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Pistons Notes: Downtown Move, Kennard, FA Workouts

June 8th, 2017 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

The Detroit City Council voted on Tuesday in favor of several key agreements related to the Pistons’ move downtown, as Christine Ferretti and Jennifer Chambers of The Detroit News report. However, while Tuesday’s votes finalized approvals for the Pistons’ new practice facility and headquarters, there are more roadblocks that will need to be cleared before the club’s move to the Little Caesars arena is fully approved.

On June 20, the Detroit city council is scheduled to vote on the issuance of $34.5MM in proposed taxpayer-funded DDA bonds. Shortly after Tuesday’s city council session took place though, a federal judge granted a June 19 lawsuit that seeks to halt that June 20 vote, per Louis Aguilar of The Detroit News. As Aguilar explains, that lawsuit seeks to allow Detroit and Wayne County residents to vote on whether taxpayer money should be put toward the new arena and team facilities.

As the Pistons wait for resolution to the legal battle over their potential new arena, here are a few more items related to the team:

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Draft Notes: Ball, Adebayo, Fox, Alkins

May 13th, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Outrageous statements by Lonzo Ball‘s father, LaVar, may prevent him from being the first player selected in next month’s draft, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman talked with several anonymous scouts and executives who said the headaches that LaVar Ball presents may cause Lonzo to slide, although possibly not lower than second. “Talking to people here, some guys are straying away from him as a top pick,’’ said a Western Conference scout. “If you don’t play him the right way, is the father going to say something? And you don’t want to have him on a big stage like New York. You’re always thinking: What’s next?’’ An Eastern Conference executive adds that whichever team drafts Ball should meet with him and his father to set “groundwork.”

There’s more draft news as the combine moves toward its final day:

  • Kentucky center Edrice “Bam” Adebayo is a poor fit for the modern NBA, which may doom him to the second round, according to Chris Reichert of Fansided. Adebayo may tempt teams with his athleticism, strength, offensive rebounding and lateral quickness, but he’s not an exceptional shot blocker and doesn’t have the skills to space the floor.
  • Point guard De’Aaron Fox of Kentucky has been the most impressive player at the combine, tweets Fran Fraschilla of ESPN.com. The network’s Chad Ford suggested this week that Fox is eclipsing Ball on some draft boards and could be the second player selected.
  • Arizona’s Rawle Alkins has made an impression on scouts at the combine, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. The shooting guard is ranked 78th in Jonathan Givony’s top 100 list and is trying to play his way into the draft.
  • Washington guard Markelle Fultz continues to hold the top spot in the latest mock draft posted by Draft Express. Ball comes off the board second, followed by Josh Jackson of Kansas, Jayson Tatum of Duke and then Fox.
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Northwest Notes: Wolves, Combine, Singler, Jazz

May 12th, 2017 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Northwest division is no longer represented in the playoffs following Utah’s elimination earlier this week, but Northwest teams will face plenty of key decisions this offseason as they look to improve their rosters. Here’s the latest out of the division…

  • The Timberwolves are formally interviewing a number of prospects this week at the draft combine in Chicago, including Kentucky’s Bam Adebayo and UNC’s Justin Jackson, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter links). Minnesota is in line for the No. 6 pick heading into the lottery — Adebayo and Jackson aren’t expected to be selected that high, but the team is doing its due diligence.
  • Kyle Singler has two more fully guaranteed years left on his contract with the Thunder, but his future with the franchise remains unclear, writes Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. As Dawson notes, Singler was virtually non-existent for Oklahoma City this past season, and will be a candidate to be traded or waived.
  • If the Jazz were to re-sign key free agents like Gordon Hayward, George Hill, and Joe Ingles, they’d likely remain a top-four team in the Western Conference going forward, says Brad Rock of The Deseret News. However, given how quickly the club was dispatched by the Warriors, Rock believes it will take more than standing pat for Utah to move toward legit title contention.
  • With Hill and Shelvin Mack facing free agency and Dante Exum and Raul Neto entering the final year of their respective contracts, the Jazz will face some tough decisions at the point guard position this summer, as Mike Sorensen of The Deseret News details.
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Draft Notes: Wilson, Ojeleye, Adebayo

May 11th, 2017 at 10:51pm CST by ChrisCrouse

D.J. Wilson, who has yet to hire an agent, injured his ankle during today’s combine, as Rod Beard of The Detroit News passes along.

“He’s not working out; he pulled a quad in an earlier workout. He’s been nursing it for four or five days and it’s still not where he wants it to be,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “We’re hoping it’s more day-to-day, but we may have to cancel some (team) workouts this week too; we’ve got to wait and see.”

Wilson has until May 24 to decide whether or not he will return to Michigan for his junior season. The big man is the 32nd best prospect in the draft, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

  • SMU’s Semi Ojeleye will sign with an agent and stay in the draft, per Evan Daniels of Scout.com (Twitter link). The combo forward is the 28th best prospect in the upcoming draft, according to Givony.
  • Seton Hall’s Angel Delgado is currently testing the draft waters and he has not hired an agent. However, the university does not expect him to return to campus, sources tell Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog. Delgado, who recently worked out for the Hawks, is not expected to be drafted, according to Draft Express.
  • Kentucky coach John Calipari said he’ll be “stunned” if Bam Adebayo isn’t a lottery pick, as Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com relays via Twitter. Givony has the center going 29th in his latest mock draft.
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Bam Adebayo, Jaylen Johnson Staying In Draft

April 24th, 2017 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of college underclassmen who were previously said to be testing the draft waters have decided to forgo their remaining NCAA eligibility by hiring representation, per various reports.

One of those players is Kentucky freshman big man Bam Adebayo, who will sign with an agent and won’t return to the Wildcats, sources tell Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. Adebayo is considered likely to be drafted in the first round, so it makes sense that he’ll keep his name in the draft, joining former UK teammates De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Isaiah Briscoe, and Isaac Humphries among this year’s early entrants going pro.

Also going pro is Louisville junior forward Jaylen Johnson, who announced that he won’t return for his senior season. “I will miss my teammates and coaches, but it is really important that I help out my mom and family,” Johnson said in a statement. “I’m going to work incredibly hard to give it my best shot. I’ll be rooting for the Ville next year.”

Here are several more early entrants who are declaring for the draft in advance of this year’s deadline:

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Bam Adebayo, Caleb Swanigan Testing Draft Waters

April 5th, 2017 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of college big men who could be first-round picks in this June’s draft will enter their names without hiring an agent, according to a pair of Wednesday announcements. The University of Kentucky confirmed that freshman Bam Adebayo will test the draft waters, while Nathan Baird of The Journal & Courier writes that Purdue sophomore Caleb Swanigan will do the same.

Adebayo, who is the third UK prospect to declare for this year’s draft, following in the footsteps of teammates De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, is ranked as the 19th-best prospect on Chad Ford’s big board at ESPN.com and comes in at No. 30 on Jonathan Givony’s top 100 list at DraftExpress.com. In his first – and possibly only – season with Kentucky, the 6’9″ PF/C averaged 13.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 1.5 BPG, shooting 59.9% from the floor.

In his analysis of Adebayo’s draft prospects, Ford notes that the 19-year-old’s inconsistency is worrisome for some scouts, but the ESPN draft guru believes the big man will come off the board between picks 15 and 25 if he stays in this year’s draft. Still, if he stays in school another year and has a more consistent sophomore season, he has the upside to become a top-10 pick in 2018, says Ford.

As for Swanigan, the sophomore power forward ranks a little lower on both ESPN’s and DraftExpress’ big boards, coming in at 28th and 32nd respectively. Swanigan enjoyed a breakout sophomore year with the Boilermakers, averaging 18.5 PPG and 12.5 RPG while boosting his 3PT% to .447. According to Ford, the 19-year-old is viewed as one of the most “complete” players in the NCAA this season, and could go in the 20s if he stays in the draft, though he’s not a first-round lock.

Both Adebayo and Swanigan will have until May 24 to withdraw their names from the draft pool and retain their NCAA eligibility.

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And-Ones: I. Austin, Sims, B. Paul, 2017 Draft

December 13th, 2016 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Baylor standout Isaiah Austin was recently cleared to play basketball again, after having his NBA hopes initially derailed when he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a disorder that affects the body’s connective tissue. Still, although Austin is free to sign anywhere, executives are generally taking a “relaxed approach” to his planned comeback, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Austin was viewed as a borderline first-round prospect back in 2014, and some executives around the NBA are approaching his reported medical clearance with caution.

“What reversed the decision?” one NBA general manager said to Howard-Cooper. “How did it come to be that now he can play? We don’t even know how. Yeah, that’s what I’d be curious about. I’m not saying [Austin found a single doctor willing to clear him], but I’ve seen this before. You can find someone to tell you that you can play. Somebody will.”

As Howard-Cooper details, another GM suggested that teams wouldn’t rush to look into Austin’s situation, but added that those teams may be intrigued: “I’ve never heard anybody (in the NBA) talk about any skepticism on that because I don’t think he’s on people’s radar like that. I don’t think there’s a buzz like, ‘Whoa, now he’s been declared healthy. Is he really healthy?’ I don’t think people are looking at it that way. I think people are more ‘OK, that’s interesting.’ I can see maybe someone trying to do a feel-good story, liking a little bump from a PR standpoint. Maybe someone does a short-term contract with him and brings him in.”

As we wait to see Austin can land a basketball contract, perhaps in the D-League or elsewhere, let’s check in on a few other odds and ends…

  • The NBA D-League has accepted a buyout of Henry Sims‘ contract, as well as Quincy Douby‘s deal, reports Adam Johnson of D-League Digest (Twitter links). It’s not yet clear what the next step is for either former NBA player, but they may end up heading overseas.
  • One player heading overseas is swingman Brandon Paul, who was in camp with the Sixers this fall. As Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes, Turkish club Anadolu Efes Istanbul has agreed to a deal with Paul to replace Bryce Cotton on its roster.
  • In a piece for Basketball Insiders, Michael Scotto takes an early look at next year’s potential draft class, exploring whether we might see three Kentucky freshman come of the board as 2017 lottery picks. As Scotto outlines, Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox, and Edrice Adebayo could become the Wildcats’ third trio since 2010 to achieve that feat.
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