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Kyler’s Latest: Celtics, Capela, Kyrie, Sixers, More

June 11th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After reporting earlier this week that the Celtics had “engaged pretty seriously” on Rockets center Clint Capela, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders has provided a few more details today. Sources tell Kyler that Boston has “expressed considerable interest” in Capela. However, he may be more of a Plan B or C for the Celtics, particularly if they’re still serious about pursuing Anthony Davis.

As Kyler details, league sources are skeptical that the Celtics will keep and use all three of their first-round picks (Nos. 14, 20, and 22). Meanwhile, Houston has been trying to get first-round prospects in for workouts despite not currently holding any draft picks — Kyler writes that the Rockets have been suggesting to agents that they have the ability to acquire a pick in the top 20.

It’s possible that the Celtics could trade one of their first-rounders to another team, and the Rockets are likely exploring deals with clubs outside of Boston. Still, it’s worth watching to see if those two teams end up getting something done on or before draft night.

Here’s more from Kyler:

  • Although Kyler, like others, has heard that the Celtics are operating as if Kyrie Irving probably won’t return, he writes that the club is prepared to offer Irving a maximum-salary deal to see if he’ll turn it down.
  • There’s a sense that Philadelphia will make full maximum-salary offers to Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, per Kyler. The Sixers are making sure that their players and other teams know they’re serious about keeping their core intact, according to Kyler, who adds that there’s a belief that Butler and Harris would re-sign if the team does put those offers on the table.
  • Kyler says that the Cavaliers, Suns, Hawks, Timberwolves, Magic, Hornets, Heat, and Celtics are all viewed as candidates to trade top-20 picks in the draft, either for veteran players or to move up or down in the draft.
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Four NBA Teams Will Play In Mexico

June 7th, 2019 at 1:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Four NBA teams have been selected to participate in The NBA Mexico City Games 2019, the league announced today. The Mavericks, Pistons, Suns and Spurs will all play regular-season games at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico, located in Mexico City.

Dallas and Detroit will square off on December 12, with Phoenix and San Antonio meeting two days later. These will be the 29th and 30th games that Mexico will host since its partnership with the league began in 1992.

“NBA games in Mexico City are a core part of our efforts to reach and engage basketball fans throughout Mexico and Latin America,” commissioner Adam Silver said. “With a record four NBA teams visiting Mexico City next season, we expect an unprecedented level of interest and excitement around these games and our surrounding community events.”

ESPN Deportes, Televisa and NBA League Pass in Mexico will all show the games, which will be available in more than 200 countries and territories. Ticket information will be announced later. The games will be accompanied by NBA Cares community outreach projects.

“It’s an honor for the Spurs organization to be able to represent South Texas and the NBA by, once again, playing in Mexico City,” said team president R.C. Buford. “The relationship between our community and Mexico is important and impactful on many levels. We look forward to a wonderful experience and are excited to share Spurs basketball with all of our fans in Mexico.”

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Draft Notes: Culver, Fall, Edwards, Clarke

June 5th, 2019 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver made his case to be drafted third overall during a workout today with the Knicks, relays Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Calling himself “an elite two-way player,” Culver told reporters his defensive abilities separate him from other top prospects.

“Nowadays, it’s hard to find people who take pride in defense. But I’m one of them,” he said. “I take pride in defense. Being at Texas Tech taught me a lot, so I feel like on the defensive side I’m elite.”

Most mock drafts have Duke’s R.J. Barrett headed to New York, following Duke’s Zion Williamson and Murray State’s Ja Morant off the board. Culver said he’s confident in what he has to offer and doesn’t compare himself to Barrett.

“I feel like we’re great players, both of us,” Culver said. “He has a lot of talent, I have a lot of talent. And at the end of the day it’s not our choice where we go, it’s for everybody else to choose. So we just put in the work. I know he’s working hard, I’m working hard. So it is what it is.”

Culver already had a workout with the Lakers, who hold the No. 4 selection, and he has sessions scheduled with the next three teams in the draft, the Cavaliers, Suns and Bulls.

There’s more draft news tonight:

  • Central Florida’s Tacko Fall wasn’t able to participate in shooting drills with the Pacers today after rolling his ankle earlier in the workout, writes Wheat Hotchkiss of NBA.com. The injury doesn’t sound serious and the 7’7″ center made an impression by towering over his workout partners. “Whenever people see me, it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s tall, but can he play?,'” Fall said. “It’s something that I had to work on. I have worked really hard. I have great people around me that have helped me become the player I am today. I just have to keep working.” Others at the session included Indiana’s Juwan Morgan, Florida State’s Mfiondu Kabengele and Clemson’s Elijah Thomas.
  • Purdue’s Carsen Edwards, who worked out for the Sixers today, has also been through sessions with the Pacers, Jazz and Nets, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He has upcoming workouts set with the Bucks, Celtics and Thunder.
  • Gonzaga’s Brandon Clarke has worked out for several teams already and has sessions scheduled with the Celtics, Nets, Bulls, Pistons and Timberwolves, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).
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Pacific Notes: Barnes, Suns, Rajakovic, Kings

June 4th, 2019 at 7:35pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Harrison Barnes can hit the open market if he turns down his $25.1MM player option and the Kings would like to have him on the roster next season one way or another. If Barnes stays with Sacramento, it could be an indicator that the organization is on the upswing after years of perceived dysfunction, Jason Jones of The Athletic writes.

Kings’ management envisioned Barnes playing the small forward position when they traded for him at last season’s deadline. Dave Joerger had different plans, playing Barnes heavy minutes at the four spot next to Bogdan Bogdanovic at the three. Barnes at power forward also took time away from Marvin Bagley and made it more difficult for the rookie to rise to the starting lineup. Joerger has since been fired.

The Kings are hoping that their switch to Luke Walton as well as a renewed alignment between the coaching staff and front office will be viewed favorably around the league, particularly with agents. Here’s more from around the Kings and the Pacific Division:

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Draft Notes: Washington, Konchar, Thomas, McQuaid

June 4th, 2019 at 6:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Former Kentucky Wildcat PJ Washington is fully healthy and will have his first pre-draft workout on Sunday, Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link). The first of his five upcoming visits will be with the Heat.

Here are more workout notes on the upcoming draft:

  • John Konchar (Purdue) recently worked out for the Suns and Magic, a source tells Jordan Schultz of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Konchar will work out for the Warriors on June 6.
  • Elijah Thomas (Clemson) has worked out for the Pacers, Michael Scotto of The Athletic relays.  Thomas will participate in drills for the Wizards on Friday.
  • Matt McQuaid worked out for the Pistons and Grizzlies, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets. The Michigan State product will also work out for the Cavaliers.
  • Amir Coffey (Minnesota) has worked out for the Raptors and Hornets, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Coffey will also work out for the Pelicans and Timberwolves.
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Suns Make Offer To Warriors Assistant Willie Green

June 4th, 2019 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Elswhere in Charania’s story, he notes that Jason Kidd‘s contract with the Lakers will make him the highest-paid assistant in the NBA and reports that Warriors assistant Willie Green has been offered a leading assistant coach job with the Suns. Phoenix is hopeful that Green, who played for new Suns head coach Monty Williams in 2010/11, will accept that offer.

[SOURCE LINK]

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Suns Eyeing Cory Joseph, Patrick Beverley, Others

June 4th, 2019 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Cory Joseph, Patrick Beverley, Darren Collison, and T.J. McConnell are among the free agent point guard targets worth keeping an eye on for the Suns this offseason, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.

While Phoenix has long been on the lookout for a starting point guard, the team doesn’t project to have the cap room necessary to make a run at top free agents like Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, or D’Angelo Russell. Barring cost-cutting moves to create room, the mid-level exception figures to be the best weapon at the Suns’ disposal in free agency, so the veterans identified by Gambadoro as potential targets make sense. The MLE is projected to be worth about $9.25MM in 2019/20.

Gambadoro also writes that the Suns aren’t shopping the No. 6 overall pick for a veteran point guard, seemingly contradicting a Monday report from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. However, Givony’s story indicated that the Suns had made it known that they’d be open to moving the pick for the right player, which isn’t quite the same as having actively shopped it. The apparent discrepancy between the two reports may simply be a matter of semantics.

In any case, it’s clear that filling their hole at point guard will be one of the Suns’ top priorities this offseason, whether that happens in the draft, in free agency, or via the trade market. If Phoenix plans on using its mid-level exception – or opening up cap space – to pursue a veteran point guard, it would allow the team to use the No. 6 pick on the best player available, regardless of position.

On the other hand, if the Suns draft a point guard at No. 6 or trade that pick (or other assets) for a veteran guard, the club could address another position in free agency. Julius Randle is one non-point-guard free agent who has been recently linked to Phoenix.

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Draft Rumors: Lakers, Suns, Cavs, Hawks, Health

June 4th, 2019 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

League executives are bracing for the 2019 NBA draft to feature more traded picks than usual, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link). As Givony details, the Lakers (No. 4) and Suns (No. 6) are active in trade discussions and would be willing to part with their first-round picks for the right established veteran(s).

The Cavaliers have also been mentioned by Givony’s sources as a team that has been active in trade talks involving picks in both rounds. Currently, Cleveland only holds the fifth and 26th overall selections, so the team may be looking to trade into the second round.

Additionally, multiple agents representing potential lottery-caliber players tell Givony they’ve talked to teams who say they have the ability to trade for the No. 10 overall pick, held by the Hawks. That’s a signal that Atlanta has been willing to discuss that selection in trade conversations.

Here’s more draft-related buzz from Givony:

  • Given the lack of consensus on many prospects outside of the top three, this year’s draft figures to be unpredictable even if there aren’t a ton of trades, Givony writes. Health is also a factor that could contribute to draft uncertainty — as Givony explains, prospects like Ja Morant, Cam Reddish, Romeo Langford, Bol Bol, and PJ Washington are currently injured and unable to work out for teams, while a number of healthy players have been unwilling to submit to physicals, with their agents apparently trying to steer them to specific destinations.
  • NBA teams are becoming frustrated by the increasing gaps in prospects’ medical information, according to Givony, who hears from a source that approximately 25 players at the combine didn’t fully complete the league-issued medical exam. Per Givony, a group of NBA owners have asked commissioner Adam Silver not to lower the age limit for the draft without getting concessions related to medical exams. “This is pretty easy for the NBA to clean up,” one owner said. “Because your physical health is germane to the job, the NBA can just require it in a future CBA.”
  • International early entrants have six more days to decide whether to remain in the draft or pull out, as the NBA’s official withdrawal deadline falls on June 10. Many of those prospects are in the United States to participate in private workouts for teams in the hopes of receiving assurances that they’ll be drafted, says Givony. Although 59 international early entrants declared for the draft, most of those players figure to withdraw in the coming days.
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Suns Open To Trading No. 6 Pick For Veteran Guard

June 3rd, 2019 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns‘ front office has told rival NBA teams that the club is open to trading the No. 6 overall pick in a deal if the right veteran guard is available, reports ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider-only link) within his latest mock draft.

Phoenix has been on the lookout for a starting point guard for much of the last year, so presumably – in any trade talks – the team would be focusing on a veteran who can play the one and handle the ball, rather than an off-ball shooting guard.

Still, Givony’s wording suggests the Suns won’t just be shopping this pick for the best offer — they’ll only seriously consider moving it for the “right” player. Presumably, the club will be targeting an impact player on a team-friendly contract, and there aren’t a ton of point guards around the NBA who fit that bill and will be available.

Mike Conley and Lonzo Ball are among the point guards who could be on the trade block this offseason and might be fits for Phoenix. However, there are red flags in each case.

Conley’s contract – which features a $32.5MM salary for 2019/20 – isn’t particularly favorable, and would require multiple outgoing salary-matching pieces. As for Ball, he has been slowed by injuries in each of his two NBA seasons and has yet to prove he can be a consistent threat on offense. Trading the No. 6 pick for either player seems unlikely, though the opportunity to attach unwanted salary in a deal could appeal to the Suns.

For now, Givony has the Suns using that No. 6 pick on Texas Tech swingman Jarrett Culver in his latest mock. We’ll have to wait to see if Phoenix makes any progress in trade discussions during the weeks leading up to the draft.

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Pacific Notes: Durant, Suns, Kings, Clippers

June 2nd, 2019 at 3:58pm CST by clarkcrum

As relayed by The Associated Press, this Tuesday is the next time we may know more about a possible return of Warriors superstar Kevin Durant. Having already been ruled out for tonight’s Game 2, Wednesday night’s Game 3 marks the next opportunity for Durant’s return, but Tuesday is Golden State’s next practice.

Head coach Steve Kerr, having already said that Durant will need to practice before playing in a game, expounded upon his stance today, saying that Durant could potentially only need one day of practice to be cleared for game action.

“It’s really a day-to-day thing,” Kerr said “If we had a crystal ball, we would have known a long time ago what we were dealing with. But it’s just an injury (where) there’s been a lot of gray area. So, literally, it’s just day-to-day and how the progress is coming. And at this point he’s still not ready.”

But, when further pressed on the issue, and asked whether Durant will only need one practice, said “it’s feasible.” Accordingly, we should know a lot more on Tuesday as to whether Durant can return for Game 3.

There’s more from the Pacific Division this afternoon:

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