Anthony Edwards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Pistons Draft, Bucks Moves, Bulls Draft

October 27th, 2020 at 6:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons can be reasonably certain about five prospects who won’t drop to them at the No. 7 overall pick, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. From the way the draft is shaping up, Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, LaMelo Ball, Obi Toppin and Deni Avdija — in no particular order — will be off the board. The player that Detroit drafts could be predicated by which player goes at the No. 6 pick, which the Hawks currently own. Although the Pistons are open to trading up or down, those deals are difficult to pull off for teams picking in the middle of the lottery, Langlois adds.

We have more from the Central Division:

While Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s decision on whether to sign an extension looms over the Bucks franchise, Milwaukee has several other issues to ponder this offseason and it seeks ways to advance deeper into the playoffs. The Athletic’s Danny Leroux takes a look at the team’s cap and roster situation and concludes that the front office will be seeking depth players and young talent in free agency and potential trades. Retaining Wesley Matthews, who is likely to decline his $2.69MM option, is another priority, Leroux adds.
Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas should try his best to trade down in the draft, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago opines. With Edwards, Wiseman and Ball likely to go in the first three picks, the Bulls are in a pivotal position at No. 4. If another team covets a player at that spot, they could pick up another asset or two in a trade. With the likelihood of having 12 guaranteed contracts along with decisions to make on three restricted free agents, Chicago also has roster issues to consider, Johnson adds.
Toppin appears to be high on the Cavaliers’ draft board. Get the details here.

Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman Work Out For Warriors

October 23rd, 2020 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors may prefer to trade down, but they got a close look at two players who will be high on their draft board if they keep the No. 2 pick, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. During a recent trip to Atlanta and Miami, Golden State officials got to work out Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman, who were both described as “beasts.”

Wiseman showed off exceptional skills for a big man and his interview also impressed the delegation, which was made up of owner Joe Lacob, general manager Bob Myers, head coach Steve Kerr and director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini. Edwards’ athleticism and “freakishness” stood out during his session.

Golden State seems content with either player, regardless of what Minnesota does with the No. 1 pick. If the Wolves opt for LaMelo Ball, the Warriors would be faced with a difficult choice. They plan to be back in title contention next season and need someone who can contribute right away.

Edwards doesn’t seem like a perfect fit with most of the perimeter minutes ticketed for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, and Thompson isn’t convinced that Edwards’ offensive game is refined enough to handle coming off the bench. Golden State has expressed a desire to add size this offseason, and Kerr is reluctant to use a three-guard lineup.

Wiseman has a chance to be a starter right away at center and may have the skills to develop into a perimeter big man like Anthony Davis. Wiseman could instantly be the shot blocker that Kerr is looking for, plus he can set screens, catch lobs and run the floor — basic skills that don’t take long to learn. However, there are questions about Wiseman after his short stint at Memphis, such as whether he is coachable and how quickly he can adapt to the read-and-react system that Golden State uses.

The Warriors also worked out Deni Avdija this week and are expected to meet with other prospects in case they move down in the draft. If they keep the No. 2 pick, Thompson believes it will come down to a choice of Edwards, Wiseman or Ball.

Wolves’ Rosas Acknowledges No Obvious Choice At No. 1

October 21st, 2020 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

As we’ve heard for months, the general perception of the 2020 draft class is that it’s relatively deep, but lacks a clear-cut star prospect at the top. Speaking today to reporters, including Eric Woodyard of ESPN, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, who controls the No. 1 pick, admitted that analysis is “fair.”

“There’s no guy that has separated himself from the pack from public or external view,” Rosas said. “But I’m very confident that as we go through this process, the talent will rise to the top and we’ll be confident about identifying one guy as the best guy, the best talented player with the most upside and most ability for our organization.”

As Woodyard writes, Rosas said today that he and the Timberwolves feel good about the talent at the top of this draft class. However, it’s worth noting that many executives around the NBA believe Minnesota would prefer to trade down or out of that No. 1 overall pick rather than keep it. It remains to be seen whether the Wolves will get an offer that they feel represents fair value for this year’s top pick, but Rosas acknowledged that the club is exploring all its options.

“For us, we typically study the draft from No. 1 to whatever number we feel like is a draftable player,” Rosas said. “And we’ll evaluate those guys for trade scenarios, trade back, trade out, for undrafted free-agent opportunities, for minor league opportunities, so we really beat up the draft board as much as can all the way up until the draft.”

Assuming the Wolves do hang onto the top pick, guards LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards are viewed as their most likely selections, despite the fact that neither player projects to improve the club’s already-shaky defense.

Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report wrote today that most executives and scouts believe Ball would have the edge over Edwards if Minnesota remains at No. 1. Wasserman added that the Wolves are also high on Obi Toppin, though it’s not clear if the team would take the Dayton forward first overall or if he’d only be an option in a trade-down scenario.

And-Ones: Option Decisions, Avdija, Draft, Onuaku

October 14th, 2020 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA season over and 2020’s free agent period approaching (eventually), John Hollinger of The Athletic takes a look at all 43 team and player option decisions that must be made this fall, evaluating which options are likely to be exercised and which will be turned down.

While Anthony Davis and Jerami Grant are viewed as the only locks to decline their respective player options this offseason, Hollinger identifies seven more players who he thinks will opt for free agency: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, Wesley Matthews, Austin Rivers, Willie Cauley-Stein, and James Ennis.

With the exception of Caldwell-Pope, McGee, and Cauley-Stein – who is technically earning slightly above the minimum – those players are all on minimum-salary deals, so it won’t be a surprise if they explore the open market, even if they have to settle for another minimum contract. However, KCP’s case should be interesting — his $8.49MM option for 2020/21 is close to mid-level territory, but he could still probably do better after an impressive showing in the NBA Finals.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Bobby Marks take a look at next steps for the NBA, including what next season’s schedule might look like and when roster moves might resume. While there’s currently a freeze on transactions, team executives confirmed to ESPN that the moratorium will be lifted and trades will be permitted before the draft on November 18.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer and Jeremy Woo of SI.com have each published updated versions of their mock drafts for 2020. Both draft experts have Anthony Edwards going No. 1, but O’Connor has a surprise pick at No. 2, penciling in Deni Avdija. League executives expect Avdija to “enter the mainstream conversation as a top-three pick” in the coming weeks, according to O’Connor.
Former NBA big man Chinanu Onuaku has reached an agreement to sign with Croatian team KK Zadar, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Onuaku was the 37th overall pick in the 2016 draft, but didn’t see much action in two seasons with Houston, appearing in just six total games before being traded and waived.

Draft Rumors: Hayes, J. Smith, Ball, Edwards, Krejci

September 28th, 2020 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA’s virtual combine underway, a handful of this year’s top draft-eligible prospects are speaking with reporters today on conference calls and are revealing some information about their pre-draft meetings.

French point guard Killian Hayes, for instance, confirmed that he has interviewed with the Spurs, Wizards, Knicks, Bulls, and Warriors, adding that his agent has told him to expect to come off the board between No. 2 and No. 10 on draft night (Twitter link via Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic).

Maryland big man Jalen Smith told reporters, including Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter links), that he has met with the Wizards, Spurs, Raptors, Nets, Suns, and Bulls, among other teams. Smith ranks No. 20 on ESPN’s big board.

Potential No. 1 pick LaMelo Ball was more evasive when asked about his meetings, refusing to name any teams he has talked to except for the Knicks, as K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. That meeting occurred prior to the lottery, per Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link).

While it’s possible Ball has had other meetings with top teams that he declined to mention, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) hears that the guard’s interview with the Timberwolves is still to come. Minnesota, of course, holds the top pick in the draft.

Here’s more on the draft:

There’s a belief around the NBA that the Timberwolves may make an effort to trade down from No. 1, but if they keep that pick, multiple sources believe they’ll select LaMelo Ball rather than Anthony Edwards, says Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.
According to Wasserman, there’s some concern among scouts and executives about Edwards’ professionalism, drive, and desire to win. While the Georgia wing still figures to come off the board early, the likelihood of him falling to No. 3 appears to have increased, Wasserman notes.
One scout who spoke to Bleacher Report said his team will be putting more stock this year into prospects’ basketball IQ and other intangibles, and Wasserman believes other clubs around the NBA could take a similar approach. Tyrese Haliburton and Isaac Okoro are among the players who could benefit from that trend, Wasserman adds.
Czech guard Vit Krejci, who is playing for Zaragoza in Spain, has suffered a left ACL injury that will require surgery and is expected to sideline him for the rest of the season, according to the team (hat tip to Sportando). Krejci had declared for the 2020 NBA draft as an early entrant, but could still withdraw his name before the league’s November deadline.

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:

Precious Achiuwa, F, Memphis
Ty-Shon Alexander, G, Creighton
Deni Avdija, F, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
Udoka Azubuike, C, Kansas
LaMelo Ball, G, Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
Desmond Bane, G, TCU
Tyler Bey, F, Colorado
Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke
Yoeli Childs, F, BYU
Mamadi Diakite, F, Virginia
Devon Dotson, G, Kansas
Paul Eboua, F, VL Pesaro (Italy)
CJ Elleby, F, Washington State
Malachi Flynn, G, San Diego State
Trent Forrest, G, Florida State
Josh Green, G/F, Arizona
Ashton Hagans, G, Kentucky
Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State
Josh Hall, F, Moravian Prep
RJ Hampton, G, New Zealand Breakers (New Zealand)
Jalen Harris, G, Nevada
Killian Hayes, G, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
Markus Howard, G, Marquette
Elijah Hughes, G/F, Syracuse
Isaiah Joe, G, Arkansas
Mason Jones, G, Arkansas
Tre Jones, G, Duke
Nathan Knight, F/C, William & Mary
Kira Lewis, G, Alabama
Theo Maledon, G, ASVEL (France)
Karim Mane, G, Vanier College (Canada)
Nico Mannion, G, Arizona
Naji Marshall, F, Xavier
Kenyon Martin Jr., F, IMG Academy
Skylar Mays, G, LSU
Jaden McDaniels, F, Washington
Sam Merrill, G, Utah State
Zeke Nnaji, F, Arizona
Jordan Nwora, F, Louisville
Isaac Okoro, F, Auburn
Daniel Oturu, C, Minnesota
Reggie Perry, F, Mississippi State
Myles Powell, G, Seton Hall
Payton Pritchard, G, Oregon
Immanuel Quickley, G, Kentucky
Jahmi’us Ramsey, G, Texas Tech
Paul Reed, F, DePaul
Nick Richards, F/C, Kentucky
Grant Riller, G, Charleston
Jay Scrubb, G, John A. Logan College
Jalen Smith, F, Maryland
Cassius Stanley, G, Duke
Lamar Stevens, F, Penn State
Isaiah Stewart, F/C, Washington
Tyrell Terry, G, Stanford
Xavier Tillman, F/C, Michigan State
Kaleb Wesson, F/C, Ohio State
Kahlil Whitney, F, Kentucky
Cassius Winston, G, Michigan State
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.

Cavs Rumors: Draft, Porter, Sexton, Defense, Drummond

September 25th, 2020 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers‘ last couple drafts have been fairly guard-heavy, with Collin Sexton joining the team in 2018 and Darius Garland becoming a Cav in 2019. However, general manager Koby Altman suggested today that the club isn’t ruling out the possibility of adding another backcourt piece with the No. 5 pick in this year’s draft, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

“We’re going to take the best talent,” Altman said. “We like where we are at — No. 5. We’re going to get a really good player.”

Although Altman’s comments suggest another guard is in play, Fedor believes the club is much more likely to take a wing or a big man.

Sources tell Cleveland.com that the Cavs’ top tier consists of LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, and Anthony Edwards, in some order. Assuming those three players are off the board at No. 5, Tyrese Haliburton or Killian Hayes would be the best guard available, and the team is unlikely to view either of those players as definitively better than the backcourt options already on the roster, says Fedor.

Here’s more on the Cavaliers:

The Cavs are extremely high on 2019 first-rounder Kevin Porter Jr., according to Fedor, who hears that the former USC wing is at “at the top of Cleveland’s young player hierarchy.” The organization has been so averse to the idea of moving Porter that rival teams won’t even ask about him in trade talks anymore, Fedor adds.
Cleveland also remains “all-in” on Collin Sexton, viewing him as one of their leaders and hardest-working players, says Fedor.
Altman said on Friday that one of the Cavs’ offseason goals is to improve on defense and that the front office is considering how best to do that. “Whether that be adding personnel there, or internally, schematically, we know we need to look ourselves in the mirror and get better on that end,” Altman said, per Fedor. “… It’s not going to happen all at once. We’re not going to go from (30th) in the league to top five, but we need to see steady growth on that side of the ball. And I think the guys realize that and we need to hold them more accountable and do it that way. But ourselves as a front office, does that mean we need better personnel on that side of the ball or different pieces to help some of our guys? We’re looking at (that).”
While Andre Drummond isn’t attending the Cavs’ in-market mini-camp due to a personal matter, the club has stayed in frequent contact with him and isn’t concerned about his absence, according to Fedor. Altman said today that he doesn’t know whether Drummond will pick up his 2020/21 player option, though I’d be shocked if he opts out. A source confirmed to Fedor that Drummond is “highly likely” to exercise that $28.75MM option.
In case you missed it, Altman also said today that there’s mutual interest in a new deal between the Cavs and Tristan Thompson.

And-Ones: Gupta, Bubble, Webb, Agents, Draft

September 16th, 2020 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have long believed that their executive VP Sachin Gupta is a strong candidate for the Kings‘ top front office position and have supported him as he explores the opportunity, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who says president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas has “spoken glowingly” to Sacramento about Gupta.

As the Kings narrow their search, Gupta appears to be gaining some momentum and is said to be one of three finalists for Sacramento’s top job. With that in mind, Krawczynski weighs some pros and cons for Gupta to consider if he’s offered the job. While the opportunity to run a front office doesn’t come along often, Krawczynski notes that the Kings haven’t been the league’s most stable franchise over the last 15 years, adding that Gupta is thriving so far in his role with the Timberwolves as Rosas’ right-hand man.

As we wait to see whether Gupta is offered Sacramento’s top front office job – and whether he accepts it – let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world…

The two teams that advance to the NBA Finals will be permitted to bring three additional staff members, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who tweets that those two clubs will also be allowed to bring 12 more guests of staffers into the Walt Disney World bubble.
Former NBA forward James Webb III has joined KAE Larisa in Greece for the coming season, the team announced on Instagram (hat tip to Sportando). A former Boise State standout, Webb appeared in 10 games for Brooklyn in 2017/18 and has also spent time under contract with Philadelphia.
James L. Edwards III of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at how agents and rookie recruiting have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, which has largely limited the ability of player reps to meet face-to-face with the prospects they’re looking to sign.
Jeremy Woo of SI.com has updated his big board for the 2020 NBA draft, with Anthony Edwards leading the way. Edwards’ case for the No. 1 spot centers on the likelihood that he’ll be able to eventually “anchor a team’s offense,” Woo writes.

Draft Rumors: Draft Date, Hawks, Suns, Toppin, Wolves

September 3rd, 2020 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Most people around the NBA think this year’s draft will eventually be moved back from October 16 to sometime in the middle of November, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. We heard last month that there was momentum toward delaying the draft and the start of free agency.

As Bontemps explains, the idea would be to give the NBA and the players’ union some time after the season ends to get a handle on the league’s finances after what has been a very unusual 2019/20 season — and ahead of what figures to be another unusual year in 2020/21. Delaying the draft and free agency would give both sides plenty of time to establish a salary cap for next season and new projections going forward. It would also give teams time to reconsider their plans based on the new cap.

As we wait for official word from the NBA on a possible delay, here’s more on the 2020 NBA draft:

Among the league insiders polled by Bontemps, two teams – the Hawks at No. 6 and the Suns at No. 10 – were mentioned most frequently as candidates to be active in trade talks on (or leading up to) draft day. As Bontemps observes, both teams have cap flexibility and will face some pressure from ownership to make the playoffs in 2020/21.
Asked by Bontemps about this year’s most overrated prospects, executives and scouts most frequently pointed to Dayton forward Obi Toppin. “I think he’s a good player and I like him and he had an unbelievable year, but this consensus top-five status he’s obtained is weird to me,” one Eastern Conference scout said of Toppin. Cassius Stanley (Duke), Desmond Bane (TCU), and Jaden McDaniels (Washington) were among the players who received votes as 2020’s most underrated prospect.
Most league insiders expect the Timberwolves to draft Anthony Edwards first overall, according to Bontemps. However, in Sam Vecenie’s latest mock draft for The Athletic, he has changed the Wolves’ pick from Edwards to LaMelo Ball, operating under the belief that Gersson Rosas would favor Ball’s potential star power. Both Bontemps and Vecenie note that Minnesota seems like a good bet to gauge the value of the pick on the trade market. Vecenie points out that the Wolves could also draft a player and consider moving him down the road if he doesn’t fit in well with Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell.

Draft Notes: Potential Trades, Warriors, Mock Drafts

August 21st, 2020 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Thursday’s lottery results could produce a wave of trades before draft day, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. The former Grizzlies executive believes the Warriors, who landed the second overall selection, will try to swap the pick for more immediate help and lists the Hawks, Knicks, Wizards, Suns, Kings and possibly even the Timberwolves as other lottery teams that may be active on the trade market.

Hollinger proposes a couple of moves for Golden State, which also has a $17MM trade exception from last summer’s Andre Iguodala deal. He suggests offering the second pick to the Thunder for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or to the Hawks for John Collins, although Atlanta hopes to make the playoffs next season and may not be interested in dealing for the future.

Hollinger adds that the Knicks may want to package their picks at No. 8 and 27 to move up in the draft for one of the top point guards, the Wizards have incentive to improve quickly before Bradley Beal gets a chance to leave again and the Suns possess cap space to take on another player and have playoff aspirations after going undefeated in Orlando.

There’s more draft news to pass along:

Salary cap concerns may make it difficult for the Warriors to find an appealing deal, according to Kevin Pelton of ESPN. Counting its draft pick, Golden State already has more than $150MM in committed salary for next season, which puts the franchise far into the lottery tax, even if the threshold remains at this year’s figure of $132.7MM. Trading the No. 2 pick for a player with a $17MM salary could leave the Warriors with a record-setting $103MM tax bill and a total payroll of nearly $270MM.
The eight teams not in Orlando were relieved that the Grizzlies, Pelicans, Kings, Spurs, Suns and Wizards didn’t move up in Thursday’s lottery, notes Zach Lowe of ESPN. He cites resentment among some of the non-invited teams that they didn’t get a chance to form chemistry the way Phoenix did, and one general manager said it would have been “our worst nightmare” if any of those teams had jumped into the top four.
Georgia guard Anthony Edwards tops the latest mock draft released by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. Most NBA executives agree that Edwards is a top-three prospect, Vecenie writes, and many think his physical tools give him the highest upside in this year’s class. LaMelo Ball is the No. 1 choice in a mock draft compiled by Jonathan Givony of ESPN.