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Draft Grades: Central Division

June 27th, 2014 at 11:02pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the 2014 NBA Draft officially in the books, it’s time to take a look back and see how each team used the draft to make improvements and fill needs. I’ve already ran down the picks for the Atlantic and Pacific Divisions. We’ll continue on with a look at the Central Division:

Chicago Bulls

Team Needs: Scoring, Power Forward, Point Guard

Draft Picks:

  • No. 11 Doug McDermott (Small Forward)*
  • No. 49 Cameron Bairstow (Power Forward/Center)

*Pick obtained via trade with Nuggets for the No. 16 & 19 picks, plus a 2015 second rounder.

The Bulls gave up two first rounders to move up and select “McBuckets.” They had need of a scorer — badly, and McDermott certainly fits that bill. Scouts were divided about his potential, as he’s seen as a bit of a tweener, and might not possess enough quickness to be an effective defender, one thing that coach Tom Thibodeau places a high priority on.

The trade also makes their pursuit of Carmelo Anthony a bit more difficult, as the trade added approximately $1MM onto their cap above what they would have spent if they had kept their two picks as they were, thanks to Anthony Randolph‘s inclusion. If the Bulls can get ‘Melo, McDermott also becomes redundant, and would be relegated to the sixth man role, which is one he ultimately might be better suited for long-term anyway.

Bairstow is a tough player with little athleticism. He seems destined to play overseas or in the D-League. I don’t see him ever cracking the Bulls rotation.

Overall Draft Grade:  B+ —The Bulls get their desired player, and one who fits their biggest need. I’m not so sure they wouldn’t have been better served keeping picks 16 and 19 and adding more depth. They could have had their choice of Adreian Payne, James Young, Tyler Ennis, Rodney Hood, and Gary Harris. Two of them seem like a better value to me than McDermott.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Team Needs: Talent, Shooting, Perimeter Defense

Draft Picks:

  •  No. 1 Andrew Wiggins (Small Forward/Shooting Guard)
  • No. 33 Joe Harris (Small Forward)
  • No 45. Dwight Powell (Power Forward)*

*Obtained via trade with the Hornets.

Despite all the rumblings about them trading down, the Cavs stuck it out and landed the player they wanted all along. Joel Embiid‘s injury might have been a blessing in disguise as it removed much of the temptation to draft him and the injury risk he carries.

Wiggins isn’t as sure a thing as the team would prefer. He has a world of upside and has the physical ability to become a top-10 player in the league. He can play and defend multiple positions and is a decent ballhandler and good passer. Wiggins needs to be more assertive and willing to be the “alpha” on the court. If he doesn’t change his mindset and become more of an attack oriented player, he’ll have a difficult time sharing the floor with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters, both of whom are ball stoppers. I do like the pick and he should fit in nicely with what Cleveland is building.

Harris is a decent outside shooter and a strong defender. With Cleveland’s roster he has the chance to see some backup minutes this season, though I see some serious minutes being logged by him in the D-League along the way. Powell is a reach, and a player I don’t see making the roster anytime soon.

Overall Draft Grade:  A — It’s hard to fault this pick. Wiggins has the most upside in the draft and is a freakish athlete. He’ll be judged alongside Jabari Parker for his entire career, which is par for the course. I see Wiggins taking a little longer to peak, but when he does he should be a more dynamic player than Parker.

Detroit Pistons

Team Needs: Shooting Guard, Backup Center, Stretch Four, Point Guard

Draft Picks:

  •  No. 38 Spencer Dinwiddie (Shooting Guard)

The Pistons were unlucky, losing their first round pick to Charlotte thanks to the Pistons falling out of the top eight on lottery night. That one spot lost them the chance to nab a surefire rotation player. Ending up with Dinwiddie in the second round isn’t the worst possible outcome for the franchise.

Dinwiddie was projected as a mid first round pick, but an ACL injury that cost him the second half of last season caused his slide. Dinwiddie isn’t exceptionally athletic, but he’s a versatile player with a decent basketball IQ. If he can fully recover from his injury, he has the opportunity to be a contributor for a few years. It will most likely take him until the 2015/16 season to be at full-speed, so don’t expect much this year from him.

Overall Draft Grade: C+ —Under the circumstances, nabbing a first round caliber talent in the second round can be considered a small victory. That loss of the top-10 pick really hurts this year.

Indiana Pacers

Team Needs: Shooting Guard, Small Forward, Scoring, Stretch Four

Draft Picks:

  •  No picks.

The Pacers first rounder went to the Suns as part of the Luis Scola trade. So judging Indiana’s draft is a matter of measuring his contributions against the potential of what was available at No. 27. Looking at the list, if the Pacers had kept the pick they would be looking at a draft and stash selection. So Scola’s production is more valuable in this instance, though he’ll rate like the team drafted a reserve player.

Overall Draft Grade:  C+ —Scola is more valuable than what they would have picked up at No. 27, but he’s not a star player. A valuable one, but not a long term franchise player.

Milwaukee Bucks

Team Needs: Talent, Point Guard, Shooting

Draft Picks:

  • No. 2 Jabari Parker (Small Forward)
  • No. 31 Damien Inglis (Power Forward)
  • No. 36 Johnny O’Bryant (Power Forward)

I really like the Bucks’ draft. They stayed put and got exactly the player they wanted all along. Parker is probably going to end up as a stretch four, or in a role similar to ‘Melo’s when the Knicks go with one of their smaller lineups. Parker is ready to contribute immediately and though he needs some serious time in the gym, he’ll be a productive player and probable star for many seasons. If the “Greek Freak” continues to develop and Larry Sanders can stay on the court, the future in Milwaukee could be bright.

Inglis has a broken foot that will keep him out of the summer league, but he’s expected to be ready by the time training camp begins. Inglis is well-regarded by scouts, and has been compared to Boris Diaw as far as ability is concerned. His major flaw is that he’s not a good outside shooter. He’s shown flashes of being able to hit three pointers, but his mid range game is almost non-existent. Worth a flier because of his physical upside, but will see more D-League time than NBA time this season.

O’Bryant is a possible sleeper at No. 36. He’s not a big rebounder or defender, but he is a very good low post scorer. He’ll never be a starter, but has the makings of a solid rotation contributor.

Overall Draft Grade: A- —They did the smart and obvious thing on draft night and nabbed themselves a future star. The Bucks also took two potential rotation players, though Inglis might have been a reach considering K.J. McDaniels, Cleanthony Early, Jerami Grant, and Glenn Robinson III were still available. The Bucks did better than OK on Thursday, a small victory for fans of the franchise.

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Draft Fallout: Sixers, Saric, Heat, McGary

June 27th, 2014 at 3:10am CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers never made a run at trading for the No. 1 pick in spite of the rumors to the contrary, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). That seems hard to believe given the volume of chatter about Philly’s supposed pursuit of Andrew Wiggins, whom the Cavs wound up taking with the top pick. Still, the Sixers wound up with Joel Embiid, who had been the front-runner to go No. 1 before he broke his foot. Philadelphia will have to wait on Embiid, who went third overall, as well as No. 12 selection Dario Saric, whose rights they obtained from the Magic. There’s news on Saric among the continuing reverberations from Thursday’s draft:

  • Saric says he might come to the NBA in one year rather than two, as had been the assumption, but he’d have to discuss it with Anadolu Efes Pilson, his team in Turkey, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.
  • The Heat didn’t consult with LeBron James on their trade to acquire Shabazz Napier, though his affection for the former Connecticut point guard was no secret, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
  • The Thunder promised Mitch McGary that they’d draft him at No. 21, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Rumors had suggested the Hornets and Bucks instead had given him a promise. Charlotte had interest, tweets Jeff Zillgitt, but Oklahoma City snapped him up before the Hornets could take him at No. 24.
  • Serbian shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, whom the Suns took at No. 27, is one or two years away from joining Phoenix, GM Ryan McDonough said, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic notes (on Twitter). No. 50 pick Alec Brown is also expected to play in Europe next season rather than sign this summer with the Suns, according to Coro.
  • Undrafted Canisius guard Billy Baron is drawing interest from several teams who’d like to bring him to training camp in addition to summer league, Wojnarowski reports (on Twitter).
  • The Rockets are highly interested in Patric Young, while the Hawks, Thunder and Grizzlies eye LaQuinton Ross and the Raptors, Pacers and Spurs are keen on Aaron Craft, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (All Twitter links). It’s unclear if the interest is in regard to training camp or merely summer league.
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Knicks Acquire Louis Labeyrie

June 27th, 2014 at 1:20am CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 1:20am: The deal is official, the Pacers announce.

THURSDAY, 11:40pm: The Knicks have struck a deal to acquire 57th overall pick Louis Labeyrie from the Pacers, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). New York sends cash in return for the French big man, tweets Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.

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Draft Notes: Payton, Embiid, Knicks

June 24th, 2014 at 11:12pm CST by Ryan Raroque

In Jeff Goodman’s latest mock draft for ESPN (Insiders only), Elfrid Payton gets selected by the Timberwolves at No. 13. In response to that projection, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN said that Minnesota doesn’t have any interest in drafting the former Louisiana Lafayette guard with that pick. It probably won’t matter anyway, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe hears that Payton has been greatly impressive in workouts and won’t slip past the top 10 on draft night (Twitter links).

With that aside, we’ll keep tabs on this evening’s draft-related news here:

  • Add Sweden’s Viktor Gaddefors to the list of players that Memphis is bringing in for a second workout on Wednesday, notes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal.
  • The Hornets appear primed to add at least one big man with either the 24th or 45th pick in this year’s draft, and Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer lists Mitch McGary and Johnny O’Bryant as potential targets.
  • Former Florida big man Patric Young is on Phil Jackson’s draft wish list, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman also points out that the Knicks worked out Jahii Carson recently.
  • Following up Andy Katz’s earlier ESPN report that the Kings have three deals in place regarding their No. 8 pick, ESPN’s Marc Stein identified the Celtics, Suns, and 76ers as the potential trading partners.

Earlier updates:

  • The Pelicans are making a concerted effort to acquire a first-round pick, tweets NBA.com’s David Aldridge.
  • According to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, Joel Embiid is strongly in play for the 76ers at No. 3 and the Magic at No. 4; the worst-case scenario is that Embiid won’t fall past the Kings at No. 8 (Twitter link).
  • The Knicks remain confident that they’ll land a first-round pick and/or a second-round pick in Thursday’s draft, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
  • The Pistons are without a first-round pick this year, but team president/head coach Stan Van Gundy says that one team picking between No. 26 and No. 30 is open to shedding their pick for the best offer. “There’s one team that’s saying “give us your best deal for (our) pick” (Twitter link via Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News). 
  • The Bucks made an unsuccessful attempt to bring in Cleanthony Early for a workout, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
  • In another piece, Woelfel notes that the Spurs, Pacers, and Pistons are among the list of teams that brought second-round hopeful Jamil Wilson in for a workout.
  • The Grizzlies are trying to put together a last minute workout for Glenn Robinson III, Jordan Adams, Joe Harris, and Geron Johnson tomorrow, tweets Chad Ford of ESPN.
  • Former Duke swingman Rodney Hood participated in a second workout for the Suns, notes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
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Offseason Outlook: Indiana Pacers

June 22nd, 2014 at 10:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Guaranteed Contracts

Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Free Agents / Cap Holds

Draft Picks

  • 2nd Round (57th overall)

Cap Outlook

  • Guaranteed Salary: $60,055,974
  • Options: $0
  • Non-Guaranteed Salary: $4,875,716
  • Cap Holds: $24,014,959
  • Total: $88,946,649

Just when the Nets thought they had the mantle of the NBA’s weirdest season all sewn up, the Pacers came along and blew them out of the water.  The Pacers have been known as a hard-working, cohesive team over the last few years, but the second half this season was chock full of locker room turmoil and questionable effort.

The strangeness continued in the Eastern Conference Finals with Lance Stephenson‘s antics directed at LeBron James.  The Pacers spent much of the season worrying that they might lose the 23-year-old Stephenson in free agency, but it now seems quite possible that Indiana won’t welcome him back. President of basketball operations Larry Bird proclaimed that the decision whether to return would be Stephenson’s, but that was on the heels of a report that there are many within the Pacers organization who don’t believe the team should give Stephenson a lucrative long-term deal. It’s not hard to understand why there would be doubts about him. Stephenson’s talent is undeniable and when he’s on, his energy is a very real difference maker for the Pacers.  Unfortunately, his behavior has hurt them on the court and caused a reported rift in the locker room with center Roy Hibbert and midseason acquisition Evan Turner.

The decision to keep Stephenson, of course, won’t be so black-and-white — it’ll be heavily dependent on the offers he gets from other clubs.  The Hornets and Pistons have been cited as potential suitors and there should be plenty more coming out of the woodwork.  Earlier this season, it looked like Stephenson could draw a deal worth about $10MM per season. Now, Stephenson has probably dinged his value, with a former GM recently pegging his expected earnings at $5-8MM per year.  A deal around the middle of that range, about $7MM/year, would seem to split the difference between Stephenson’s million-dollar body and ten-cent head. Something like a three-year, $21MM pact could satisfy Stephenson’s camp and give the Pacers a digestible, if not ideal, level of risk.

Stephenson is hardly the only Pacers notable that could be in a different uniform next year. It wasn’t long ago that this would have been unthinkable, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Pacers entertain offers for Hibbert.  George Hill, who is slated to make $8MM in 2014/15, could also be moved for the right price.  It’s harder to see someone like David West getting dealt, but then again, it was hard to envision the Pacers falling apart the way they did this past season.  Another trade chip could be Chris Copeland, even if he doesn’t seem as alluring as the aforementioned names. The forward was more or less buried on the Pacers’ bench, but when he did get playing time, he flashed a shooting range that few men his size can offer. Bird & Co. must leave no stone unturned in their bid to get back on the right track.

The Pacers have some serious work to do when it comes to their second unit.  Turner didn’t nearly have the kind of impact that Indiana was hoping for last season and he seems as good as gone.  Even while the Pacers watched Stephenson get wacky down the stretch of the season, they still trusted him much more than their mid-season acquisition.  Few would have expected the Pacers to use Turner in just 12.4 minutes per contest in the playoffs after trading Danny Granger for one of the biggest names dealt in February, but that’s how things ended up with Indiana and the former No. 2 overall pick.  Turner is ticketed to go elsewhere and he’s certain to earn less than the eight-figure salary he pocketed last season.  Bird believes that the bench role didn’t really suit Turner well and seems confident that he’ll find success in someone else’s uniform.  “Whatever happens, wherever he’s at next year, if he plays 30-35 minutes, he’s going to average 17 points,” Bird told reporters, including Conrad Brunner of ESPN 1070.

Veteran Luis Scola offers toughness and veteran guidance, but with less than $1MM of his $4.87MM guaranteed for next season, the Pacers might let him go in order to give themselves more flexibility elsewhere.  Scola averaged 17.1 minutes, 7.6 points, and 4.8 rebounds last season, career-lows in each category.  The forward seemed lost in coach Frank Vogel‘s offense and there’s certainly no guarantee that he can get in the groove next season.

The Pacers won’t have a ton of wiggle room to improve their bench, especially if they re-sign Stephenson.  There will be low-cost fixes out there, however, and they’re reportedly showing interest in Spanish league power forward Damjan Rudez.  If the Pacers move Copeland, it sounds like Rudez could be a solid replacement with his 47.3% three-point shooting percentage.

What the Pacers won’t have at their disposal, unfortunately, is their first round pick (No. 27), which they traded to the Suns a year ago for Scola.  Bird knows how valuable a first round pick is in this year’s deep draft and told reporters recently (including Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star) that he’d like to trade back into the top 30.  A sign-and-trade of Stephenson could certainly yield a pick — and more — but there’s no question that they’d rather have Stephenson back at the right price.  No matter how you slice it, the Pacers’ offseason will revolve on what happens with the polarizing guard.

Cap footnotes

* — Sloan’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before August 15th.

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And-Ones: Austin, Melo, Celtics, Cavs

June 22nd, 2014 at 10:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Isaiah Austin‘s decision to jump to the NBA was questioned by scouts but strangely enough, it’s the NBA’s medical tests that may have saved his life, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.  Earlier today we learned that the Baylor center won’t be able to play in the NBA after being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome.  Here’s more from around the league..

  • Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) expects Carmelo Anthony to take a pay cut regardless of where he lands, even if it’s a return to the Knicks.  To Beck, it’s not a matter of if, but how much Melo is willing to lop off.
  • Beck (Twitter links) doesn’t see a sign-and-trade as being all that likely for the Knicks if Melo leaves.  The Knicks would be interested in expiring deals and draft picks, but it’s hard to see them taking on any salary commitments beyond 2014/15 that would handcuff their flexibility.
  • Celtics assistant Ron Adams is heading west to join the Warriors‘ staff, writes Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe.
  • The Cavs‘ hire of David Blatt as head coach might seem like a bit of a gamble, but Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio is all for it.  Vinny Del Negro wouldn’t have been a bad hire for Cleveland, but Blatt represents a bold, out-of-the-box choice for the club.
  • The Pacers will work out Mike Moser, Roscoe Smith, Eric Moreland, Tyler Stone, David Stockton, and Nick Kellogg on Monday, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.
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And-Ones: Cavs, LeBron, Monroe

June 19th, 2014 at 11:28pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is open to hiring a “big-name team president” who would have authority over GM David Griffin, but the team has not been considering David Blatt for that role, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Cleveland will also explore trading Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson this summer, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Neither are on the trading block, but Amico adds that the Cavs are listening and evaluating their options.

Here’s are some more miscellaneous news and notes to pass along tonight:

  • One NBA team president said that Pat Riley appeared nervous when talking about keeping LeBron James during his media presser today, adding that more teams will now be in pursuit of the superstar forward (Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports via Twitter).
  • ESPN’s Chris Broussard says that the Cavs should have met with LeBron in free agency first before making a coaching hire, implying that David Blatt’s lack of NBA coaching experience doesn’t help their case of luring the Akron native back home (Twitter link).
  • According to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, Pistons coach/president Stan Van Gundy has been in consistent contact with restricted free agent forward Greg Monroe and Monroe’s agent, David Falk.
  • The Hawks, Pelicans, and Wizards are expected to be potential suitors for Monroe this summer, writes Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News. While Stan Van Gundy maintains that keeping Monroe is a “high priority,” he also appears prepared for other scenarios. “We have ideas on who might offer (Monroe) what…You weigh what’s out there because once you give him a qualifying offer, he can sign it or get an offer sheet. What level of an offer would we match? We’re prepared for that and doing due diligence for people who want to sign-and-trade for him.”
  • Tom Moore of Calkins Media (via Twitter) hears that a Southeast Division team offered the 76ers more in a trade package than the Pacers did for Evan Turner; that team didn’t hear back from Philadelphia GM Sam Hinkie before the trade deadline ended and Turner was eventually dealt to Indiana.
  • Le Mans of the Ligue Nationale de Basket has signed former NBA guard Rodrigue Beaubois, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 6’2″ guard’s deal reportedly includes an opt-out clause that will allow him to sign with an NBA team before July 25.
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Western Notes: Thompson, Sterling, Gay

June 19th, 2014 at 9:21pm CST by Ryan Raroque

With Andrew Bogut, Stephen Curry, and Andre Iguodala slated to make $10.6MM or more each next season and through 2016/17, a lucrative contract could be hard to come by for Klay Thompson in Golden State, writes Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski. Keeping that in mind, one source tells Wojnarowski that Thompson would be open to being traded to the Timberwolves because it would increase his chances of receiving a max contract.

Klay’s father – former NBA champion Mychal Thompson – offered his thoughts on ESPN 710 radio today, suggesting that Klay would actually be unhappy in Minnesota. “If this (Kevin Love trade) happens, I will have to talk (Klay) down from the ledge” (Twitter link via Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). 

As Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune further transcribes from Mychal’s radio appearance, Klay’s disappointment would stem from missing out on the opportunity to play alongside Love on the Warriors.

Here’s more out of the Western Conference tonight:

  • Later in his piece, Zgoda says that Bill Duffy – Klay’s Thompson’s agent – will surely push for a max deal on his client’s next contract.
  • According to Donald Sterling’s lawyer, Donald’s mental competency has now been examined by other doctors and “the results are different,” tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
  • DeMarcus Cousins told Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee that he reached out to Rudy Gay about staying on board with the Kings (Twitter link). Gay has a player option for 2014/15 worth just above $19.3MM.
  • Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger said that Nick Calathes will be back with the team next season, according to a tweet from Rob Fischer of FOX Sports  (hat tip to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal). Calathes’ contract is non-guaranteed for the 2014/15 season.
  • Knicks director of player personnel Mark Warkentien and Pacers vice president of basketball operations Peter Dinwiddie are drawing interest from Memphis as potential add-ons to the Grizzlies front office, hears Chris Vernon of 92.9 ESPN (Twitter link).
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Draft Notes: Randle, Payne, Tavares, Grizz, Suns

June 18th, 2014 at 10:22pm CST by Alex Lee

With the draft only eight days away, we should expect a steady stream of updates leading up to next Thursday night’s festivities in Brooklyn. Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders profiles prospects whose stock is on the rise; a list that includes Doug McDermott, Elfrid Payton, Rodney Hood, T.J. Warren, Zach LaVine, Jarnell Stokes, Rodney Hood, Shabazz Napier and Mitch McGary. In addition, here are some more team-specific draft notes from Wednesday:

  • Duke’s Andre Dawkins will work out with the Pistons, Mavericks and Magic after Friday’s session with the Wizards, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.
  • The Clippers worked out C.J. Fair, Glenn Robinson III, Cleanthony Early and Jakarr Sampson on Wednesday, adds Zagoria via Twitter.
  • Zagoria also tweets that the Pacers will work out Ohio guard Nick Kellogg next Monday and the Nets will work out Fair next Wednesday (Twitter links).
  • The Jazz got a revealing look at Noah Vonleh in Monday’s six-man workout, writes Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News. Many draftniks foresee Vonleh going to Utah at No. 5.
  • In an Insider Only piece, ESPN’s David Thorpe outlines a handful of pre-NBA similarities between Syracuse product Jerami Grant and current NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.

Earlier updates:

  • Working out for the Cavaliers today, Andrew Wiggins looked “very good” according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (via Twitter). Amico adds that Cleveland’s first overall selection remains wide open.
  • Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe profiles Australian backcourt prospect Dante Exum. Meanwhile, NBA.com offers their pre-draft breakdown of Clemson product K.J. McDaniels.
  • The Kings, who pick 8th, will work out Hood, LaVine, Sim Bhullar, Nick Johnson, Elijah Pittman and RIchard Solomon on Friday, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee, who adds that LaVine has fans in the Sacramento front office (Twitter links are here).
  • With concerns about his right foot in the air, Julius Randle impressed in his workout with the Jazz today, writes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. As he has since the original report, Randle maintained today in Utah that he does not need surgery.
  • The Bulls will work out Michigan State’s Adreian Payne on Monday, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM. Owners of the 16th and 19th selections, Chicago figures to be in the market for outside shooting, making Payne a realistic possibility.
  • The Celtics brought 7-foot-3 prospect Walter Tavares in for a workout on Thursday, reports Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.com. As Scotto notes, Tavares seems to be making a late push up draft boards.
  • The Grizzlies will host Napier, Jordan Clarkson, Jerami Grant, P.J. Hairston, LaQuinton Ross and C.J Wilcox on Thursday, the team announced.
  • Michael Cohen of The Commercial Appeal profiles Grant and Hairston along with Payne and Hood in his examination of which players may slip to Memphis at pick 22.
  • Thanasis Antetokounmpo will work out for the Spurs, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (via Twitter). As Zillgitt points out, Antetokounmpo’s talent, bloodlines and the fact that he will have worked out for nearly half the league by next Thursday make him an intriguing prospect.
  • Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek considers smarts nearly as valuable as athleticism when evaluating draft prospects, writes Matt Petersen of Suns.com, who points to Gerald Green as an elite athlete who thrived in Phoenix after showing signs of basketball I.Q. despite a rocky start to his career.
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Pacers, Raps, Jazz, Cavs Monitor Damjan Rudez

June 15th, 2014 at 9:30am CST by Chuck Myron

SUNDAY, 9:30am: The Cavs are working on a deal to sign Rudez, writes David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 3:44pm: The Pacers, Raptors, Jazz and Cavs are among several NBA teams considering Spanish league power forward Damjan Rudez as a free agent addition this summer, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Rudez has been working out with the Cavs this week, and while many teams audition free agents this year with only summer league in mind, it appears there’s a higher level of interest in Rudez.

The 27-year-old Rudez averaged 10.7 points in 24.7 minutes per game for CAI Zaragoza in Spain this year, but what has NBA types intrigued is the 47.3% three-point shooting stroke he displayed this year, as Wojnarowski details. He’s 6’8″, somewhat undersized for a power forward, but his outside shooting stretches the floor.

Wojnarowski identifies him as a low-cost option for NBA clubs, though the widespread interest suggests he’d be in line for more than the minimum salary. He’s under contract in Spain for next season, and while he has an NBA escape clause in his deal, it’s unclear just how much it would take to buy him out.

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