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Draft Workout Updates: Thursday

June 6th, 2013 at 9:37pm CST by Luke Adams

We're now just three weeks away from the 2013 draft, so teams are busy bringing in prospects to meet with them and work them out, while we do our best to keep tabs on as many of those workouts as we can. Here's the latest:

Tom Housenick of The Morning Call reported that C.J. McCollum will visit Portland at some point for a workout before June 20th.
Chris Haynes of CSNNW tweets that Trevor Mbakwe will visit the Trail Blazers tomorrow.
The Kings released a list of players who have worked out for them via their team website, noting that guards Will Cherry, Travis Releford, Brandon Triche, forward Chris Evans, and centers Rudy Gobert and Aziz N'Diaye took part in workouts this past Monday. Former Michigan star Trey Burke is scheduled to come in tomorrow.
The Wizards plan to bring in C.J. Aiken, Junior Cadougan, Ella Ellis, Lamont Jones, A.J. Matthews, and Mike Muscala in for Friday workouts, as per the team's official website.
Jody Genessy of the Deseret News tweets that Steven Adams, Jack Cooley, Richard Howell, Kenny Kadji, Dennis Schroeder, and Peyton Siva are all scheduled for a pre-draft workout with the Jazz on Friday.

Earlier updates:

Mason Plumlee, Shabazz Muhammad, Kelly Olynyk, Norvel Pelle, and Scott Wood worked out for the Sixers today, tweets Tyler R. Tynes of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Plumlee will also work out for the Trail Blazers on June 19th and for the Pistons on June 21st, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com and Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports that Otto Porter will work out for the Wizards on June 14th.
The Timberwolves expect to bring in C.J. McCollum for a workout, says Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter).
Working out for the Suns today, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter): McCollum, Trey Burke, Michael Carter-Williams, Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Shane Larkin, Zeke Marshall, and Korie Lucious.
Gorgui Dieng's agent confirms that his client will work out for both the Nets and Knicks, as Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com details.
The Grizzlies announced in a press release that James Southerland, Will Clyburn, B.J. Young, Dewayne Dedmon, Colton Iverson, and Sherwood Brown will work out for the club tomorrow.
The Knicks will work out the following prospects tomorrow, per the team's Twitter feed: Ricky Ledo, Tahj Tate, Adonis Thomas, Christian Watford, Tony Mitchell, and Grant Jerrett.
Jeff Withey worked out for the Bulls yesterday, according to Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com (via Twitter).

Odds & Ends: Clippers, Collins, Shaw, Karl

June 6th, 2013 at 8:05pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports that Lionel Hollins met with the Clippers today and engaged in a lengthy conversation about their head coaching job. Turner also relays that Brian Shaw is expected to interview with team brass on either Monday or Tuesday next week (Twitter links). As for George Karl, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles tweets that while the Clippers haven't spoken to him directly, they have been in contact with his representative. Both ESPN's Marc Stein and Shelburne report that Karl and Shaw have emerged as the team's top two candidates for the job.

As we gear up for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, here are a few miscellaneous notes to share from around the league tonight:

As far as his next contract goes, Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki says that it'll probably be a two- or three-year deal (Jon Machota of SportsDayDFW).
Sam Amick of USA Today hears that the Grizzlies reached out to Karl almost immediately after he was let go in Denver today. The Nuggets had to grant permission to Memphis in order to reach out to Karl because the severance agreement hasn't been finalized and the 62-year-old coach is still under contract.
Amick notes that the Grizzlies had their sights set on assistant Dave Joerger as their top candidate to replace Hollins, but made that option contingent on whether or not Karl would become available.
Sportando.net's Emiliano Carchia tweets that former NBA player Andres Nocioni is in talks regarding a contract extension with Baskonia, a Spanish ballclub that participates in the ACB and Euroleague.
Flip Saunders confirmed on KFAN radio in Minnesota that the Timberwolves currently have Victor Oladipo ahead of Ben McLemore on their draft board, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
ESPN Insider Chad Ford says that many teams are bummed that Dario Saric is considering withdrawing his name from this year's draft, adding that several NBA executives had him ranked in their top five or top seven prospects. He also mentions that there are other teams who had no intention of drafting Saric that aren't thrilled with the news either, considering the notion that the draft gets weaker when talent leaves. Interestingly enough, Ford says he wouldn't be surprised if some NBA teams that are currently in Italy for the Eurocamp will try to travel to Croatia in order to make an attempt to persuade Saric to keep his name in consideration this year (All Twitter links).
Ricky Ledo's agent, Seth Cohen, tells SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria that his client will not work out for the Thunder (Twitter link).
For whatever it's worth, Shaquille O'Neal said that he and Chris Webber would like to own the Kings (Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram noted the comment via Twitter).

Western Notes: Hollins, Clippers, Iguodala, Love

June 6th, 2013 at 5:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Following up on her report this morning which indicated that negotiations between the Grizzlies and Lionel Hollins had become "dormant," Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com took to Twitter to add a couple more details.

According to Shelburne, talks between the two sides never really even got to money or terms, since there was a sense that the short-term deal the team wanted was a sign to Hollins that he wasn't really wanted back. Although Hollins wanted to return, coming back on a two-year contract with increased expectations and perhaps a lesser roster was a problematic scenario, says Shelburne.

Here are a few more notes from around the Western Conference:

One source told Shelburne that Hollins was scheduled to speak with the Clippers this afternoon (Twitter link).
Michael Lee of the Washington Post tweets that the Suns have named Pat Connelly – the former Wizards' director of player personnel – as an assistant GM. Ken Berger of CBS Sports added that Phoenix also hired Ronnie Lester – formerly the scouting director of the Lakers – as a scout along with promoting Trevor Bukstein as another assistant GM (Twitter links).
According to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the Clippers' front office loves Brian Shaw as a head coaching candidate, while owner Donald Sterling may prefer George Karl.
Asked by TNT's David Aldridge what effect Karl's ouster in Denver would have on his odds of re-signing with the Nuggets, Andre Iguodala replied, "Good question. Need some time to let it sink in."
Ten years after the Spurs nearly landed Jason Kidd in free agency, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports looks back on a summer that would have changed the futures of two points guards, one (Kidd) who retired this week, and another (Tony Parker) who is playing in his fourth NBA Finals.
Appearing on ESPN's Sportscenter today (link via ESPN.com), Kevin Love said he had "absolutely" moved past any negativity he felt toward the Timberwolves and is looking forward to seeing what Flip Saunders will do as the team's new head of basketball operations.
John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune wonders if Danny Granger would make sense as a trade target for the Pelicans.

Flip Saunders Talks Kevin Love, Roster, Draft

June 6th, 2013 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

New Timberwolves head of basketball operations Flip Saunders made appearances today on ESPN's Mike and Mike as well as 830 WCCO in Minneapolis, and addressed a few topics of note. Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweeted out a few of the highlights from the conversations, so let's jump in and take a look (all links go to Twitter)….

Saunders stressed that he has no intention of trading star forward Kevin Love, adding, "Maybe people will stop calling me now."
The T-Wolves need to find a way to balance their roster, according to Saunders, who suggested the team is currently carrying five point guards. Zgoda surmises that besides Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea, and Luke Ridnour, Saunders is referring to Malcolm Lee and Alexey Shved.
In addressing the odds of Minnesota trading up in the draft, Saunders said that the team is "not just going to give players away."
The Wolves plan to take the best player available if they stay at ninth overall, rather than drafting for need, according to Saunders. Zgoda follows up on that point by saying that the more he hears from the GM, the more he expects the Wolves to draft whichever top prospect slides to them, whether that's Alex Len, Shabazz Muhammad, Cody Zeller, or someone else.

Odds & Ends: Hollins, Nets, Allen, Raptors, Pacers

June 5th, 2013 at 10:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

Game One of the NBA Finals will be ending about 24 hours from now, and while the Spurs will provide more evidence for the rest-versus-rust debate, many expect them to find their rhythm before long. The majority of Hoops Rumors readers who voted in today's poll say San Antonio will beat the Heat. While we wait to see if they're right, here's more from around the NBA:

The Grizzlies rebuffed the Nets when they asked for permission to interview Lionel Hollins the day after the Western Conference Finals ended, but Memphis would likely grant that permission now if Brooklyn inquired again, TNT's David Aldridge hears (Twitter link).
Ray Allen feels his return to the Finals with the Heat provides a measure of vindication for his decision to sign with Miami last summer, observes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun looks at what Tim Leiweke and Masai Ujiri have done and said since arriving in town and concludes that the Raptors will soon be rebuilding.
Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, writing for USA Today, details five key questions the Pacers must answer this summer.
The shakeup continues for the Kings, as Jerry Reynolds will step down as the team's director of player development, he tells Chris Riva of KCRA-TV.
The Knicks worked out Deshaun Thomas today and will get another look at him Friday, reports Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link), who also notes that Cody Zeller will work out Thursday for the Suns. Thomas will also work out later this month for the Timberwolves, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, apparently clearing up earlier confusion involving Adonis Thomas.
The Sixers auditioned Steven Adams, Colton Iverson, Alex Oriakhi, Mouhammadou Jaiteh and Jamelle Hagins today, tweets Jake L. Fischer of SLAM Online.
Ray McCallum, who will work out sometime this month for the Pistons, has also worked out with the Spurs, Rockets and Pacers, notes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

Kotoch On Bledsoe, Magic, Oladipo, Noel, Cavs

June 5th, 2013 at 5:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com has Nerlens Noel atop the latest version of his mock draft, and he has news about the Cavaliers, Noel and other potential lottery storylines. We'll round up the highlights here:

The Magic and Clippers have had conversations about Eric Bledsoe, according to Kotoch. Chad Ford of ESPN.com wrote a week ago that if Orlando took a shooting guard in the draft, the team would have interest in trading Arron Afflalo for Bledsoe and Caron Butler.
Speaking of the Magic and shooting guards, Victor Oladipo has eclipsed Ben McLemore on Orlando's draft board.
Noel's torn ACL won't allow him to work out, but he'll visit with the Cavs on June 20th.
The Thunder are prioritizing centers at No. 12, unless C.J. McCollum falls to them.
An established wing player is what the Timberwolves are seeking as they reportedly dangle Derrick Williams in an effort to move up from No. 9.
The Trail Blazers are in search of a big man who can defend and rebound in exchange for the tenth pick.
The Mavericks would also "love" to trade pick No. 13, Kotoch writes.

Western Notes: Hollins, Suns, Liggins, Kings

June 4th, 2013 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

After appearing on Memphis radio to express surprise and disappointment at his current situation with the Grizzlies, head coach Lionel Hollins reiterated to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he's still holding out hope for a contract extension.

"I hope things can work out and I think things can work out," Hollins said. "I'm happy in Memphis. I've been there for a long time. My kids went to school in Memphis. My son graduated as a doctor in Memphis. My daughter is a grad student at the University of Memphis. I love the city of Memphis and really want to be there. I have no reason to want to leave."

Despite Hollins' comments, Grizzlies management is still upset that the head coach didn't publicly support the Rudy Gay trade, according to Spears. It appears the team and Hollins will end up going their separate ways, with the Grizzlies coach potentially receiving interest from the Clippers and Nets.

Here's more from around the Western Conference:

Suns owner Robert Sarver is hoping to continue seeing his team take small, steady steps back toward contention, rather than banking on a single game-changing move, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic details.
DeAndre Liggins, who has a non-guaranteed contract for next season, would like to return to the Thunder, but it's not clear whether or not Oklahoma City will retain him, writes Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman.
Gani Lawal is reportedly drawing NBA interest from at least four teams, but the Timberwolves don't seem to be interested, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter).
Vivek Ranadive and the Kings won't rush the process of finding a new general manager, as Ranadive tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The new Kings owner anticipates that the GM search, which is reportedly wide-ranging, will conclude in time for the draft, but wouldn't guarantee that.
Don't expect the Kings' new ownership group to coddle DeMarcus Cousins, says Victor Contreras of the Sacramento Bee.

Timberwolves Looking To Move Up In Draft

June 2nd, 2013 at 8:17pm CST by Zachary Links

The Timberwolves will try to deal Derrick Williams and No. 9 pick to move up in the draft, according to Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press. It's not known who the Timberwolves might be targeting, however.

This certainly isn't the first time that the Wolves have explored a trade for Williams and finding a solid return for him could prove to be difficult. The former No. 2 overall pick hasn't lived up to his potential in Minnesota, averaging 10.5 PPG with 5.1 RPG in his first two seasons.

A change of scenery might do Williams some good, however, as he's just a couple years removed from his status as a promising prospect. The forward attacked the basket in his days at Arizona and did well with his opportunities on the free throw line by converting 75% of the time. The 22-year-old boasts above-average raw strength but often times has found himself outmuscled by larger opponents in the NBA.

Draft Notes: Gobert, T’Wolves, Adams

June 2nd, 2013 at 8:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Yesterday, we learned that the Mavericks are continuing to shop the No. 13 pick in the draft and they're not asking for all that much in return. Moving that selection would free up a little bit of extra cap space for Dallas as they hope to make a big free agent splash, which would ideally mean landing Chris Paul or Dwight Howard. Their chances for either player may not seem that strong right now, but Mark Cuban can certainly change things with a convincing pitch after July 1st. Here's today's draft news..

French draft prospect Rudy Gobert reiterated to HoopsHype (Twitter link) that he has no intention of returning to Europe for another season, which means that he's not a candidate for a "stash" pick. DraftExpress' latest mock has Gobert going No. 10 to the Trail Blazers.
The T'Wolves next set of workouts won't be until June 12th and that'll be a big man's day with Pittburgh's Steven Adams, Bucknell product (and Minnesota native) Mike Muscala, and others, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Adams figures to be a first round pick while Muscala is slated for the second round in most mock drafts.
Minnesota senior Trevor Mbakwe will audition for the T'Wolves on June 19th, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
Marquette guard Trent Lockett is working out for the Bulls and Bucks this week, according to Wolfson (via Twitter). Lockett was also at the big workout in Las Vegas on Friday where 26 teams had representatives.

Draft Rumors: Thomas, Cavs, Porter, Wizards

June 2nd, 2013 at 10:37am CST by Chuck Myron

There are three teams still alive in the NBA playoffs, but draft season is already upon us, with news of potential trades, players jockeying for the top pick, and fringe prospects simply hoping to hear their name called on June 27th. Here's the latest:

Bob Finnan of The News-Herald hears the Kings have offered Isaiah Thomas to the Cavs in exchange for the No. 19 pick, though he hasn't confirmed that rumor. Thomas, a starter in Sacramento, would back up Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.
Finnan unveils the latest version of his mock draft, writing that the Wizards hope the Cavs pass on Otto Porter.
John Wall tells Eric Detweiler of the Washington Post that he thinks the team should use the No. 3 pick on "a four man that can pick and pop," leading Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com to point to Anthony Bennett as Wall's likely favorite (Twitter link).
The Timberwolves will work out several big men later this month, including Steven Adams and Mike Muscala, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).
The Wizards are giving second-round hopeful Travon Woodall his first pre-draft workout, reports Josh Newman of SNY.tv.
Zeke Marshall, another second-round prospect, has worked out for the Mavs and will also do so for the Pistons, Rockets, Suns, Lakers, Bulls and Pacers, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Agent Dino Pergola said other teams could be in the mix, too.
Brandon Triche will work out with nine teams, including the Lakers, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Mike Waters of The Post-Standard identifies the Blazers, Kings and Knicks as three of those clubs.
The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto makes the case that the Cavs should take Ben McLemore first overall.