- The Pacers will bring John Collins (projected to be drafted at No. 13 by NBADraft.net) and Harry Giles (No. 22) in for a workout Saturday, the team writes on its official site, as well as several others.
Pacers guard Monta Ellis and Pistons wing Reggie Bullock have been suspended five games apiece without pay for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy, the league announced today (Twitter link via Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today). The suspensions are believed to be marijuana-related, as Adi Joseph of USA Today tweets.
Ellis and Bullock will serve their respective suspensions to open the 2017/18 league year, assuming they’re physically able to play. If either player is injured to start the season, he’ll serve the five-game suspension once he’s ruled healthy enough to play.
Ellis, 31, had a down year in Indiana, as he played just 27.0 minutes per game, the lowest mark since his rookie season in 2005/06. He averaged just 8.5 PPG to go along with 3.2 APG and 2.8 RPG. Ellis has one more guaranteed year left on his contract with the Pacers, then has a player option for 2018/19. Indiana could also waive him prior to that option date without being on the hook for his ’18/19 salary.
“Monta’s suspension is a very serious matter to our franchise and it will be dealt with accordingly,” Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement.
As for Bullock, he may not end up serving his five-game ban as a member of the Pistons. The former first-round pick, who was limited to just 31 games due to injuries in 2016/17, is eligible for restricted free agency this offseason. He’s not viewed as a lock to get a qualifying offer from Detroit, let alone re-sign with the team.
A year ago, five draft-night trades involving second-round picks saw money change hands between two NBA teams. In some cases, the cost of those picks wasn’t exorbitant — the Nuggets reportedly only received $730K from the Thunder in exchange for the rights to the No. 56 pick, which was used on Daniel Hamilton. However, the price tag on a few other picks was higher.
The Warriors, for instance, sent $2.4MM to the Bucks in exchange for the right to draft Patrick McCaw. The Nets gave $3MM to the Jazz for the right to move up and nab Isaiah Whitehead. The No. 54 pick, which was used on Kay Felder, cost the Cavaliers $2.47MM to acquire from Atlanta.
Teams with an excess of second-round picks will likely look to sell a selection or two this year, while clubs looking to get back into the second round can dangle cash in lieu of players or picks. But teams can’t simply send as much money as they want in order to acquire draft picks.
The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement limits the amount of money teams can send and receive in trades during a given league year. For the 2016/17 season, the maximum is $3.5MM. A team can send out as much as $3.5MM in trades, and receive up to that amount as well, but after that point, they can’t use any more cash in trades.
Cash paid and cash received are separate entities, so a team that has sent out $3.5MM in trades can’t “start over” by receiving $3.5MM in another trade — once they’ve paid $3.5MM, they’re essentially capped out in terms of tradeable cash. Since the new league year doesn’t begin until July 1, trades made since July 2016 will affect how much money teams can pay or receive in this year’s draft.
There are potentially ways to get around these restrictions — if a team without any tradeable cash left badly wants to buy a second-round pick, it’s possible an agreement in principle with another club could be reached, and a trade could be finalized in July when spending resets. But both teams would have to be on board, and a team with the ability to send or receive cash this year may not want to hamper its 2017/18 flexibility by waiting. When teams sell draft picks for cash, those deals are generally made official on draft night.
According to data from Basketball Insiders, these are the teams that have already paid or received more than half of their $3.5MM limit in 2016/17, reducing their flexibility on draft night:
Cash Paid:
- Cleveland Cavaliers: $0 remaining ($3,500,000 paid)
- Dallas Mavericks: $272,714 remaining ($3,227,286 paid)
- Portland Trail Blazers: $575,000 remaining ($2,925,000 paid)
Cash Received:
- Denver Nuggets: $0 remaining ($3,500,000 received)
- Philadelphia 76ers: $100,000 remaining ($3,400,000 received)
- Indiana Pacers: $272,714 remaining ($3,227,286 received)
The two teams impacted most by the money they’ve already spent or received in trades are probably the Cavaliers and Sixers. Cleveland has traded both of its 2017 picks, and will have a hard time getting back into the draft without any cash to use.
As for the Sixers, they have more picks than any other team in this draft, including four second-rounders. Philadelphia probably doesn’t want to use all of those picks, but trading them could be tricky, since the team isn’t eligible to receive more than $100K. If Philadelphia does trade a second-rounder or two, the return could be future picks rather than cash.
Paul George currently wears a yellow NBA jersey and despite the rumors, wishes, and hopes of many people, that yellow is for the Pacers and not his hometown Lakers. A likely free agent-to-be after next season thanks to an opt-out clause, George’s name has been prevalent in trade rumors, primarily connecting him to a Los Angeles squad in dire need of a superstar caliber attraction.
While it makes sense for the Pacers to gauge interest in George; losing him in free agency a year from now and getting nothing in return is not ideal. The Lakers are not the only possible suitor as team’s like the Celtics, Cavaliers, and Heat have also been mentioned as destinations — in trades and free agency. At this time, George told reporters, including The Indianapolis Star’s Nate Taylor, that his immediate future is with the Pacers.
“I’m under contract as a Pacer,” George said. “That’s all that needs to really be known. I’m here. I’m a Pacer. Again, what I’ve been dealing with is stories. You guys talking or teams talking. I’m a Pacer. There’s no way around that. This is my team, my group and this is where I’m at.”
The allure of leaving Indiana to compete for a championship elsewhere — given the Warriors‘ super team dominating its way to the 2017 NBA title — can be a temptation for George. Yet, the 27-year-old is committed to Indiana, where he has spent his first seven NBA seasons, for at least one more year and reiterated his goal of bringing a championship to the city.
However, it’s more realistic for George to pursue a title with a team capable of attracting major pieces to complement the 6’9″ forward’s talent. George did not commit to the Pacers past next season and is bracing for a life and career-changing decision.
“It will be tough, but when I get there hopefully I will be ready to sit down with my family, be ready to sit down with people close to me to make that decision,” George said. “Again, I have another year to play out before I can even think about that. So, we’re going to take this thing slowly. I think the best part about it is I’m in the driver’s seat.”
Since the Cavaliers fell to Golden State earlier this week in the NBA Finals, there has been a ton of speculation about how the Cavs should respond this summer, and the idea of acquiring Pacers forward Paul George in a trade involving Kevin Love has been a popular one.
There are no reports at this point suggesting that either team is considering such a deal, but Ben Golliver of SI.com makes the case that a Love/George would make a lot of sense for both the Cavaliers and Pacers. Golliver argues that Cleveland would get a badly-needed perimeter defender to combat Kevin Durant, while Indiana would land an impact player in his own right and could avoid embarking on a lengthy rebuilding process.
While Golliver’s piece is an interesting one, I’m less inclined to believe that the move would be in the Pacers’ best interests. The club isn’t yet at a point where it needs to trade George to avoid losing him for nothing. Even if and when that time comes, Indiana may prefer to move him for a package that includes picks and/or young players, rather than for a pricey veteran like Love.
Here’s more from around the Central division:
- Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders is the latest to try his hand at determining the next steps for the Cavaliers as they enter the offseason.
- Jarrett Allen (Texas) and Justin Patton (Creighton) headlined a group workout for the Pistons today, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). Landen Lucas (Kansas), John Gillon (Syracuse), and Jonathan Williams (Toledo) also participated.
- The Bucks‘ Thursday pre-draft workout features Ismael Bako (Belgium), Tyler Roberson (Syracuse), Ben Moore (SMU), Tony Farmer (Lee College), Matt Thomas (Iowa State), and Ty Sabin (Ripon), the team announced on its website.
- Point guard appears to be a position of interest for the Pacers as they prepare for the draft, writes Wheat Hotchkiss of Pacers.com. With Jeff Teague and Aaron Brooks both eligible for free agency, Indiana may look to add a point guard in the draft to address its depth at the position.
Kansas forward Josh Jackson paid a visit to Kings today, but didn’t go through a workout, tweets Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Jackson is expected to be one of the first players selected next week and probably won’t be around for Sacramento’s pick at No. 5. There have been rumors that the Kings would like to move up, but a report today said they aren’t willing to give the Sixers the fifth and 10th picks to get No. 3.
There’s more from a full day of draft workouts:
- Washington’s Markelle Fultz, projected as the top pick, has decided not to visit the Kings, according to Voisin (Twitter link).
- Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer examines which top three team might have given Jackson a guarantee. A report Monday by John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 suggested that either the Celtics, Lakers or Sixers has promised to take Jackson if he’s still on the board when their pick comes up. Jackson canceled a workout this week with Boston and agreed to a second session in L.A.
- Along with a second workout for Lonzo Ball, the Lakers will audition six other players on Friday, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Their names have not been released.
- North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr. may be in danger of slipping on draft night, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. However, some members of Philadelphia’s front office are intrigued by Smith and the team may trade down to get him, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now.
- UCLA’s T.J. Leaf will visit Miami on Thursday to work out for the Heat, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The Heat see him as a stretch four who can hit 3-pointers and rebound and will give him serious consideration with their No. 14 pick, Jackson adds.
- Duke’s Harry Giles canceled a workout with the Heat that was scheduled for Thursday, Jackson relays in the same story.
- Kentucky’s Bam Adebayo will be part of a group workout for the Nuggets on Friday, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
- The Nuggets will host six players Thursday, the team announced in an email. Participating will be Florida’s Canyon Barry, Air Force’s Hayden Graham, Miami’s Kamari Murphy, Baylor’s Johnathan Motley, Arizona’s Kobi Simmons and Gonzaga’s Nigel Williams-Goss.
- Wisconsin’s Bronson Koenig, who has upcoming sessions with the Lakers and Warriors, is impressing teams with his shooting, Scotto relays (Twitter link).
- Creighton’s Cole Huff has workouts set for the Celtics on Thursday and the Lakers on Monday, tweets Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.
- North Carolina’s Justin Jackson has workouts lined up with the Knicks, Hornets, Bucks and Trail Blazers, according to Begley.
- Jackson will be part of a Pacers workout Thursday, along with Clemson’s Jaron Blossomgame, Houston’s Damyean Dotson, Marquette’s Luke Fischer, Vanderbilt’s Luke Kornet and Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell, the team announced on its website.
- Northeastern’s T.J. Williams has an upcoming workout with the Knicks and has already auditioned for the Jazz, Lakers, Clippers, Timberwolves and Raptors, Begley writes in a separate piece.
- Iowa’s Peter Jok, IUPUI’s Darell Combs, Syracuse’s Andrew White III, Connecticut’s Amida Brimah, Siena’s Marquis Wright and Lehigh’s Tim Kempton Jr. will work out Thursday for the Wizards, the team announced on its official blog.
- The Hawks hosted six players for a workout earlier today, according to the team. Participants were Kempton, California’s Jabari Bird, Loyola-Chicago’s Milton Doyle, Gonzaga’s Przemek Karnowski, Middle Tennessee State’s Reggie Upshaw and Colorado’s Derrick White.
- Six players worked out today for the Jazz, the team tweeted. On hand were Indiana’s James Blackmon, Dayton’s Charles Cooke, Weber State’s Jeremy Senglin, Eastern Washington’s Jake Wiley, Alabama’s Jimmie Taylor and Texas A&M CC’s Rashawn Thomas.
- The Pacers are working out Dylan Ennis (Oregon), Jawun Evans (Oklahoma State), Amile Jefferson (Duke), Zach LeDay (Virginia Tech), Paul Watson Jr. (Fresno State), and Nigel Williams-Goss (Gonzaga) today, the team announced in a press release.
- Camerato also passes along some workout info for Clemson’s Jaron Blossomgame, tweeting that he has sessions lined up with the Hornets, Hawks, Pacers, Bucks, and Nuggets.
Duke’s Jayson Tatum worked out today in Los Angeles for the Suns, who will give him strong consideration with their No. 4 pick, writes Doug Haller of The Arizona Republic. The 6’8″ forward may be the most offensively talented player in the draft, but he has shortcomings on defense, which is the prime concern in Phoenix. Still, he is ranked fourth or fifth in most mock drafts and could easily wind up in a Suns uniform.
There’s more news from a busy day of draft workouts:
- Duke’s Luke Kennard wants teams to think of him as more than just a shooter. In a video posted on The Detroit News website, Kennard tells reporters he can handle the ball and has the physical strength to play in the NBA. He worked out for the Pistons today and has upcoming sessions with the Magic, Knicks, Mavericks and Hornets.
- Duke teammate Amile Jefferson is going through a workout marathon, relays Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Jefferson, who was part of a six-player session with the Hornets today, hopes to work out for about half the league’s 30 teams before draft day. “I love every minute of it,” Jefferson said. “This is the only chance you get to do something like this. From state to state, really introduce yourself and show off your talents to 15 or more teams in the NBA. I’m cherishing all these places. I’m really thankful for this opportunity.” He has also held workouts for the Timberwolves, Jazz, Knicks, Rockets and Nuggets, with six more on his schedule.
- Texas center Jarrett Allen, who worked out for the Kings today, is trying to develop a more consistent outside shot, relays Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Allen watched Game 4 of the NBA Finals with team officials Friday night and said he enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere. “I like how they understand it’s a really busy time,” Allen said, “so they’re just trying to get into a relaxed situation; it helps us out a lot more than people think.” Sacramento also held a six-player workout today with Joe Rahon of Saint Mary’s, Milton Doyle of Loyola, Matt Williams of Central Florida, Semi Ojeleye of SMU, RaShawn Thomas of Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Eric Mika of BYU. Zach Collins of Gonzaga is scheduled for a session on Sunday.
- Terrance Ferguson, who committed to Alabama and Arizona before playing last season in Australia, was among the players who worked out for the Trail Blazers today, relays Mike Richman of The Oregonian. He is considered to be a first-round talent who can contribute as a “3 and D” wing player. “Every NBA teams needs shooting,” he said. “…Shooting and a coachable player and defense. I think I can bring that to the table.” Ferguson has also worked out for the Lakers, Pacers, Bulls and Nuggets and has visits remaining with the Hornets, Heat, Pistons, Nets and Bucks.
Wondering how many picks your team has? Check out our 2017 NBA Draft Picks page. The Sixers have the most selections with five, though they are looking to deal at least one of their second-rounders. The draft is just two weeks away. As we wait for the big night, check out some notes on some of the prospects expecting to hear their name called on June 22:
- Harry Giles has plans to work out for the Pistons, Bulls, Heat, and Pacers before the draft, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian tweets. The Duke product has already met with the Kings and Blazers.
- Jarrett Allen will work out for the Nuggets on Friday, Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post tweets. Allen is the 17th best prospect in the upcoming draft, per Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.
- Allen will go through drills with the Kings on Saturday, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee passes along (Twitter link).
- Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post chronicles the hurdles that Caleb Swanigan has had to overcome to make his dream of playing basketball professionally a reality. The Purdue big man is expected to be taken in the second round of this year’s draft.
- Swanigan is scheduled to work out for his hometown Jazz on Saturday, sources tell Tony Jones of the Salt Lake City Tribune (Twitter link).