hunt by February 7 though, those players may stay put.

If trade activity is somewhat tepid at this season’s deadline, the NBA should consider re-evaluating its calendar for future seasons, Leroux writes.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Which teams will have cap room during the summer of 2019? In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks previews the market, identifying the clubs that figure to have the most flexibility – like the Mavericks, Pacers, Hawks, and Kings – along with a few teams that could be “wild cards” (the Pelicans, Jazz, and Bucks).
Elsewhere in ESPN’s Insider-only section, Jonathan Givony recently published a two-part feature examining several of the top international draft prospects, including Georgian big man Goga Bitadze and Lithuanian forward Deividas Sirvydis, among others. Bitadze and Sirvydis rank 31st and 33rd on Givony’s most recent big board for 2019.
In the wake of the NBA’s annual trip to London last week, Mark Woods of ESPN.com explores the effect that a homegrown British basketball star might impact the perception of the NBA in the United Kingdom. As Woods outlines, British basketball is still waiting for its first high-profile star, while other European countries like Germany (Dirk Nowitzki), France (Tony Parker), and Spain (the Gasol brothers) have had major NBA success stories over the last couple decades.

Grizzlies Want 2019 First-Round Pick To Convey To Celtics

January 16th, 2019 at 10:55pm CST by clarkcrum

Coming into tonight’s action, the Grizzlies were in second-to-last place in the Western Conference standings, but only four games back of the eighth seed and a playoff berth. And while the playoffs are certainly always a goal for a team not in rebuilding mode, Memphis has another important reason for not embracing the tank.

Per Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian, a secondary but equally important goal for the Grizzlies this season is to ensure that their 2019 first-round pick is conveyed to the Celtics. As we relayed yesterday, the 2019 draft class is viewed as fairly average, and if the Grizzlies keep this year’s pick (protected 1-8), they’ll just owe Boston a future first-rounder with fewer protections (1-6 in 2020 and unprotected in 2021).

If the Grizzlies do keep their pick this summer, they could certainly get lucky, move up in the lottery, and draft one of the consensus top picks such as Duke teammates Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, or Cam Reddish. But the odds of this are low. For instance, the eighth-worst team (i.e. the best the Grizzlies could finish and not have their pick convey) only has a 21.1% chance of getting a top-3 pick.

And even if the Grizzlies were to embrace the tank, the worst three teams (which the Grizzlies would be hard-pressed to become given the Cavs, Bulls, Suns, and Knicks’ issues) each still only have a 40.1% chance at a top-3 pick. So either way (finishing worst to eighth-worst), it’s more likely than not that Memphis wouldn’t get a difference maker in this year’s draft, explaining why the front office would rather the pick convey this summer and ensure the team has its 2020 first-round pick.

2018/19 NBA Reverse Standings Update

January 11th, 2019 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Throughout the 2018/19 NBA season, Hoops Rumors is maintaining a feature that allows you to keep an eye on what the 2019 draft order will look like. Our 2018/19 Reverse Standings tool, which lists the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, is updated daily to reflect the outcomes of the previous night’s games.

Our Reverse Standings are essentially a reflection of what 2019’s draft order would look like with no changes to lottery position. We’ve noted each club’s odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick, based on the league’s updated lottery format.

In instances where two non-playoff teams or two playoff teams have identical records, the order in our standings isn’t necessarily definitive — for draft purposes, the NBA breaks ties via random drawings, so those drawings would happen at the end of the year. Of course, the 14 non-playoff teams all draft before the 16 playoff teams, even if some non-playoff teams have better records than playoff teams. Our reverse standings account for that.

Traded first-round picks are included via footnotes. For example, the note next to Cleveland’s pick says that the Cavaliers will send their pick to the Hawks if it’s not in the top 10. As of today, Cleveland is in a tie for the NBA’s worst record, meaning that pick wouldn’t change hands.

The current reverse standings exhibit clearly why so few NBA teams have emerged as sellers on the trade market. Five clubs – the Cavs, Suns, Knicks, Bulls, and Hawks – are within 4.5 games of the worst record, but the league’s sixth-worst team – the Wizards – is 4.5 games removed from any of those clubs, and still has postseason aspirations.

Our Reverse Standings tracker can be found at anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site, or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu. It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protection will be changing hands in 2019. So be sure to check back often as the season progresses!

Note: Mobile users are advised to turn their phones sideways when viewing the Reverse Standings in order to see team records and lottery odds.

And-Ones: Henderson, Spoelstra, Bol, K. Allen

January 9th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Gerald Henderson‘s efforts to make an NBA comeback will be put on hold for now, and perhaps for the rest of 2018/19, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Sources tell Haynes that the veteran guard is joining the Hornets’ broadcast team at FOX Sports Southeast, apparently for the remainder of the season.

Henderson, who missed the entire 2017/18 season due to a hip injury, spoke back in June about hoping to catch on with an NBA team for the ’18/19 campaign. However, it seems that no opportunities materialized for the former 12th overall pick.

Still just 31 years old, Henderson last played in the NBA for the Sixers, appearing in 72 games for Philadelphia in 2016/17. He averaged 9.2 PPG with a .423/.353/.806 shooting line in a regular rotation role for the club.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

After Tom Thibodeau became the fourth NBA coach in the last two years to lose his dual title of head coach and president of basketball operations, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports writes that the trend has run its course. While that may be the case for now, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes it’s just a matter of time until we see another franchise try it. Windhorst suggests that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will be a candidate to assume some or all of Pat Riley‘s personnel control when Riley eventually retires.
Within that same ESPN story, Windhorst reports that NBA teams remain “very high” on Oregon center Bol Bol, who was ruled out for the rest of his freshman season after undergoing foot surgery. Clubs will always be wary of big men with foot injuries, but Bol has a solid support system in place, and a number of executives believe he could still be a top-10 pick in June’s draft, per Windhorst.
Former Celtics guard Kadeem Allen, who is playing for the Knicks’ G League affiliate after spending the preseason with New York, spoke to Adam Zagoria for The Arizona Daily Star about his desire to get back into the NBA.

Top Prospect Bol Bol Ruled Out For Rest Of Season

January 3rd, 2019 at 4:59pm CST by Luke Adams

4:59pm: Projected first-round pick Bol Bol has confirmed he will miss the rest of the season, writing on social media, “Playing for my dream school under my favorite Coach Altman has been the Best part of my life and sadly it has come to end sooner than I would Like, but thank you for all those who rocking with me & all Oregon fans.”

Bol Bol underwent surgery on Thursday to repair a non-displaced fracture of the navicular bone in his left foot, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, who adds that he’s expected to miss at least 8-10 weeks and return to full basketball activities this summer.

12:38pm: Oregon center Bol Bol may not return this season for the Ducks, according to Matt Prehm of 247Sports.com, who hears from sources that Bol is dealing with a stress fracture in his left foot. According to Prehm, a final decision has yet to be made, but multiple sources say they don’t expect Bol to get back on the court in 2018/19.

“I would be completely shocked if Bol played the rest of this year,” one source told Prehm. Another source indicated that the 19-year-old, who has already sat out Oregon’s last four games, will definitely miss at least the next couple weeks and is “highly doubtful” to appear in any games beyond that.

Bol, a 7’2″ freshman, was off to a great start this season for Oregon, averaging 21.0 PPG on .570/.520/.757 shooting through nine games. The versatile big man also contributed 9.6 RPG and 2.7 BPG.

In their most recent 2019 mock draft at ESPN.com, Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz had Bol coming off the board at No. 5. Jeremy Woo of SI.com, who updated his big board earlier today, ranked Bol ninth, citing concerns about the youngster’s “rail-thin build” and “oft-questioned work ethic.”

Health concerns would only increase the uncertainty surrounding Bol’s stock, so it probably makes sense for him to play it safe and avoid the risk of aggravating his foot issue further by rushing back for Oregon.

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