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Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Smith, Draft

June 3rd, 2015 at 9:11pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Raptors have a busy summer ahead of them with six players set to hit free agency, and with the team also badly needing to upgrade its defense and rebounding, Holly MacKenzie of NBA.com writes in her offseason preview of the franchise. Toronto could also stand to add a veteran two-way forward like Paul Pierce, whose impact on the Wizards’ locker room didn’t go unnoticed by Raptors GM Masai Ujiri, MacKenzie adds. You can view Hoops Rumors’ offseason outlook for the Raptors here.

Here’s more from the NBA’s Atlantic Division:

Celtics coach Brad Stevens wants to see the team add versatility and shooting this offseason, in addition to rim protection, as he told reporters, including Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
J.R. Smith believes that the Knicks gave up on him this season, and said that he felt like a “throw in” who was included in the deal that brought him to the Cavs only for salary matching purposes, Rod Boone of Newsday relays (via Twitter). Smith certainly appeared revitalized as a player after the trade, playing in 46 games and averaging 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 31.8 minutes per contest for Cleveland.
The Raptors have workouts scheduled with Jerian Grant (Notre Dame), Chavaughn Lewis (Marist), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Arizona), and Justin Anderson (Virginia), the team announced. Also displaying their wares in a workout for the Raptors today were Maurice Walker (Minnesota) and Dallin Bachynski (Utah), the team relayed (on Twitter).

And-Ones: Okafor, Towns, Carmelo, Coaches

June 2nd, 2015 at 4:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Timberwolves coach/executive Flip Saunders likes Jahlil Okafor better than Karl-Anthony Towns, but most of the rest of the team’s staff prefers Towns, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com hears for his latest Insider-only mock draft. Ford believes those those pro-Towns staffers will ultimately win Saunders over and lists Towns atop his mock, also passing along word from sources that the Magic are zeroing in on Kristaps Porzingis at No. 5. There’s plenty more on the draft and other NBA issues amid the latest from around the league:

Zach Links of Hoops Rumors adds the Hawks, Clippers, Bulls, Magic, Bucks and Knicks to the list of teams working out Harvard point guard Wesley Saunders (Twitter link).
The Mavericks were willing to bring Chris Smith, the brother of J.R. Smith, onto their summer league team as part of their effort to woo Carmelo Anthony, a former teammate of the brothers, this past summer, a source told Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling. Anthony instead re-signed with the Knicks and Chris didn’t end up with the summer Mavs, but Chris is aiming for a return to the league after a period in which he was hospitalized with anxiety attacks. Those episodes stemmed in part from his exasperation with the notion that the Knicks signed him only because his brother was on the team, and the criticism he endured because of it, as Zwerling explains.
College coaches who jumped directly into NBA head coaching jobs haven’t had much success in the NBA of late, aside from Brad Stevens, but NBA GMs are open to them, and with Billy Donovan and Fred Hoiberg on winning teams, there’s ground for a new trend, as Dana O’Neil of ESPN.com examines. Still, that depends on how well Donovan’s Thunder and Hoiberg’s Bulls fare, O’Neil cautions.
Longtime NBA front office executive Joel Litvin is stepping down from his post as the NBA’s president of league operations and will assume a role as a consultant, effective September 1st, as the league announced and as a source originally told Grantland’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link). Litvin, whose wide-ranging duties included work on the collective bargaining agreement, was an innovative force in his 27 years with the NBA, Lowe tweets.

Draft Notes: Towns, Russell, Ashley, Haws

June 2nd, 2015 at 11:33am CST by Chuck Myron

Karl-Anthony Towns answered affirmatively to DraftExpress in a video interview when asked if he thinks he should work out for the teams with the top four picks in the draft, adding that he has no preference that he be drafted by any team in particular. That lends further credence to what sources close to Towns told Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders when they denied a report that he wouldn’t work out for any teams. D’Angelo Russell also said to DraftExpress (video link) that he expects to work out for the top four teams, though he’s not 100% sure that he will. While we wait to see what the teams in possession of those picks — the Timberwolves, Lakers, Sixers and Knicks — do, here’s more on the approaching draft:

Arizona power forward Brandon Ashley told reporters that the Spurs, Bulls, Suns and Warriors are among the teams on his workout schedule, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (on Twitter).
The Lakers, Warriors and Grizzlies will audition BYU shooting guard Tyler Haws, as Haws told reporters, including Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
Pincus adds the Mavs, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Suns, Grizzlies, Jazz, Wizards, Celtics and Cavs to the list of teams known to be among those working out UC Davis shooting guard Corey Hawkins (Twitter link).
Louisiana Tech point guard Kenneth “Speedy” Smith has auditioned for the Mavs and Suns, in addition to his Monday workout for the Lakers, and he’ll next show off for the Blazers, Pincus tweets.
The Spurs and Pistons are among the teams working out Nebraska swingman and Lakers fan Terran Petteway, as he said to reporters, including Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Bosnian swingman Nedim Buza, an early entrant from overseas, is in talks about a potential deal with Telenet BC Oostende of Belgium, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). Buza can withdraw from the draft anytime between now and June 15th, or he can remain in the field and perhaps become a draft-and-stash pick if he indeed signs to continue his European career.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Celtics, Mudiay

June 1st, 2015 at 9:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets could make some noise with some draft night deals, Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News reports. Gregg Polinsky, the team’s director of player personnel, hinted that the Nets may try to move up in the first round or buy picks, Abramson continues. The Nets own the No. 29 overall pick, plus a second-rounder at No. 41. A draft-and-stash strategy could also be employed by GM Billy King, as the franchise did with Bojan Bogdanovic. “I think there’s a bunch of ways to play this,” Polinsky told the team’s beat writers on Monday. “We’ll see. It could even be that we move up to get somewhere depending on what that will require, but obviously that will be Billy and ownership’s decision, solely, once we give them our opinion on what guys might be worth.”

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics worked out a handful of forward prospects on Monday morning, including Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Justin Anderson, Branden Dawson, Jonathan Holmes and Levi Randolph, according to Taylor C. Snow of Celtics.com. The team is looking for another defensive-minded forward in the mold of Jae Crowder, director of player personnel Austin Ainge told Snow. Sam Dekker pulled out of that workout but is expected to work out with the club at a later date, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald tweets. Anderson will work out for the Raptors later this week, according to a tweet from Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
Emmanuel Mudiay is expected to work out for the Knicks and Sixers as well as the Lakers, former NBA coach and current SMU coach Larry Brown told Adam Zagoria of SNY.TV. Mudiay originally committed to Brown and SMU but wound up playing in China last season. Brown believes Mudiay would be a good fit in New York’s triangle offense because he could learn from Knicks President Phil Jackson and coach and ex-point guard Derek Fisher, Zagoria adds.

Draft Rumors: Towns, Payne, Mudiay

June 1st, 2015 at 5:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

People close to No. 1 overall pick contender Karl-Anthony Towns deny a report that he won’t work out for any teams, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who writes in an NBA PM piece. Towns isn’t trying to convince the Timberwolves to pass on him so that the Lakers can take him at No. 2, Kyler also hears. There’s plenty more from the draft, including some pretty hefty names, as we pass along here:

Sources suggested to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders last month that point guard Cameron Payne has a promise from a team, and that indeed appears to be the case, Kyler writes in the same piece. There’s a decent chance it’s from a team picking higher than the Thunder, whom Chad Ford of ESPN.com linked to him at No. 14, Kyler adds.
Emmanuel Mudiay is expected to work out for the Knicks, Lakers and Sixers, Mudiay’s would-be college coach Larry Brown tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link), but for now, he won’t work out for the Timberwolves, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (on Twitter).
French swingman Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot will pull out of the draft by the June 15th deadline to do so if he doesn’t receive a first-round guarantee from a team, a league source tells NetsDaily.
UNLV shooting guard Rashad Vaughn is working out with the Warriors today and the Lakers on Wednesday, Zagoria tweets, correcting an earlier report. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities adds the Bulls and the Wizards to the list of teams previous reported to have workouts with Vaughn on their schedule (Twitter link).

Atlantic Notes: Russell, Nets, Hollis-Jefferson

June 1st, 2015 at 11:13am CST by Chuck Myron

D’Angelo Russell doesn’t seem like a strong fit for the triangle, but his game would complement Carmelo Anthony‘s if the Knicks draft him, and the Ohio State combo guard has the tools to become a strong defender, as Ohm Youngmisuk and Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com examine. Here’s more on the Atlantic Division as the June 25th draft draws ever closer:

The Nets would like to use cash to buy second-round picks to find draft-and-stash candidates in over the next few years, when they’ll have a sharply limited number of draft picks, in the hopes that one or more of them becomes a rotation piece, as NetsDaily explains. GM Billy King and CEO Brett Yormark hinted recently that they want to again have a one-to-one D-League affiliate, though that’s unlikely for this coming season, as the NetsDaily scribe adds.
Small forwards Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of Arizona and Justin Anderson of Virginia highlight today’s Celtics predraft workout, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com relays (Twitter link). Jonathan Holmes (Texas), Branden Dawson (Michigan State), LeBryan Nash (Oklahoma State) and Levi Randolph (Alabama) are the other prospects Boston is auditioning today, Forsberg notes.
Hollis-Jefferson will also work out for the Raptors this week, reports Kevin Rashidi of Canada.com (Twitter link). UNLV shooting guard Rashad Vaughn, Minnesota center Mo Walker and Stanford center Stefan Nastic will do the same, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reports (Twitter link).

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sixers, Portis

May 30th, 2015 at 9:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are “enamored” with Kentucky forward Trey Lyles, according to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. Team president Phil Jackson reportedly sees Lyles as a perfect fit for the team’s triangle offense. But the question is, how would New York go about acquiring him? Isola writes that if the Knicks are serious about Lyles, they will probably make a move to trade down. Lyles is currently ranked as the 19th-best player in the draft by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and 12th overall by ESPN’s Chad Ford. An in-depth look at Lyles is part of Hoops Rumors’ Prospect Profile series.

There’s more draft news from the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers should quickly scoop up Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor if either slips to the third spot in the draft, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. The centers from Kentucky and Duke are widely thought to be the first two players selected, but if something unexpected happens — like the Lakers deciding they would be happier with Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell — Moore thinks Philadelphia should accept it as good fortune.
Arkansas’ Bobby Portis has an unusual way of motivating himself, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. “I always envision someone hitting my mom,” Portis said after a recent pre-draft workout with the Celtics. “That’s something I do for myself because I want to make myself mad when I get on the court. It’s all business when I step on the hardwood.” Several years ago, Portis stopped a physical altercation between his mother and an angry boyfriend, and now he uses that experience as motivation for basketball. Portis has been projected anywhere from the late lottery to the 20th pick in the draft. The Celtics hold pick number 16.

Knicks Eye Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carroll

May 28th, 2015 at 10:29am CST by Chuck Myron

The two way games of soon-to-be Hawks free agents Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll have Knicks president Phil Jackson intrigued, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Still, the Hawks are “supremely confident” that they can retain both, according to USA Today. A source close to Carroll tells Berman he’d like to play with Knicks coach Derek Fisher, his former workout partner. Berman reported last month, when Carroll responded affirmatively to a question about whether he would have interest in playing in New York, that Fisher was similarly high on Carroll. Carroll nonetheless said in the wake of Tuesday’s season-ending loss to the Cavs that he’s prioritizing a new deal with the Hawks, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“In the end my agent is going to do all the work,” Carroll said. “He understands [the] situation for me. Right now, I’m a Hawk until the Hawks don’t want me any more — that’s the way I look at it.”

Carroll’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, is believed to be looking for an average annual value of $12MM in his client’s next deal, Berman writes. The forward who blossomed on the two-year, $5MM deal he signed with the Hawks in 2013 admits that money will play a role in determining where he goes next but said city, team and fit would also be factors, Vivlamore notes. Reporters have heard estimates from executives and other sources ranging from $8-9MM to $9-12MM to $12.5MM or more about what Carroll can expect to receive each year in his next contract. The Lakers, in particular, and the Celtics and Pistons are also interested in Carroll, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.

There are whispers that Millsap, ostensibly even more valuable, might need surgery on his sprained right shoulder, as Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck heard. Speculation suggests Millsap will command the max, or close to it. Still, Atlanta seems more confident in re-signing Millsap than Carroll, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt said recently, and the power forward’s recent comments and remarks from agent DeAngelo Simmons support the idea that the Hawks need not fret.

The Knicks are armed with plenty of cap flexibility, since they only have about $32.4MM in commitments for next season, not counting the No. 4 overall pick. The Hawks have only Early Bird rights on both Millsap and Carroll, but with just approximately $39.3MM in guaranteed salaries for 2015/16, they can also use cap room to re-sign their talented forwards.

Atlantic Notes: Mudiay, Bass, Daniels

May 27th, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the Knicks owning the No. 4 overall pick this June, numerous mock drafts have the franchise slated to select Emmanuel Mudiay at that slot. Even though New York appears intent on continuing to implement the triangle offense, Mudiay’s presence could make the team run more pick-and-roll plays, which is something the young guard excels at, ESPN.com’s Fran Fraschilla opines. “You know that the organization is married to the triangle, but we also know that when the clock went low in Chicago and Los Angeles they gave the ball to Michael [Jordan] and Kobe Bryant and got out of the way. So if there are ways to use Mudiay in isolation and pick-and-roll, it would be to his benefit because it’s one of his strengths,” Fraschilla said. “It would have to be some adjustment on the part of the coaching staff to put him in more pick-and-roll.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Unrestricted free agent Brandon Bass said he is open to returning to the Celtics, but wants to go to a team that will make him feel wanted, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets.
Raptors 2014 second-rounder DeAndre Daniels has been working out in Toronto and could be in the mix for one of the final roster spots next season, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca notes (via Twitter). Daniels spent this past season playing in Australia.
The Sixers have a workout scheduled for Thursday with former La Salle forward Jerrell Wright, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Twitter link).
Teams have begun to inquire about the availability of Nets big man Mason Plumlee, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. Brooklyn GM Billy King had said earlier this month that the team looked into the idea of trading every player on the roster at some point this past season, including Plumlee.
The Celtics held workouts today for David Kravish, Bobby Portis, Jordan Mickey, Marcus Thornton, Rakeem Christmas, and Shannon Scott, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com relays (Twitter link).

Central Notes: Thibodeau, Blatt, J.R. Smith

May 27th, 2015 at 1:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s well-known throughout the NBA that the Bulls would grant other teams permission to interview Tom Thibodeau if they asked, but no team has done so this year, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Johnson believes that suggests the options for Thibs to coach elsewhere next season are fading and sees Chicago’s slow-paced approach to Thibodeau so far this offseason as a sign that the team isn’t opposed to simply paying off the $9MM left on his contract and parting ways with him. There’s more on the Thibodeau drama amid the latest from the Central Division:

There is indeed a set-off clause in Thibodeau’s contract, so the Bulls would recoup at least part of that money — and as much as 100% of it if his contract is like that of most coaches, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com recently detailed — if the Bulls fire him and he ends up with another job, Johnson reports in the same piece. Still, it’s unknown how owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who Johnson refers to as an occasional “oasis” of sorts for Thibodeau amid the coach’s squabbles with management, wants the situation to play out, Thibs received more pushback from players this year than ever, Johnson adds.
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert insists that the team never considered firing coach David Blatt, in spite of a report to the contrary and another that indicated the organization was concerned by Blatt’s uneven early season performance, as Gilbert said to Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. The owner said his confidence never wavered about the coach who’s in his first NBA job. “It really didn’t,” Gilbert said. “I don’t care what the expectations were, especially after we changed coaches twice in two years. This was a guy with a long-term record of success. You have to at least give a season, maybe more than just one. I think it would have destabilized the entire franchise and it would have been bad.”
Cleveland received permission from the Knicks to talk to J.R. Smith prior to trading for him in January, and he impressed upon the Cavs that he was excited for the chance to play with them, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Smith later said that he would walk to Cleveland to play with LeBron James, Isola adds amid a story that casts the Cavs as a long-term threat atop the Eastern Conference.