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Western Notes: Nesmith, McMillan, Rockets, Diaz

November 9th, 2020 at 7:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Small forward isn’t a position of need for the Nuggets but if they go in that direction with their draft pick, Vanderbilt’s Aaron Nesmith or Mississippi State’s Robert Woodard could make sense, Mike Singer of the Denver Post writes. Denver holds the No. 22 pick. Nesmith would have to slip for the Nuggets to snare him at that spot — he’s currently rated at No. 13 overall on ESPN’s best available list, while Woodard is ranked No. 26. Nesmith’s perimeter shooting could compel Denver to attempt to move up in the first round, Singer adds.

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • Jamelle McMillan will not return on the Pelicans’ coaching staff with Stan Van Gundy in charge, Christian Clark and Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Times Picayune report. McMillan has been in the New Orleans organization for eight seasons, though he also had a stint with the Suns. He’s the son of former Pacers coach Nate McMillan, who is reportedly joining the Hawks’ staff.
  • New Rockets GM Rafael Stone hints that he’ll be in the market for a traditional center, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon notes. Stone said he wants a roster with “more optionality” next season, presumably meaning Houston doesn’t want to play small ball on a regular basis. “We’re definitely not going into this offseason saying, ‘We don’t want anyone over 6-7,'” Stone said.
  • With the Clippers preparing to move to a new arena in 2024, the organization has announced several hires who will help with the transition, according to a team press release. Most notably, Alex Diaz has been named Chief Operating Officer. He will primarily oversee the operations planning of Inglewood Basketball & Entertainment Center and provide operational council for the Clippers, Honey Training Center and the LA Forum, which was acquired earlier this year by team owner Steve Ballmer.
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New York Notes: Allen, Nets, Hampton, Nesmith, Knicks

November 9th, 2020 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

While Joe Harris will be the Nets‘ top priority in free agency this fall, the team will also have to consider the possibility of a new deal for Jarrett Allen, who will become a restricted free agent in 2021 if he’s not extended before the start of the season.

As NetsDaily relays, ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Brian Windhorst discussed Allen on a recent episode of Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast, with Marks suggesting that the big man will be looking for “Clint Capela-type” money. The five-year contract Capela signed with Houston in 2018 had a base value of $80MM, with an extra $10MM in incentives, for an average annual value of $16-18MM.

If Allen is really seeking that kind of deal, Marks is skeptical he and the Nets will get anything done this year. An extension in the range of $12-14MM annually would be more palatable for Brooklyn, in Marks’ view.

Of course, it’s also worth noting that Allen would be a prime trade candidate if the Nets pursue a third star to complement Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, so it’s possible they won’t even have to worry about the young center’s next contract.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

  • The Nets worked out combo guard RJ Hampton in Memphis within the last two weeks, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman previously said Brooklyn would be “extremely interested” in Hampton if he’s still available at No. 19.
  • In a separate story for The Post, Berman examines Aaron Nesmith‘s potential fit with the Knicks, weighing whether the Vanderbilt marksman would be an option for the team at No. 8 or if he’d only receive serious consideration in a trade-down scenario. Nesmith is the 13th-ranked prospect on ESPN’s big board.
  • After waiting for months for the NBA’s offseason to begin in earnest, the Knicks are now in position to significantly overhaul their roster in the span of a couple weeks, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
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Atlantic Notes: Celtics’ Draft, Raptors’ Offseason, Nets

November 4th, 2020 at 7:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics may want to move up in the draft, but getting a deal done won’t be easy, writes Tom Westerholm of MassLive. Other teams recognize Boston’s urgency to turn the 14th, 26th and 30th picks into a higher selection, which means president of basketball operations Danny Ainge might have to attach a significant asset to entice a trading partner.

Westerholm states that Tremont Waters, Carsen Edwards or Romeo Langford probably won’t be enough, and teams are more likely to ask for Grant Williams or Robert Williams, whom the Celtics would prefer to hold onto. Instead of moving up in the lottery, Boston may opt to keep the 14th choice and try to package No. 26 and No. 30 for a selection in the middle of the first round. They could also opt to use those two picks on draft-and-stash players who wouldn’t be on the roster next season.

 There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
  • Aaron Nesmith of Vanderbilt is the betting favorite to be the Celtics‘ selection if they keep the No. 14 pick, according to Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston. Nesmith, ranked 13th on ESPN’s list of the top 100 prospects, is listed as +550 and is followed by Patrick Williams of Florida State and Saddiq Bey of Villanova, both at +600.
  • Eric Koreen of The Athletic tries to build the perfect offseason for the Raptors, which includes re-signing free agents Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka, Chris Boucher and Oshae Brissett. Also in Koreen’s scenario, Toronto lures Harry Giles away from the Kings at $4.2MM for one season with a player option for 2021/22, and drafts Malachi Flynn and Paul Eboua. In a potentially significant move for the future, Koreen has Giannis Antetokounmpo turning down a super-max offer from the Bucks.
  • John Abbamondi, the new CEO of BSE Global, the Nets‘ parent company, relies on his military training to succeed in the business world, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. A former Navy pilot, Abbamondi is  looking forward to the upcoming season. “We have a really exciting season coming up,” he said. “We’re thrilled with the coaching staff (Steve Nash) has put together, excited to see (Kevin Durant) and (Kyrie Irving) on the court together, and there’s a whole bunch of talented players on this roster. There’s a lot to look forward to. We do hope to have fans back in the building at some point, although we have to be realistic: Everybody’s safety and health comes first.”
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Draft Rumors: Lewis, Hayes, Nesmith, Okongwu, More

October 29th, 2020 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Alabama’s Kira Lewis Jr. is generating some buzz among teams in the top half of the first round, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, who hears that Lewis has worked out in person for the Magic, Knicks, Pistons, and Bulls within the last week. A previous report indicated that Lewis has had multiple virtual interviews with Phoenix as well.

Pre-draft workouts don’t necessarily count for much in a typical year, when teams bring in dozens of prospects for a closer look for the sake of due diligence. However, Wasserman contends that it’s fair to “read into” those workouts in 2020. Since teams are only permitted to conduct in-person visits with up to 10 players, they generally aren’t wasting their time by meeting with players who aren’t of legitimate interest.

Here’s more on the draft from Wasserman:

  • In addition to the Pistons and Knicks, point guard Killian Hayes is also receiving interest from the Hawks and Kings, per Wasserman.
  • Sources tell Wasserman that Vanderbilt sharpshooter Aaron Nesmith is drawing interest from late-lottery teams, including the Suns.
  • Florida State big man Patrick Williams is among the prospects in play for the Pistons at No. 7, Wasserman writes.
  • Serbian forward Aleksej Pokusevski has become a popular draft sleeper and could even come off the board before the 20s, league sources tell Wasserman.
  • The Lakers, Bucks, and Sixers are among the teams displaying interest in Stanford’s Tyrell Terry, according to Wasserman.
  • There are whispers that Oregon point guard Payton Pritchard has received a promise from a team. While Wasserman has been unable to confirm that promise, he says that Pritchard has many fans in NBA front offices and may be a first-round pick.
  • Wasserman’s latest update to his big board at Bleacher Report has Onyeka Okongwu in the top three. A source tells Wasserman that the Wizards are hoping Okongwu falls to them at No. 9 and may look to trade their pick if he’s not available.
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LaMelo Ball Headlines List Of Draft Combine Participants

September 28th, 2020 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

Potential No. 1 overall pick LaMelo Ball will be among the prospects participating in the revamped virtual draft combine this week, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Ball is scheduled to take part in team interviews and a media session this week, but may not participate in any other portion, Jeremy Woo of SI.com cautions (via Twitter).

While Ball’s participation might be limited, many of this year’s other top prospects aren’t taking part in the event at all. As Woo points out (via Twitter), Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, Obi Toppin, Onyeka Okongwu, Cole Anthony, Aaron Nesmith, Devin Vassell, and Saddiq Bey are among the players who don’t appear on the list of participants sent out by the NBA.

The list of top prospects besides Ball who will be participating in the event includes Precious Achiuwa, Deni Avdija, Tyrese Haliburton, RJ Hampton, Killian Hayes, Theo Maledon, and Isaac Okoro, among others.

Here’s the full list of combine participants, via Charania:

  1. Precious Achiuwa, F, Memphis
  2. Ty-Shon Alexander, G, Creighton
  3. Deni Avdija, F, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
  4. Udoka Azubuike, C, Kansas
  5. LaMelo Ball, G, Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
  6. Desmond Bane, G, TCU
  7. Tyler Bey, F, Colorado
  8. Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke
  9. Yoeli Childs, F, BYU
  10. Mamadi Diakite, F, Virginia
  11. Devon Dotson, G, Kansas
  12. Paul Eboua, F, VL Pesaro (Italy)
  13. CJ Elleby, F, Washington State
  14. Malachi Flynn, G, San Diego State
  15. Trent Forrest, G, Florida State
  16. Josh Green, G/F, Arizona
  17. Ashton Hagans, G, Kentucky
  18. Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State
  19. Josh Hall, F, Moravian Prep
  20. RJ Hampton, G, New Zealand Breakers (New Zealand)
  21. Jalen Harris, G, Nevada
  22. Killian Hayes, G, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
  23. Markus Howard, G, Marquette
  24. Elijah Hughes, G/F, Syracuse
  25. Isaiah Joe, G, Arkansas
  26. Mason Jones, G, Arkansas
  27. Tre Jones, G, Duke
  28. Nathan Knight, F/C, William & Mary
  29. Kira Lewis, G, Alabama
  30. Theo Maledon, G, ASVEL (France)
  31. Karim Mane, G, Vanier College (Canada)
  32. Nico Mannion, G, Arizona
  33. Naji Marshall, F, Xavier
  34. Kenyon Martin Jr., F, IMG Academy
  35. Skylar Mays, G, LSU
  36. Jaden McDaniels, F, Washington
  37. Sam Merrill, G, Utah State
  38. Zeke Nnaji, F, Arizona
  39. Jordan Nwora, F, Louisville
  40. Isaac Okoro, F, Auburn
  41. Daniel Oturu, C, Minnesota
  42. Reggie Perry, F, Mississippi State
  43. Myles Powell, G, Seton Hall
  44. Payton Pritchard, G, Oregon
  45. Immanuel Quickley, G, Kentucky
  46. Jahmi’us Ramsey, G, Texas Tech
  47. Paul Reed, F, DePaul
  48. Nick Richards, F/C, Kentucky
  49. Grant Riller, G, Charleston
  50. Jay Scrubb, G, John A. Logan College
  51. Jalen Smith, F, Maryland
  52. Cassius Stanley, G, Duke
  53. Lamar Stevens, F, Penn State
  54. Isaiah Stewart, F/C, Washington
  55. Tyrell Terry, G, Stanford
  56. Xavier Tillman, F/C, Michigan State
  57. Kaleb Wesson, F/C, Ohio State
  58. Kahlil Whitney, F, Kentucky
  59. Cassius Winston, G, Michigan State
  60. Robert Woodard II, F, Mississippi State

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA is unable to hold its typical in-person draft combine this year, but the league has put together an alternative combine that will feature interviews through videoconferencing as well as the making of “pro day” videos, which will include strength and agility testing, anthropometric measurements, and shooting drills. Participants will also undergo medical testing and exams.

For more details on this year’s combine, be sure to check out our full story on the changes.

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Draft Notes: Alexander, Hightower, UCF, Hampton, More

April 22nd, 2020 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

Creighton junior guard Ty-Shon Alexander has announced on Instagram that he’ll enter the 2020 NBA draft and go pro, hiring an agent and forgoing his final year of college eligibility. A report earlier this month suggested that would likely be the path Alexander chose.

Alexander had a strong 2019/20 season with the Bluejays, averaging 16.9 PPG and 5.0 RPG with an impressive .399 3PT%. However, he ranks just 79th on the big board at NBADraft.net and doesn’t appear at all on ESPN’s list of 2020’s top 100 prospects, seemingly making him a long shot to be drafted.

Here’s more on the 2020 draft:

  • Tulane junior guard TeShaun Hightower, UCF junior big man Collin Smith, and UCF freshman guard Darin Green Jr. are all expected to declare for the 2020 draft, reports Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter links). Green announced his decision on Instagram a few days ago. All three players will likely test the waters while maintaining their college eligibility.
  • Sam Vecenie of The Athletic shares a few of the latest draft rumblings he’s hearing, writing that NBA teams haven’t been overly impressed by the film on RJ Hampton from his time in Australia’s National Basketball League. Conversely, according to Vecenie, Alabama guard Kira Lewis‘ stock is on the rise and many evaluators view Vanderbilt’s Aaron Nesmith as the second-best wing in the 2020 class.
  • Ethan Strauss of The Athletic took a stab at identifying some potential sleepers among this year’s senior prospects, singling out LSU guard Skylar Mays, TCU guard Desmond Bane, and a handful of others.
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Northwest Notes: Pritchard, Paul, Millsap, Thunder

April 4th, 2020 at 12:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Oregon point guard Payton Pritchard and Michigan State forward Xavier Tillman are two potential draft targets for the Jazz, Tony Jones of The Athletic opines. Pritchard could replace free agent Emmanuel Mudiay, while Tillman would add toughness and defensive versatility, Jones continues. Utah owns a late first-round pick. Vanderbilt swingman Aaron Nesmith, a prolific shooter, is another player the franchise could consider at that spot, Jones adds.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • The Thunder’s best chance for long-term improvement is to cash in on Chris Paul‘s big season and move him this offseason, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Paul — who still has two years left on his contract, including a $44.2MM player option in the final year — will never again be higher in value than this summer, in Hollinger’s view. Paul’s situation is similar to that of Mike Conley‘s last offseason, when he was traded to Utah due to the size of his contract and the numbers of players likely to be required to match salaries, Hollinger adds. Hollinger and The Athletic’s Erik Horne break down the Thunder’s roster and outlook in their comprehensive story.
  • If unrestricted free agent Paul Millsap re-signs with the Nuggets, it will be at a vastly reduced rate, Mike Singer of the Denver Post speculates. Millsap, who is making $30MM this season, would probably have to settle for a short-term contract with a starting salary of $10-13MM.  Re-signing fellow power forward Jerami Grant, who is likely to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent, is probably a bigger priority, Singer adds.
  • The Thunder are in danger of losing their first-round draft pick, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman points out. It’s a scenario that we previously noted. Oklahoma City traded the pick in November 2016 with top-20 protection to Philadelphia for Grant. OKC is tied for the ninth-best record in the NBA, which means if the draft order remains in place, the 76ers would get the Thunder’s pick at No. 21 or 22.
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Aaron Nesmith Enters 2020 NBA Draft

March 26th, 2020 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

Vanderbilt guard Aaron Nesmith, a potential lottery pick, tells Evan Daniels of 247Sports that he is entering the 2020 NBA draft and intends to go pro.

“I’ve decided to go through the process and intend to hire an agent,” Nesmith said. “I’m just getting ready for the next steps and just learn even more at the highest level because it’s always been a dream to play in the NBA so it’s going to be fun to go out there and go through it.”

After playing a part-time role as a freshman, Nesmith was in the midst of a breakout sophomore year in 2019/20 before a stress fracture in his right foot brought his season to an early end in January. In 14 games (35.7 MPG), he averaged 23.0 PPG and 4.9 RPG with an impressive .512/.522/.825 shooting line.

While NBA teams will want more medical info on his injured foot, Nesmith tells Daniels that he expects to get out of his walking boot within the next couple weeks and be cleared for live action in May. The standout sophomore, who ranks ninth overall on 247Sports’ big board and 17th on ESPN’s top 100, projects to be one of the best outside shooters in this year’s draft class.

“I think I can help whatever team that wants me or takes me I can help them immediately and be an immediate impact on the floor just by helping to spread the floor for the play-makers and creators and help give them more space,” Nesmith said. “I think that’s an immediate threat I can impose to opposing teams.”

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