2019 NBA Draft

And-Ones: Ball Brothers, Payton, G. Green, Draft

November 8th, 2018 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Lonzo Ball‘s younger brothers are set to remain stateside after spending a portion of the 2017/18 season in Lithuania. Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) reported earlier this week that LiAngelo Ball has let G League teams know of his intent to sign a contract with the league. The NBAGL formally notifies its teams when a player enters the player pool, and as of this afternoon, there had been no official word on Ball, per Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days (Twitter link). Still, that should happen soon.

Meanwhile, LaMelo Ball, the younger brother of Lonzo and LiAngelo, told Franklyn Calle of Slam that he’ll play high school ball this season. LaMelo, who said that he’s “excited” to return to high school for his senior year, is enrolling at prep school Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio, according to Calle.

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

Elfrid Payton‘s one-year, $3MM contract with the Pelicans was hardly one of the summer’s major deals, but New Orleans has badly missed Payton while he has been sidelined with an ankle injury. Scott Kushner of The Advocate has the story on the point guard, who was injured during the Pelicans’ first loss of the season and has seen his team go 1-5 since then.
After being in camp with the Pelicans this fall, Garlon Green has signed with Russian club Khimki, according to an official announcement from the team (hat tip to Sportando). Green, the younger brother of Rockets swingman Gerald Green, was waived by New Orleans along with Jarrett Jack at the end of the preseason.
With the 2018/19 NCAA season underway, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today has published his first NBA mock draft for 2019. Meanwhile, Alberto De Roa of HoopsHype identifies several of the top international prospects who could declare for the 2019 draft.

And-Ones: Wizards, 2019 Draft, Williamson, NBAGL

November 5th, 2018 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards recently became the 28th NBA team to reach a jersey patch agreement with a corporate sponsor, teaming with GEICO on a multiyear deal, as the club announced in a press release. GEICO’s logo will now appear on the uniforms of multiple D.C.-area organizations, with the Wizards, the Washington Mystics (WNBA), and the Capital City Go-Go (G League) all getting the advertisement patch.

The Pacers and Thunder are now the only two NBA teams without ads on their uniforms, as we outline here. The NBA’s jersey sponsorship pilot program is set to run through the 2019/20 season, but the league seems likely to extend it beyond that, given its success so far.

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

ESPN’s draft gurus, including Jonathan Givony, recently revealed their complete prospect rankings for the 2019 draft, with Duke players nabbing three of the top four spots. R.J. Barrett leads the way, followed by Zion Williamson at No. 3 and Cameron Reddish at No. 4. The Blue Devils’ trio sandwiches North Carolina small forward Nassir Little at No. 2.
Speaking of Williamson, Chris Stone of The Sporting News took an in-depth look at the 285-pound youngster, writing that the Duke forward represents a “truly one-of-a-kind prospect.”
The NBA G League has reached a multiyear deal with ESPN that will allow ESPN+ subscribers to watch more than 200 games per season, the league announced today in a press release. This season’s broadcast schedule begins with three games on Tuesday.
The Timberwolves could still end up trading Jimmy Butler for valuable long-term pieces, and Lauri Markkanen and Zach LaVine could become long-term core pieces for the Bulls. However, in the view of Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, the 2017 trade between Minnesota and Chicago is at risk of becoming the sort of blockbuster deal that doesn’t turn out perfectly for either side.

Jalen Lecque May Enter 2019 Draft

November 3rd, 2018 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Elite high school prospect Jalen Lecque may skip college basketball and declare for the 2019 draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Lecque, who committed to North Carolina State in October, could be eligible because he is in his fifth year of high school at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. He reclassified after his junior year and claims he has already met all the NCAA guidelines to graduate from high school.

“I could be a freshman on a college campus right now,” Lecque said. “I am eligible for the [2019] draft. I’m a fifth-year senior, but I’m also eligible for the draft because of my grades.”

A 6’4″ point guard, Lecque plans to delay a final decision until his high school season ends in March. Because he didn’t receive a diploma from his last school, he will need to petition the NBA by sending paperwork to the league office to declare himself eligible by the April 21 deadline for early entry into the draft.

Lecque is considered the best athlete in high school basketball, Givony adds, with a build similar to Russell Westbrook and Kris Dunn. Seven NBA teams are expected to send representatives to a tournament in the Bahamas for a closer look at Lecque and some other top prospects.

“I want to be a great college player, but my end goal is to help my family,” he said. “I want to be a concrete Round 1 player if I do make that decision. If I’m guaranteed a Round 1 position, then you never know. I could see myself doing it if I am in a good position at the end of the year.”

And-Ones: 2019 World Cup, Bryant, 2019 Draft

October 31st, 2018 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2019 World Cup in China now just 10 months away, FIBA has announced that Kobe Bryant and Yao Ming will serve as global ambassadors for the event, taking part in activities leading up to next year’s tournament to help promote the event.

“Growing up in Italy and spending many years visiting China, I have always appreciated the global impact that basketball has had on the positive development of young people,” said Bryant, who has long been one of the NBA’s most popular players in China. “I’m honored FIBA has invited me to serve as an ambassador for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019. I hope my participation inspires and motivates the best players from the 32 participating teams to represent their respective country on the world’s biggest stage. I look forward to seeing who will lift the trophy next year.”

Team USA hasn’t technically qualified for the 2019 World Cup yet, but is in position to do so comfortably, with a 7-1 record in qualifying games so far.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

The struggling Cavaliers were the first NBA team to make major changes during the 2018/19 campaign, parting ways with Tyronn Lue and making major adjustments to their rotation just a handful of games into the season. Matt John of Basketball Insiders explores which teams around the league might be next to shake things up.
Firing a head coach is generally the simplest way a team can shake things up when it’s struggling, but the coach isn’t always to blame, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Meanwhile, an NBA.com panel explores which coaches might be feeling the heat next in the wake of Lue’s dismissal.
ESPN’s NBA draft gurus continued to examine the 2019 class this week, with Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz offering up their positional rankings for next year’s draft, while Givony, Schmitz, and Kevin Pelton attempt to answer some big questions about 2019’s class. Within that latter discussion, Givony suggests that none of the candidates for the No. 1 overall pick in 2019 have emerged as a lock.

Latest On Darius Bazley’s 2018/19 Plans

October 22nd, 2018 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Potential 2019 first-rounder Darius Bazley figures to be draft-eligible next spring, but he’s not spending the 2018/19 season in college or playing in a professional league. As Marc Stein of The New York Times reports, Bazley has secured a three-month internship with New Balance as part of a shoe and endorsement deal with the company.

According to Stein and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), Bazley’s agreement with New Balance will pay him a guaranteed $1MM, and can be worth up to $14MM if he reaches various performance incentives after going pro.

Bazley, who initially planned to play with Syracuse in 2018/19, decommitted from the college program in March and announced his intentions to spend a season in the G League. However, he changed course in August on that plan too, deciding not to play in the NBAGL after all. Instead, he’ll work for New Balance from January to March, spending time in marketing, footwear and apparel design, and other departments while he continues to train and stay in shape in advance of next June’s draft.

“There will be some things he misses out on, but I’m not worried at all — not with the talent and skill set he has,” agent Rich Paul told Stein. “No matter what we do this year, he still has to be developed in the NBA. You see it even with the highest draft picks — it’s not like you come into the league as a rookie and set the league on fire.”

Paul, who suggests that there would have been “no upside” to Bazley playing in the G League, remains optimistic about his client’s draft stock, as does Bazley himself. In ESPN’s latest 2019 mock draft, the young forward is projected to be the No. 26 overall pick, but he’s no lock to be a first-round selection after spending a year off the court, as Stein observes. Bazley feels comfortable taking that chance.

“This is my risk,” Bazley said. “I’m going to go ahead and do it this way, and I’m still going to succeed, even when others say I won’t. This will also be fun. It’s not like I’m going to be doing something I don’t want to do.”

Jontay Porter To Miss Season With Knee Injury

October 22nd, 2018 at 11:55am CST by Arthur Hill

Potential 2019 lottery pick Jontay Porter of Missouri will sit out the college basketball season after suffering ACL and MCL tears during a scrimmage Sunday, according to Jeff Borzello of ESPN.

The story is similar to what happened to his older brother, Michael Porter Jr., who missed nearly all of last season with the Tigers because of a back injury. Originally considered as a possible No. 1 pick, Porter Jr. slid to the Nuggets with the 14th selection because of concerns about his physical condition.

Jontay Porter is projected at No. 13 in the latest mock draft compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. He declared for the draft last spring after his freshman season, but decided to return to school.

A 6’11” power forward, Porter averaged 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks a year ago. He was a second-team choice on the all-SEC team released last week.

“Thanks to everyone who reached out,” Porter tweeted yesterday. “It’s hard to stay positive in the midst of something like this but everything happens for a reason.”

NBA, Players Association Face Final Hurdles To End One-And-Done

October 20th, 2018 at 10:32am CST by marksuleymanov

The NBA and the Players Association seek to lower the age limit to 18 for athletes to have the option of skipping one year of college, two major hurdles stand in the way of an agreement, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts are pushing for agents to provide medical information to teams regarding draft prospects, Wojnarowski relays. Also, the NBA wants players required to attend and participate, to varying degrees, in the pre-draft combine.

Withholding medical records has been one effective tool for agents and players to ensure which team drafts them. Requiring them to provide that information would alter those plans and give organizations more intel on prospective players and their health.

“Some organizations are run better than others,” one prominent agent told ESPN. “A lot of success comes from a player getting into the right situation at the right time. If I can do something that influences that, why would I give that up?”

If an agreement can be reached, high school seniors would be eligible to declare for the NBA Draft starting in 2022. The current ‘one-and-done’ rule came into effect as part of the 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement, making the draft-eligible age 19, giving prospects the option of one year in college or playing overseas for one season.

Earlier this week, it was announced that the G League will offer an alternative to one-and-one. Starting in 2019, select contracts worth $125K will be offered to top prospects who are at least 18 years old but aren’t yet eligible for the NBA draft. The standard G-League salary is $35K.

And-Ones: 2019 Draft, Age Minimum, Team USA

August 29th, 2018 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

After attending a handful of summer events involving top prospects, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz (Insider link) have updated their 2019 NBA mock draft. While Duke freshman R.J. Barrett continues to be viewed as 2019’s top pick, he’s joined in the top three this time around by a fast-rising teammate — Givony and Schmitz have Duke forward Zion Williamson at No. 3 in their latest mock.

Other new names in ESPN’s top 10 include Kentucky freshman wing Keldon Johnson and Oregon freshman center Bol Bol. Johnson excelled in the Wildcats’ exhibition games in the Bahamas, though the ESPN duo was also impressed by Johnson’s teammate PJ Washington, who “looks to be in much better shape” than he was last season. As for Bol, he had a strong showing at the Nike Basketball Academy, as Givony detailed earlier in the month.

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

Although the NBA’s draft eligibility rule related to a player’s minimum age won’t change within the next couple years, it seems highly likely to be altered or eliminated at some point. Tom Ziller of SBNation.com explores a few possible alternatives to the current rule.
In a step toward the elimination of the one-and-done rule, the NBA, NCAA, and NBPA reached an agreement with USA Basketball, announcing today that Team USA will expand its Men’s Junior National Team program to include additional training camps and year-round player development programming. The program will include approximately 80 top high school prospects, or about 20 per high school class. Here’s the official announcement from USA Basketball, along with more details from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Players on two-way contracts who spend the maximum allowable number of days with their NBA clubs in 2018/19 will be able to earn up to $385,612 this season, tweets cap expert Albert Nahmad. That’s still well short of the NBA rookie minimum ($838,464), but greatly exceeds the standard $35K G League salary.
Shane Rhodes of Basketball Insiders examines some potential surprise teams for the 2018/19 season, suggesting that the Bulls, Mavericks, Pistons, Clippers, and Suns are candidates to exceed expectations.

Traded Second Round Picks For 2019 NBA Draft

August 20th, 2018 at 1:17pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re using the space below to keep tabs on each team’s second round pick for 2019, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year. Our list of traded first round picks for 2019 can be found right here.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its second round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2020 if it doesn’t change hands in 2019.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2019 second round pick:

Atlantic

Boston Celtics: Traded to Grizzlies (top-55 protected).
- If not conveyed in 2019, Celtics’ obligation to Grizzlies is extinguished.
Brooklyn Nets: Traded to Magic (unprotected).
New York Knicks: Traded to Nets (unprotected).
Philadelphia 76ers: Own pick.
Toronto Raptors: Own pick.

Central

Chicago Bulls: Traded to Sixers (unprotected).
Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded to Magic, Kings, Knicks, or Clippers.
- Sixers will receive most favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’, Rockets’, and Trail Blazers’ second round picks; Kings will receive second-most favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’ and Rockets’ second round picks; Knicks will receive least favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’, and Rockets’ second-round picks; Clippers will receive less favorable of (a) Trail Blazers’ second rounder or (b) most favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’, and Rockets’ second-round picks.
Detroit Pistons: Own pick.
Indiana Pacers: Traded to Nets (45-60 protected).
- If not conveyed in 2019, 45-60 protected in 2020.
Milwaukee Bucks: Traded to Sixers or Kings.
- Sixers will receive more favorable of Bucks’ and Kings’ second round picks; Kings will receive less favorable of the two.

Southeast

Atlanta Hawks: Traded to Wizards (top-55 protected).
- If not conveyed in 2019, Hawks’ obligation to Wizards is extinguished.
Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Hawks (unprotected).
Miami Heat: Traded to Timberwolves (unprotected).
Orlando Magic: Traded to Sixers, Kings, Knicks, or Clippers.
- Sixers will receive most favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’, Rockets’, and Trail Blazers’ second round picks; Kings will receive second-most favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’ and Rockets’ second round picks; Knicks will receive least favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’, and Rockets’ second-round picks; Clippers will receive less favorable of (a) Trail Blazers’ second rounder or (b) most favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’, and Rockets’ second-round picks.
Washington Wizards: Traded to Nuggets or Hornets.
- Nuggets will receive more favorable of their own second round pick (56-60 protected) and Wizards’ second round pick; Hornets will receive less favorable of the two. If Nuggets’ pick falls between 56-60, Hornets will instead receive Wizards’ pick.

Northwest

Denver Nuggets: Traded to Pelicans (top-55 protected) or possibly traded to Hornets (56-60 protected).
- If top-55 protected in 2019, Nuggets’ obligation to Pelicans is extinguished.
- Nuggets will receive more favorable of their own second round pick (56-60 protected) and Wizards’ second round pick; Hornets will receive less favorable of the two. If Nuggets’ pick falls between 56-60, Hornets will instead receive Wizards’ pick.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Traded to Kings or Hawks.
- Kings will receive more favorable of Lakers’ and Timberwolves’ second round picks; Hawks will receive less favorable of the two.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Traded to Hornets (unprotected).
Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Sixers or Clippers.
- Sixers will receive most favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’, Rockets’, and Trail Blazers’ second round picks; Kings will receive second-most favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’ and Rockets’ second round picks; Knicks will receive least favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’, and Rockets’ second-round picks; Clippers will receive less favorable of (a) Trail Blazers’ second rounder or (b) most favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’, and Rockets’ second-round picks.
Utah Jazz: Own pick.

Pacific

Golden State Warriors: Own pick.
Los Angeles Clippers: Own pick.
Los Angeles Lakers: Traded to Kings or Hawks.
- Kings will receive more favorable of Lakers’ and Timberwolves’ second round picks; Hawks will receive less favorable of the two.
Phoenix Suns: Own pick.
Sacramento Kings: Possibly traded to Sixers.
- Sixers will receive more favorable of Bucks’ and Kings’ second round picks; Kings will receive less favorable of the two.

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks: Traded to Warriors (top-55 protected).
- If not conveyed in 2019, Mavericks’ obligation to Warriors is extinguished.
Houston Rockets: Traded to Sixers, Kings, Knicks, or Clippers.
- Sixers will receive most favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’, Rockets’, and Trail Blazers’ second round picks; Kings will receive second-most favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’ and Rockets’ second round picks; Knicks will receive least favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’, and Rockets’ second-round picks; Clippers will receive less favorable of (a) Trail Blazers’ second rounder or (b) most favorable of Magic’s, Cavaliers’, and Rockets’ second-round picks.
Memphis Grizzlies: Traded to Bulls.
New Orleans Pelicans: Own pick.
San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.

The four-way mess involving the Cavaliers’, Rockets’, Trail Blazers’, and Magic’s second round picks is confusing, so here’s a quick breakdown of how it would work based on this year’s projected standings:

Let’s assume the Rockets finish first among those four teams, followed by the Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, and Magic. In that scenario…

The Sixers would get the Magic’s pick (the most favorable of the four).
The Kings would get the Cavaliers’ pick (the second-most favorable out of the Orlando, Cleveland, and Houston picks).
The Knicks would get the Rockets’ pick (the least favorable of the Orlando, Cleveland, and Houston picks).
The Clippers would get the Blazers’ pick (the less favorable of the Portland and Orlando picks).

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

Traded First Round Picks For 2019 NBA Draft

August 16th, 2018 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

The 2019 NBA draft is over 10 months away, but several teams have already traded their first round picks for that night, and more clubs are likely to do so before this season’s trade deadline.

We’ll use the space below to keep tabs on each team’s first round pick for 2019, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its first round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2020 if it doesn’t change hands in 2019.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2019 first round pick:

Atlantic

Boston Celtics: Own pick.
Brooklyn Nets: Own pick.
New York Knicks: Own pick.
Philadelphia 76ers: Will send more favorable of Kings‘ and Sixers‘ first round picks to Celtics (top-1 protected).
- If Kings’ or Sixers’ first-rounder is No. 1 overall, Sixers would instead receive more favorable pick and Celtics would receive less favorable pick.
Toronto Raptors: Traded to Spurs (top-20 protected).
- If not conveyed in 2019, Spurs will instead receive Raptors’ 2020 and 2023 second-round picks.

Central

Chicago Bulls: Own pick.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded to Hawks (top-10 protected).
- If not conveyed in 2019, top-10 protected in 2020.
Detroit Pistons: Own pick.
Indiana Pacers: Own pick.
Milwaukee Bucks: Traded to Suns (top-3 protected; 17-30 protected).
- If not conveyed in 2019, top-7 protected in 2020.

Southeast

Atlanta Hawks: Own pick.
Charlotte Hornets: Own pick.
Miami Heat: Own pick.
Orlando Magic: Own pick.
Washington Wizards: Own pick.

Northwest

Denver Nuggets: Traded to Nets (top-12 protected).
- If not conveyed in 2019, top-12 protected in 2020.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Own pick.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Own pick.
Portland Trail Blazers: Own pick.
Utah Jazz: Own pick.

Pacific

Golden State Warriors: Own pick.
Los Angeles Clippers: Traded to Celtics (top-14 protected).
- If not conveyed in 2019, top-14 protected in 2020.
Los Angeles Lakers: Own pick.
Phoenix Suns: Own pick.
Sacramento Kings: Traded to Sixers or Celtics (unprotected).
- Celtics will receive more favorable of Kings’ and Sixers’ first round picks (top-1 protected).
- Sixers will receive less favorable of Kings’ and Sixers’ first round picks, unless one is No. 1 overall pick.

Southwest

Dallas Mavericks: Traded to Hawks (top-5 protected).
- If not conveyed in 2019, top-5 protected in 2020.
Houston Rockets: Traded to Cavaliers (top-14 protected).
Memphis Grizzlies: Traded to Celtics (top-8 protected).
- If not conveyed in 2019, top-6 protected in 2020.
New Orleans Pelicans: Own pick.
San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.

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

Load More Posts