2020 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Anthony, Head Coach, Free Agency

May 13th, 2020 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

As they prepare for the 2020 NBA draft, the Knicks have “extensively” scouted North Carolina point guard Cole Anthony, a source tells Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Anthony, who currently ranks 11th on ESPN’s big board, could be an option for New York if the team doesn’t move up in the draft lottery. Currently, the Knicks are most likely to land at No. 7 or 8.

Begley cautions that just because the Knicks are doing a ton of homework on Anthony, that doesn’t mean they’ll draft him or even that they’re targeting him. After all, the club is also said to be keeping a close eye on RJ Hampton and is likely monitoring several other lottery prospects too.

Still, the Knicks’ potential interest in Anthony is worth keeping in mind. A report back in February – shortly after the team reached agreed to hire new president of basketball operations Leon Rose – suggested the Knicks intended to target a scoring point guard in the draft. And Anthony, who grew up in New York, has talked about having interest in joining the franchise.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

In a mailbag for SNY.tv, Ian Begley discusses RJ Barrett‘s future, the Knicks’ draft plans, possible offseason trade targets, and more. Responding to one question about the head coaching situation, Begley says that he knows Tom Thibodeau is a strong candidate and that he expects Mike Miller to get an interview, but he’s not certain yet about any other specific candidates.
Mike Vorkunov and Danny Leroux of The Athletic explore which players might be good options for the Knicks in free agency and discuss whether pursuing a Chris Paul trade would make sense for the organization. Leroux isn’t in favor of going after Paul, pointing to a few veteran point guards on the free agent market who would come at a more reasonable cost, albeit without CP3’s upside.
In case you missed it over the weekend, we previewed the Knicks’ salary cap situation for the 2020/21 league year.

Draft Notes: Jones, Stanley, Oturu, Reed, Nnaji, Combine

May 12th, 2020 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of early entrants out of Duke have signed with agents who aren’t NCAA-certified, officially signaling that they’ll go pro and remain in the 2020 NBA draft. Tre Jones has signed with BDA Sports, according to the agency’s Instagram account, while Cassius Stanley has joined ISE Basketball (Twitter link).

Both Blue Devils prospects had been expected to keep their names in the draft, so their moves to secure representation don’t come as a surprise. Both players are ranked in the top 50 on ESPN’s big board for 2020, with Jones coming in at No. 33 and Stanley at No. 50.

Here’s more on the 2020 draft:

A couple more players on this year’s early entrants list have signed with agents and will remain in the draft. Minnesota big man Daniel Oturu has joined BDA Sports, per the agency (Instagram link). Meanwhile, DePaul’s Paul Reed has opted for Ron Shade of Octagon, tweets Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com. Oturu and Reed place 36th and 51st respectively on ESPN’s list of 2020’s top prospects.
Arizona forward Zeke Nnaji has had virtual meetings with the Pelicans, Wizards, and Hornets so far, and has one lined up with the Jazz later this week, says Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). A possible first-round pick, Nnaji is ranked 34th overall on ESPN’s big board.
The NBA has sent teams ballots to vote on prospects they’d like to see participate in the 2020 draft combine, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The combine, originally scheduled to take place next week, has been postponed indefinitely, but the league still hopes to hold it in some revamped form, either in-person or virtually.

Draft Notes: Mannion, McDaniels, Burke, Olaniyi

May 11th, 2020 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has yet to make any official announcements on its draft date, but there’s a wide belief that the current June 25 date will be pushed back. According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, league sources “are hearing about” a potential draft date in late August or early September. Some agents have been told there could be a scaled-down draft combine in August, with live interviews, Berman adds.

Of course, at this point, the NBA isn’t making any concrete plans, so those are scenarios that have been discussed rather than decided upon. The draft date will depend in large part on when the 2019/20 NBA season ends — if the league devises a plan that would see its Finals run into September, a late-August draft may not be viable.

As we wait for further word from the NBA, here are some more draft-related updates:

Projected first-round pick Nico Mannion has signed with BDA Sports for representation, the agency announced on Instagram (hat tip to Sportando). BDA doesn’t have any NCAA-certified agents, so the move is a signal that Mannion will go pro and remain in the draft.
Another projected first-rounder, Jaden McDaniels, has signed with Nima Namakian of BDA Sports for representation and will remain in the draft, tweets Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com.
Rather than transferring to South Alabama, Nebraska junior guard Dachon Burke has decided to go pro and will remain in the draft, he tells Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link). Burke has signed with agent Corey Marcum of EZ Sports.
Stony Brook is expected to lose junior swingman Elijah Olaniyi, who is testing the draft waters, tweets Goodman. Olaniyi hasn’t finalized any decisions yet, but is expected to either transfer to another program or remain in the draft, according to Goodman.

Draft Notes: Okoro, Hayes, Adams, Hunter

May 10th, 2020 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Auburn star Isaac Okoro has confirmed, in an interview with Jason Jordan of Sports Illustrated, that he will remain in the NBA draft.

“I’ll be officially in the draft,” Okoro said. “I haven’t posted it on social media, but I feel like it will be the best move for me. It’s always been a dream of mine since I was a little kid to have a chance to make it to the NBA. It feels so surreal right now, but I also know once draft day comes, I’m just gonna be ready for the moment.”

Okoro is projected as a high lottery pick after averaging 12.8 points and 4.4 rebounds for the Tigers as a freshman. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has him rated fourth overall and as the No. 1 small forward on the board in his list of the top 100 prospects. Early entrants have until June 3 to withdraw, but Okoro has already signed with an agency and said his decision is final.

There’s more draft news to pass along:

Potential top 10 pick Killian Hayes will skip a three-week tournament that the German league is planning for June, according to Givony. Some teams are permitting players to decide whether they want to participate in the proposed 10-team, 36-game event, which will determine the league champion and an automatic berth in the EuroLeague next season.
Jordyn Adams has withdrawn from the draft and will return to Austin Peay, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Adams averaged 17.4 points per game this year as a freshman.
Chance Hunter will return to Long Beach State after withdrawing from the draft, Rothstein adds (via Twitter).

Draft Notes: McClung, Henry, Big Boards

May 6th, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite a claim from Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing that he’ll be back with the program this season, Mac McClung continues to test the draft waters and hasn’t informed the school of any official decision yet, agent Daniel Hazan tells Ben Standig of The Athletic.

As Standig details, McClung’s energy and athleticism make him an intriguing prospect worth monitoring, but he’s not considered likely to be drafted if he goes pro this year. One general manager said he’s still not clear on what position or role McClung would play at the NBA level.

Still, NBA teams are doing their homework on the sophomore guard. Hazan said on Tuesday that McClung has had virtual meetings with 11 teams, with more to come — a source informs Standig that the Rockets, Bulls, and Nets are among those 11 clubs.

Here are a few more draft-related items:

Michigan State forward Aaron Henry has signed with agent Aaron Reilly of AMR, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link). Because Reilly is NCAA-certified, Henry can continue to test the draft waters without forfeiting his remaining two years of college eligibility.
Goodman has published the second version of his 2020 mock draft at WatchStadium.com, forecasting a top five of James Wiseman (Warriors), Anthony Edwards (Cavaliers), LaMelo Ball (Timberwolves), Obi Toppin (Hawks), and Deni Avdija (Pistons).
With last week’s early entrant deadline behind us, Jeremy Woo of SI.com and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic have each updated their respective big boards for the 2020 draft. Both draft experts have Ball, Edwards, and Wiseman ranked as their top three prospects, but disagree on some other lottery prospects. Vecenie has Toppin (No. 4) and Cole Anthony (No. 8) several spots higher than Woo does, but is less bullish on Isaac Okoro (No. 11), who is sixth on Woo’s board.

Knicks Eyeing Draft Prospect RJ Hampton

May 5th, 2020 at 7:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

New York won four of seven before the NBA suspended the season, placing the team in the No. 6 spot in our Reverse Standings. If they don’t move up higher in the NBA draft lottery, the Knicks will have interest in selecting RJ Hampton, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Hampton skipped the traditional post-high school route to the NBA, opting for the Australian NBL over the NCAA. Some around the game believe the 6’5″ guard is a top-10 player in the draft.

“I’ve watched him since eighth grade because he’s a Dallas kid,’’ said ESPN ‘s Fran Fraschilla said, as Berman relays. “He left the U.S. a top-10 to -20 prospect. He came home a top-10 to -20 prospect. He’s an NBA athlete but could be a project. I don’t know if he was as good as the hype accorded him when he left.”

Not everyone is as bullish on Hampton. One source told Berman that the youngster could fall into the back third of the first round as a result of teams not having a normal pre-draft process to evaluate talent. It’s worth noting that the Knicks have a second first-rounder, courtesy of the Clippers via the Marcus Morris deal. It currently projects to be the No. 27 overall pick.

Draft Notes: Lee, Daly, Butler, White, Lottery

May 4th, 2020 at 7:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Vanderbilt junior Saben Lee has signed with Wasserman Media Group and will remain in the draft, according to Robbie Weinstein of 247Sports. He is currently ranked No. 78 overall and No. 25 among point guard prospects by ESPN. Lee was named Second Team All-SEC last season and averaged 18.6 PPG. 3.5 RPG and 4.2 APG.

We have more draft-related news:

Baylor’s Jared Butler, St. Joe’s Ryan Daly and Stanford’s Tyrell Terry have signed with Mike Naiditch of Beyond Athlete Management, Jeff Goodman of Goodman Hoops tweets. Naiditch is an NCAA-certified agent, which means those players are eligible to return to college. Butler is the highest-rated player among the trio as ESPN’s No. 43 overall and No. 17 among point guards.
Arizona State forward Romello White has entered the transfer portal while still remaining an early entrant into the draft, Doug Haller of The Athletic tweets. White averaged 10.2 PPG and 8.8 RPG in his junior year.
Lottery-bound teams aren’t eager to restart the season and are now in limbo, Ben Golliver of the Washington Post opines. Those teams are focused on future seasons and now have to wait on those plans since the lottery and the draft combine were postponed last week.

Draft Notes: Hill, Hammonds, Montgomery

May 3rd, 2020 at 3:17pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The NBA has postponed the draft lottery, which means we will need to wait even longer to find out who will net the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft.

If the regular season doesn’t resume, the Warriors, Cavaliers, and Timberwolves will each have a 14% shot at the top spot, as our Reverse Standings show. There’s no consensus on who the top prospect is, a la the 2013 draft, though the overall talent is expected to be better than that class.

Let’s take a look at more notes on the upcoming draft:

UCLA’s Jalen Hill is taking his name out of the 2020 NBA draft, according to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. The 6’10” defensive-minded big will return to school for his junior campaign (redshirt).
Georgia forward Rayshaun Hammonds is signing with agent Billy Davis of Family of Athletes, meaning he won’t be returning to college, Evan Daniels of 247 Sports tweets.
EJ Montgomery is staying in the draft. The Kentucky forward signed with the Wasserman Group, as the agency posts on its Twitter feed.

And-Ones: Batiste, Hall Of Fame, Cotton, Gatwech

May 2nd, 2020 at 9:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic assistant coach Mike Batiste shot down a rumor that he’s returning to Europe to coach Greece’s Panathinaikos, Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando relays. Batiste, who was a star player for the EuroLeague team, said on Greek radio’s ERA Sport he’s staying in Orlando. “No one has contacted me, these are rumors. I have a two-year contract and I will honor it, when I’m done with that I don’t know what will happen,” Batiste said.

We have more from around the basketball world:

The Basketball Hall of Fame remains hopeful in can hold the induction ceremony for this year’s class as scheduled in late August, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. This year’s class has nine inductees, including the late Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.
Australia NBL MVP and former NBA player Bryce Cotton has opted out of his deal with the Perth Wildcats, Olgun Uluc of ESPN reports. The NBL and its players agreed to a tiered system of pay cuts and the highest-salaried players are having their pay cut in half. The agreement allowed players to opt out of their contracts before May 4, with the Wildcats holding Cotton’s domestic rights. Cotton, who appeared in 23 NBA games before heading to Australia, is being pursued by European teams Panathinaikos and Asvel, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Jimma Gatwech had his name pulled from the NBA draft, but will pursue other pro opportunities in 2020/21, Evan Daniels of 247Sports tweets. Gatwech, 19, spend the past year at CORE4 Academy in Atlanta.

Draft Notes: Bey, Hall, Mamukelashvili, Jones

May 1st, 2020 at 8:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Colorado’s Tyler Bey has signed with an agent and will remain in the draft, Jeff Goodman of Stadium tweets. Bey declared for the draft in late March. The 6’7” Bey is a potential first-round pick. He’s currently ranked No. 35 overall by ESPN and No. 8 among power forward prospects. He posted 13.8 PPG and 9.0 RPG with 1.5 SPG and 1.2 BPG in 31 games (29.0 MPG) in 2019/20.

We have more draft-related news:

Josh Hall will bypass college and remain in the draft, according to Evan Daniels of 247Sports. The 6’9” Hall had signed to play with North Carolina State next season but has hired an agent and will pursue pro opportunities. He’s eligible for this year’s draft because he graduated for high school last year, did a post-graduate season year and is 19 years old.
Seton Hall junior forward Sandro Mamukelashvili has a dozen video interviews lined up with NBA teams but could still return for his senior season, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com reports. He declared for the draft in March without hiring an agent. Mamukelashvili averaged 11.9 PPG and 6.0 RPG this season but missed seven weeks due to a fractured wrist.
Mason Jones declared on a Twitter post he’s not returning to Arkansas, Goodman relays in another tweet. The junior guard averaged 22.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, and 1.6 SPG in his final year with the Razorbacks. The 6’5” Jones is ranked No. 77 overall and No. 14 among shooting guards by ESPN.