2020 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Prospects Can Start Making Visits On Friday

October 12th, 2020 at 6:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA will allow teams to begin conducting in-person meetings with this year’s draft prospects on Friday, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Meetings can be held during a month-long period from October 16 to November 16. That will allow teams to see prospects up to two days before the draft is held on November 18.

However, teams will be limited to a max of 10 in-person meetings. A player can visit the same team twice but that would cut into the amount of players that team could bring in.

A maximum of three executives from each team will be allowed to meet the prospect, Charania details in a separate tweet. The draft prospect will be allowed to bring in a maximum of three guests, which could include representatives, trainers or family members.

Additionally, within 72 hours of each visit, all individuals involved must have a negative coronavirus test.

Some other restrictions regarding in-person evaluations and interviews have been relaxed, Jonathan Givony of ESPN reports. For example, teams can provide players with team-identified practice gear as long as combined retail value does not exceed $500.

The visits can last up to 4 1/2 hours and prospects can arrange to have multiple teams evaluate an on-court workout simultaneously. These workouts will count against each team’s 10-visit limit.

COVID-19 concerns will be evident at each workout. Team personnel must undergo a daily temperature check within two hours of interacting with any player, self-monitor for symptoms, wear a mask or shield, refrain from physical interactions such as shaking hands, and maintain social distancing of six feet or more, Givony adds.

In a typical year, teams will bring in dozens of prospects, usually four to eight at a time. Under the limitations described above, players will be much more selective about where they visit and teams will have to prioritize which prospects they want to evaluate. That could make it more difficult for second-tier prospects to arrange visits and make a favorable impression on front office executives, scouts and coaches.

Knicks Notes: Melo, DSJ, Cole Anthony, Trade Scenarios

October 8th, 2020 at 6:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Were the Knicks to move forward Kevin Knox and additional pieces in a win-now move to acquire All-Star point guard Chris Paul from the Thunder, former Knicks All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony could be interested in a return to Madison Square Garden, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. Both are former CAA clients of current Knicks president Leon Rose.

The 36-year-old Anthony, an unrestricted free agent this offseason, most recently served as an important starting forward for the Trail Blazers during an exciting run in the NBA restart this summer. He played with the Knicks for parts of seven seasons. Anthony enjoyed his most success with the club during the 2012/13 season, when he led a veteran-laden Knicks team to a 54-28 record and a conference semifinals appearance.

There’s more out of New York:

Knicks bench point guard Dennis Smith Jr., the No. 9 pick in 2017, still has ample backing within the front office, according to Ian Begley of SNY. Earlier this month, Smith attended the voluntary mini-camp team practices held by coach Tom Thibodeau and his staff. Smith missed 32 games this season due to various injuries and the death of a family member.
UNC point guard Cole Anthony, son of former Knick Greg Anthony, is apparently being given minimal consideration by the Knicks’ front office with the eighth pick in the 2020 draft, according to the New York Post’s Marc Berman. The team would be open to taking Anthony, who missed part of his lone college season with a knee surgery, with the No. 27 pick if he falls that far, says Berman, but the guard isn’t expected to be an option for New York in the lottery even if the club trades back a few spots.
Mike Vorkunov and John Hollinger of The Athletic have written an epic piece unpacking potential Knicks trades the team could engage in during the 2020 offseason. Both agree that New York will actively look to improve its roster heading into the 2020/21 season, and that all Knicks not named RJ Barrett or Mitchell Robinson could be on the trading block.

Lack Of Consensus On Prospects Could Shake Up Draft

October 8th, 2020 at 4:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Former North Carolina guard Cole Anthony has long been considered a probable lottery pick in the 2020 draft, ranking 14th on ESPN’s top-100 list even after an underwhelming freshman season. However, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) says he recently spoke to one executive who has Anthony at No. 35 on his big board.

Different teams having differing opinions on certain draft prospects is hardly breaking news, but the lack of a consensus among clubs in their assessments of this year’s class seems more extreme than usual. Replying to Wasserman’s initial tweet, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer observed that it’s amazing how “all over the place” people around the NBA are on this year’s draft.

“It’s all over the map, this draft,” one team executive told Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). “Seems everyone is thinking different and everyone is in trade mode.”

The circumstances surrounding this year’s pre-draft and scouting process have almost certainly contributed to the divided views on many of this year’s prospects.

Because the NCAA season was shut down in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, teams didn’t get a chance to evaluate players during the NCAA tournament and haven’t been able to bring them in for in-person workouts and meetings. The combine had to be significantly revamped as well. As a result, clubs have had to base many of their scouting reports off of virtual interviews and game film from at least seven months ago.

It’s hard to say yet how exactly the draft will be affected, but it sounds like it’ll be more challenging than ever to put together an accurate mock in 2020. And if everyone is indeed in “trade mode,” as Wolfson’s source suggests, it could make for an eventful evening on November 18.

It’s also worth noting that teams will have much more time to talk trades leading up to the draft — typically, there’s only about a week between the end of the NBA Finals and draft day, but that gap will be longer than a month in 2020, giving clubs plenty of time to explore all of their possible options.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Raptors, Bulls, Wizards

October 7th, 2020 at 8:36pm CST by Jovan Alford

In a pivotal offseason for the Sixers, they are reportedly making a change to their front office structure, according to Yaron Weitzman (Twitter link). Weitzman reports that Philadelphia is in the process of interviewing candidates to serve in an executive role under general manager Elton Brand.

As things stand, Alex Rucker is the executive vice president of basketball operations for the Sixers, while Ned Cohen is serving as the team’s assistant general manager. However, reports since August have indicated the team is looking at changing its front office personnel and structure, and Rucker is reportedly not expected back in his current role.

Here’s more from across the Eastern Conference:

Blake Murphy and Eric Koreen of The Athletic role-play ed what a potential contract extension negotiation would look like for Raptors wing OG Anunoby. The 23-year-old could receive a rookie-scale extension this offseason or become a restricted free agent after the 2020/21 season. The two Athletic writers detail various contract scenarios, while also looking at how Anunoby compares to other players who received rookie extensions after their third NBA seasons.
In his latest mailbag, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago discusses Kris Dunn‘s outlook and identifies Wendell Carter as the player who might benefit the most from being coached by Billy Donovan. Johnson also mentions that it is not likely the Bulls keep both Dunn and Shaquille Harrison.
The Wizards‘ team website explores Killian Hayes‘s potential fit with Washington. The Wizards own the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, which leaves them in the position to take the best player available. This season in Germany, Hayes averaged 12.8 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 1.5 SPG in 26.8 MPG. The 19-year-old guard is projected to be drafted in the lottery.

Rockets Notes: Nnaji, Oturu, Silas, Unseld

October 7th, 2020 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets are currently the only team that doesn’t hold a pick in the 2020 NBA draft, but the club has been doing its homework on prospects from this year’s draft class. According to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), Zeke Nnaji and Daniel Oturu are among the prospects that Houston has either interviewed already or plans to interview.

Nnaji and Oturu are the 35th and 36th overall prospects on ESPN’s 2020 big board, so it’s possible that the Rockets are exploring the idea of trading into the second round — Wolfson suggests he wouldn’t be surprised if Daryl Morey contacts old friend Gersson Rosas, whose Timberwolves hold the No. 33 overall pick.

Still, the Rockets may very well just be doing their due diligence on the players entering the league this year so that there are no gaps in their scouting reports. Even if they don’t acquire a pick in this year’s draft, the Rockets will likely have an opportunity at some point down the road to trade for or sign players from the 2020 class, so it makes sense for the club to take advantage of its present opportunity to get to know some of those prospects.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

Within his latest mailbag, Kelly Iko of The Athletic explores which Rockets players might be trade candidates this offseason and which free agents the club could realistically target.
In a separate article for The Athletic, as part of his ongoing look at several of the candidates for the Rockets’ head coaching job, Kelly Iko evaluates the merits of a pair of assistants, Stephen Silas and Wes Unseld Jr. According to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (via Twitter), Unseld’s previously-reported interview with the team has now taken place. Silas has reportedly met with the Rockets as well.
In case you missed it, we also relayed earlier today that former Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson and Timberwolves assistant David Vanterpool have interviewed for the Rockets’ head coaching position.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Thibodeau, Bane, Nets

October 4th, 2020 at 5:16pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra believes his assistants rightfully deserve consideration for head coaching vacancies around the league, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.

Both Dan Craig and Chris Quinn have seen their names linked to various teams this year, with Spoelstra backing the idea as a whole.

“I think on our staff we have several future head coaches,” Spoelstra said, as relayed by Winderman. “I don’t want them to just be assistant coaches their whole career. I want them to be able to grow and have opportunities to be head coaches at some point.”

The Heat have previously lost coaches such as Juwan Howard, who left for Michigan, and David Fizdale, who left to become head coach of the Grizzlies and Knicks. Spoelstra credits the coaching tree to team president Pat Riley, a former coach himself.

“I think it’s just the whole Heat program, and that started with Pat,” Spoelstra said. “I think he’s taught us all how to become basketball coaches, at all levels, where you have to learn scouting, offense, defense, tendencies in the league, learning how to coach on the floor and teach.

“That was all demanded from Pat. And then growing, that culture of growing you.”

There’s more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

For the Knicks, it won’t be business as usual with Tom Thibodeau now at the helm, Steve Popper of Newsday opines. Thibodeau is looking to ramp up the team’s offseason workload and work closely with the players, though he’ll have to adhere to the league’s COVID-19 guidelines first. “Obviously, we’d have to follow the protocol that’s set forth by the league, but we will have an opportunity to do the individual stuff with guys that are in the bubble up until October 6,” Thibodeau said. “Then we’re waiting on what we’ll be able to do with the guys that are out of the market. So whatever the league tells us we can do, we will certainly do. And if not we’ll find other ways to get to our development piece whether it’s through film, communications with the players. But we‘re planning on spending a lot of time with our players this offseason.”
TCU forward Desmond Bane could be the perfect 3-and-D player for the Nets to draft, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Bane credits current Nets forward Joe Harris for a key part of his game, explaining how he’s studied Harris’ ability to work off screens and make shots off different movements. The Nets have the No. 19 pick in this year’s draft, while Harris is set to reach unrestricted free agency.
NetsDaily.com examines the Nets‘ draft situation and which player could be selected, suggesting that Bane, Maryland big man Jalen Smith and others could fit nicely with Brooklyn, a team that’s expected to be at the forefront of contention next season. The draft will take place on Wednesday, November 18.

Draft Notes: Okoro, Avdija, Ball, Wiseman

October 3rd, 2020 at 8:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Auburn’s Isaac Okoro believes he deserves consideration for the top pick in next month’s draft, writes Adam Zagoria for Forbes. Most of the discussion has focused on Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and James Wiseman, but Okoro makes a case for the Timberwolves to take him first overall.

“Yes, I feel I should be the No. 1 pick because I go out every game and I compete and I give 100% effort,” Okoro said. “I’m just willing to do whatever any coaches want me to do, so I feel like me bringing a winning culture I should be the No. 1 pick.”

The 6’6″ forward had an outstanding season with the Tigers, averaging 12.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and earning spots on the SEC’s All-Defense and All-Freshman teams, along with second team all-conference honors. He believes he would be a good complement to the talent already in place in Minnesota.

“I could see myself fitting in there, playing with D’Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns,” Okoro said. “I feel like I could come in there and play my role, do whatever the coach needs me to do in the game and just win.”

There’s more draft news to pass along:

Deni Avdija is likely to become the highest draft pick ever from Israel, notes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The 19-year-old has spent the past two seasons in the EuroLeague, and although he hasn’t put up huge numbers, he has impressed scouts enough to be considered a top-10 selection. “It’s exciting. Any time you can make history or any kind of good thing to represent the Jewish community and the state of Israel, that’s an honor for me,” Avdija said.
Ball is taking an unusual path to the NBA, but he tells Jace Frederick of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that his experiences, which included leaving high school early and playing in Lithuania and Australia, helped prepare him for the challenges ahead. “When I made that first move to Lithuania, that’s really when I grew up and stuff,” Ball said. “I realized what was going on. I wouldn’t change my journey, because it’s one of one. I like it.”
Wiseman has moved into the second slot in the latest mock draft from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. The writer sees Wiseman developing into a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and players and trainers who have watched him work out say he looks “phenomenal.” Vecenie still has Ball as his No. 1 pick, with Edwards, Obi Toppin and Onyeka Okongwu rounding out the top five.

Eastern Notes: Kennard, Maker, Patton, Avdija, Garland

October 2nd, 2020 at 6:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rookie scale extension candidate Luke Kennard made a strong impression on Pistons coach Dwane Casey during the team’s mini-camp, James Edwards of The Athletic tweets. Kennard missed most of the season due to knee injuries but looked completely healthy during the workouts.

“Luke Kennard came in here in great shape. He accomplished and we accomplished with what we wanted to do with him. No tendinitis,” Casey said. “I think he’s in the best shape since I’ve coached him. He played with intelligence and confidence.”

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:

Neither Thon Maker nor Justin Patton stood out during that same Detroit mini-camp, Edwards reports. Entering the workouts, it was considered a battle for a frontcourt roster spot. However, it’s unlikely the Pistons will extend Maker a $4.64MM qualifying offer. Thus, Maker would become an unrestricted free agent. Patton, who has a non-guaranteed salary of $1.76MM next season, underwent pinkie surgery two days after group activities began.
Israeli forward Deni Avdija could be the Knicks’ target if he slides to the No. 8 pick, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks plan to interview Avdija, who is praised for his versatility and outside shooting touch. He’s currently ranked No. 4 among the best available prospects by ESPN.
Darius Garland stood out in the Cavaliers mini-camp, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Garland had the look of a “very dynamic point guard,” according to one of the team’s assistant coaches. Garland averaged 12.3 PPG, 3.9 APG and 2.6 TPG in 59 starts as a rookie after being selected with No. 5 overall pick.

Draft Notes: Hampton, Draft Board, Maledon, Combine

October 1st, 2020 at 6:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After forgoing college ball to play professionally for the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL, point guard R.J. Hampton saw his NBA draft stock decline during the 2019/20 season. However, changes in Hampton’s jumper have Sam Vecenie of The Athletic reappraising the 6’5″ 19-year-old’s NBA fit.

Though Hampton’s shooting was inefficient with the Breakers (he shot just 29.5% from three-point range and 40.7% from the field overall), Vecenie noted that he has been addressing this issue ahead of the draft with former NBA sharpshooter Mike Miller and trainer Tyler Relph, as previously outlined.

Here are more notes about the upcoming NBA draft, now slated for November 18th:

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has updated his list of his top 50 2020 NBA draft prospects. Illawarra Hawks point guard LaMelo Ball, Ratiopharm Ulm point guard Killian Hayes, and USC freshman center Onyeka Okongwu comprise Wasserman’s current top three selections.
Point guard Theo Maledon, a likely first round draft pick this year who most recently played for France’s ASVEL, has talked with nine NBA teams thus far, including the Knicks, per Ian Begley of SNY (Twitter link). Maledon’s meeting with the Knicks, who have the eighth pick in 2020, happened after the lottery.
As we previously relayed, the NBA recently announced its plans for a new draft combine, which has been running since this Monday, September 28, and is set to continue into November.

Draft Notes: Ball, Haliburton, Okongwu, Bane

September 30th, 2020 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

LaMelo Ball was the highest-profile prospect to take part in this year’s virtual draft combine, but as we noted earlier this week, there was an expectation that his participation in the event might be limited.

According to Jeremy Woo of SI.com (Twitter link), that will indeed be the case. Sources tell Woo that Ball has withdrawn from the remainder of the combine after taking part in a media session on Monday, as well as the standard league interview.

According to Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link), Ball will still interview with team representatives, but won’t participate in the combine’s on-court program, so teams scouting him will have to rely on existing video.

Here’s more on the 2020 NBA draft:

Projected top-10 pick Tyrese Haliburton said today that he has interviewed with the Knicks, Warriors, and Pistons so far during the pre-draft process (video link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv). Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link) has heard that the Pistons – who hold the No. 7 pick – “really like” Haliburton.
In a Q&A with Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype, former USC big man Onyeka Okongwu said that he aspires to emulate Bam Adebayo‘s game at the NBA level. Like Haliburton, Okongwu is a projected top-10 pick, ranking fifth overall on ESPN’s top-100 list.
TCU sharpshooter Desmond Bane has interviewed with nearly every team in the NBA, telling reporters today that he has spoken to 26 clubs (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). Bane, the No. 41 prospect on ESPN’s big board, said that his agent thinks the Suns, Sixers, and Bucks have shown the most interest in him, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link).