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And-Ones: Jordan, Simmons, Draft, Johnson

March 21st, 2016 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hornets owner Michael Jordan has become a powerful player in the NBA’s ongoing labor talks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Jordan is a member of the owners’ labor-relations committee and has been leading the fight for small-market teams. His place on that powerful committee has been kept secret until now, and it’s a sign of his rising status among NBA owners. Other signs are the Hornets’ newfound success on the court and the upcoming All-Star Game in Charlotte next season. Wojnarowski says some players and agents complain that the Hornets cut expenses unnecessarily, but the organization’s reputation is improving in that area. The NBA and the union have divided into groups to discuss aspects of the collective bargaining agreement after weeks of covert negotiations between the sides, Wojnarowski reports. Either side can opt out of the current 10-year deal in 2017 and create a potential work stoppage.

There’s more from around the world of basketball:

LSU’s Ben Simmons, who officially declared for the NBA draft earlier today, has withdrawn from school and will move to Phoenix to prepare, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. The 6’10” freshman has been projected as either the first or second pick in June’s draft.
Duke’s Brandon Ingram and Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield are the only top 13 prospects left in the NCAA Tournament, writes Chad Ford of ESPN.com (insider account). Ford notes that Ingram’s continued presence in the tourney will help his case for being the first player selected.
High school senior Jayson Tatum is the top pick in the 2017 mock draft posted by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. The 6’8″ Tatum, who projects as a small forward in the NBA, has committed to Duke for next season.
Restricted free agents could be the biggest beneficiaries of the shortening of the free agent moratorium, writes Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. This year’s moratorium was scheduled to run through July 11th, and with three days to match an offer, that would have left even the best restricted free agents in limbo for nearly two weeks.
Orlando Johnson, whose 10-day contract with the Pelicans expired over the weekend, is back with the Austin Spurs in the D-League, tweets Chris Reichert of Upside and Motor.

Potential Top Pick Ben Simmons Headed to NBA

March 21st, 2016 at 8:45am CST by Dana Gauruder

LSU freshman Ben Simmons will hire an agent and enter the NBA draft, he told ESPN Insider Jeff Goodman. “I’m making it official,” Simmons told Goodman.

Simmons’ decision was a mere formality, as it was widely assumed he’d be a one-and-done prospect when he signed with the Tigers, who finished 19-14 and were not chosen for the NCAA Tournament.

The 6’10” Australia native averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game and has been at the top of most draft lists throughout the season, though he’s now vying for that honor with Duke freshman swingman Brandon Ingram.

Simmons has been compared to LeBron James and Magic Johnson because of his versatility and ballhandling skills, according to ESPN Insider Chad Ford, who still has Simmons atop his Big Board rankings. Simmons’ size, athleticism and passing ability will allow him to play multiple positions, anywhere from an oversized point guard to power forward. He prefers to play point forward, Ford adds, though there are questions about his motor.

Simmons’ best traits in the half-court revolve around his tremendous ballhandling and passing ability because of his court vision, as Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress notes in his in-depth analysis, though he hasn’t shown much range with his jump shot. Givony currently has Simmons ranked No. 2 behind Ingram.

Simmons plans to sign with Klutch Sports and agent Rich Paul, league sources recently told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Paul is also James’ agent.

And-Ones: Horford, Howard, LeVert, Simmons

March 15th, 2016 at 3:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey is unsurprisingly a major fan of soon-to-be free agent big man Al Horford, as Jason Quick of CSNNW.com tweets. Horford will reportedly prioritize the fifth year that the Hawks, and no one else, can offer him in a new contract this summer, but he hasn’t made any commitments despite his fondness for Atlanta, and he reportedly has a degree of interest in the Magic. Portland wouldn’t offer the geographical advantage of no state income tax and proximity to his college home of the University of Florida that the Magic could, but the Blazers have an intriguing backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum to showcase to Horford and other free agents this summer, when the team will have only about $47MM in guaranteed salary on the books against a salary cap expected to be twice that amount. See more from around the league:

Rockets GM Daryl Morey was mum when ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan asked him whether he planned to re-sign Dwight Howard this summer, as Matt Dollinger of SI.com notes in a roundup of last week’s MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Agent David Falk regards Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf as the toughest negotiator he’s ever gone against, Dollinger notes in the same piece.
Positional versatility and a strong overall package make Michigan swingman Caris LeVert an intriguing prospect, but he looks ill-suited to become a go-to guy, and his history of injuries is a concern, write Josh Riddell and Mike Schmitz of DraftExpress.
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News sides with LSU combo forward Ben Simmons in the debate over whether Simmons or Duke small forward Brandon Ingram is the top prospect in this year’s draft, listing Simmons atop his first mock draft. Ingram follows, with European power forward Dragan Bender at No. 3.

Draft Notes: Ingram, Simmons, Dunn, Bentil

March 14th, 2016 at 3:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

Duke small forward Brandon Ingram is the new No. 1 crowning the list of top 2016 draft prospects that Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress compiles. Questions that dog LSU combo forward Ben Simmons about his shooting, competitiveness, character and whether he prefers to make highlights over sound fundamental plays have led Givony to make the change to Ingram, as the scribe details in a piece for The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. It’s a fluid process, naturally, and more than three months remain until the June 23rd draft. Still, given the hype surrounding Simmons, it’s a significant development. See more on the player Givony now lists No. 2 amid news on the draft:

Simmons plans to sign with Klutch Sports and agent Rich Paul, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. That comes as no surprise in the wake of a recruiting effort that’s gone on for years, as Wojnarowski details. Emily Bush, Simmons’ older sister, has been a Klutch employee since 2014, Wojnarowski notes.
Top-10 prospect Kris Dunn is leaning toward Roc Nation Sports to represent him, according to Jake Fischer of SI Now (Twitter link). The Providence point guard is No. 5 in Givony’s rankings and seventh with Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops looks at Dunn as well as other key prospects who took part in last week’s Big East tournament. A 38-point game from Dunn’s teammate, power forward Ben Bentil, stole the show, and one Eastern Conference executive told Scotto he’s hearing that Bentil would go in the late first or early second round if he declares.

And-Ones: Simmons, Beasley, Bargnani, Maxiell

February 24th, 2016 at 10:46am CST by Chuck Myron

The improvement throughout the season that Duke small forward Brandon Ingram has displayed and his greater opportunity for a postseason showcase gives him a decent chance to unseat combo forward Ben Simmons as the presumptive No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, but Simmons is still out in front, as Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com examine. The “overwhelming majority” of people around the NBA still think Simmons will be drafted first, Ford writes, believing that it’s because of his potential to play like a taller, more athletic Draymond Green. Still, Simmons’ lack of midrange and outside shooting is a concern, Ford adds. See more from around basketball:

Michael Beasley recently turned down an offer from Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and remains steadfast in his effort to return to the NBA, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Stein reported Tuesday that multiple NBA teams are monitoring the former No. 2 overall pick.
Andrea Bargnani rejected an offer equivalent to about $143K per month to sign with Olympiacos of Greece, which has instead turned its sights to Jason Maxiell, according to the Greek outlet Sport24 (translation via Sportando‘s Emiliano Carchia). However, Maxiell isn’t interested in the club’s idea of including an option for next season on the deal, notes international journalist David Pick (on Twitter).
Many agents and teams would like to see the league and the union discuss what to do about the moves that teams make in the aftermath of a trade that ultimately gets voided, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports hears. The Sixers lost JaKarr Sampson, whom they waived to open a roster spot for last week’s trade with the Rockets and Pistons, which was nullified Monday. Philadelphia reportedly wanted to re-sign him, but he had already inked with the Nuggets by the time the trade was called off.
The reversal of the trade meant teams that aren’t in the tax are projected to each receive an extra $200K, Marks notes in the same piece. That’s because the Rockets are back in line to pay the tax, and thus a greater amount of money is available for the league to distribute.

And-Ones: Oden, D-League, NBA Draft

February 10th, 2016 at 10:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA is enamored with the idea of expanding rosters from the current regular season maximum of 15 to as many as 17 as part of the next CBA, with the additional spots to be designated for two-way D-League contracts, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com writes. While the concept is still very much in the planning stages, the current idea is that the D-League portion of the contracts would be valued in the neighborhood of $75K to $100K per season, according to the NBA.com scribe. If the player were called up to the NBA, he would then earn a prorated portion of his NBA salary, Howard-Cooper adds.

“I think it’s something that makes a lot of sense for our league,” D-League president Malcolm Turner said. “I don’t want to get ahead of where we are, in terms of planning conversations, but I think it’s clearly a logical next step in our evolution. As you expand, you have rosters to fill, and we want to do so in a way that allows us to add more and better talent to the league faster. A two-way system can be facilitating.”

Here’s the latest from around the league:

Former 2007 No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden was released by the Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association recently, throwing his playing future into question, Doug Lesmerises of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. Oden indicated that his deal with Jiangsu was month-to-month, so letting him go saved the team a month’s worth of salary, Lesmerises notes. When asked if he intended to continue his playing career, Oden said, “I mean, if the opportunity is there, and it’s the right opportunity, of course. I’ve just got to look at the opportunities. I haven’t heard about anything yet. I’ll take what I can.” Oden last appeared in the NBA during the 2013/14 campaign when he played in 23 games for the Heat.
LSU’s Ben Simmons, Duke’s Brandon Ingram and Croatian big man Dragan Bender top the latest 2016 NBA draft rankings from ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider subscription required).
One factor contributing to why the Knicks fired Derek Fisher prior to the All-Star break is that the league office frowns upon teams parting ways with coaches during All-Star week, as it detracts from the festivities, Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports tweets.
The Heat have assigned power forward Jarnell Stokes to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Stokes’ sixth trip to Sioux Falls on the season.

Pacific Notes: Griffin, Tucker, Simmons

February 5th, 2016 at 9:09pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Clippers power forward Blake Griffin underwent a second surgical procedure this week on his broken right hand, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com relays. The latest procedure was related to his initial one and isn’t considered a setback, Shelburne notes. The original expectation that Griffin will miss approximately four to six weeks is still currently in place, according to the ESPN scribe. The Sixers and Nuggets have reportedly checked on Griffin’s availability, though the Clippers have no active interest in trading him in spite of offers that several teams have made. A report from Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports noted that L.A. plans a concerted effort to look for Griffin trades in the offseason if they disappoint in the playoffs this spring. While Griffin waits to learn if he’ll be facing discipline from the NBA, here’s more of what’s happening in the Pacific Division…

P.J. Tucker, who is the subject of recent trade rumors involving the Raptors, says he wants to remain with the Suns, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic relays. “I love being in Phoenix,” Tucker said. “It’s been my longest stop of my career and hopefully it continues.” This desire to remain in Phoenix is dampened by the team’s struggles this season, Coro adds. “It would suck,” Tucker said about a potential trade. “I’m not going to lie. I was here when it was down. We came up and now we’re having a tough year this year. Seeing it full circle and not obtaining the goal of making the playoffs since I’ve been here, that wouldn’t be the top of my list of things that I like.”
The Lakers currently hold a 19.9% chance at landing the No. 1 overall pick this June and there are questions if Ben Simmons, the projected top pick in this year’s NBA draft, and power forward Julius Randle would fit well together, writes Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. “Julius Randle is that 4 guy who handles the basketball,” NBA TV analyst Steve Smith opined. “It would be interesting if they would play them together or not together.” If the Lakers did select Simmons in the draft it would raise questions regarding Randle’s future with the franchise considering the number of similarities between the players’ games, Medina notes. “He has to be the secondary ball-handler,” an NBA executive said of Simmons. “If you’re not going to use him as a point forward, you’re wasting your time.”

And-Ones: Raptors, Holiday, Middleton, Asik, Draft

January 28th, 2016 at 2:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

Attracting a major free agent to Toronto comes down to the team’s success on the court, Raptors GM Masai Ujiri believes, and Toronto is holding up its end of the bargain so far this year, as Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com examines. The Raptors are in second place in the Eastern Conference, thanks in part to a lineup of Kyle Lowry, Patrick Patterson, offseason signees Cory Joseph and Bismack Biyombo, and the recently extended Terrence Ross that outscores opponents by a whopping 32.6 points per 100 possessions, Arnovitz notes.

“It’s simple: Win,” Ujiri said. “If you have a good culture, you can attract free agents. We have a very unique opportunity here.”

See more on the Raptors amid the latest from around the NBA:

Jrue Holiday has shown flashes of his peak form, and that’s perhaps partly because the Pelicans restricted his minutes earlier in the season as he recovered from a stress reaction in his right leg, writes Brett Dawson of The New Orleans Advocate. Would-be trade suitors have been “petrified” about Holiday’s leg issues, though the Pelicans are reluctant to deal him, as Zach Lowe of ESPN.com wrote this week. “I think it helped me mentally, for one, preparing mentally to feel good,” Holiday said of the minutes restriction, since lifted. “Not to second-guess myself if I’m making a cut or doing a move, especially when it comes to the point where I’m playing back-to-back and playing a lot of minutes. And physically, I do feel really good right now.”
The five-year, $70MM deal that Bucks leading scorer Khris Middleton signed this past offseason is the NBA’s most trade-able contract, opines Keith Smith of RealGM, while Pelicans center Omer Asik‘s five-year pact worth nearly $53MM, also signed this past summer, is the league’s least trade-able deal, Smith writes in a follow-up piece.
LSU combo forward Ben Simmons unsurprisingly tops the latest draft rankings from Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com, with Duke small forward Brandon Ingram second and Providence point guard Kris Dunn third.
Raptors D-League power forward Ronald Roberts, who’s averaging 18.4 points in 34.4 minutes per game, tops the latest D-League prospect rankings.

And-Ones: Durant, Noah, LeBron, Draft

January 26th, 2016 at 2:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kevin Durant fielded the first direct questions in more than two months about his upcoming free agency today as the Thunder prepare to play the Knicks in New York, and his answers revealed little, with mostly boilerplate responses surrounding his sentiments for playing at Madison Square Garden, as The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater transcribes. Still, he dismissed the notion that a large market would be any better for his business profile than small-market Oklahoma City and said his main focus is on the court, anyway. He spoke fondly of New York basketball culture, but that’s standard fare, as Durant himself essentially suggested.

“They link everybody with New York City,” Durant said, according to Slater’s transcription. “One of the greatest cities in the world. They link everybody with this city. So it’s not a bad thing. Great city. Great place to visit, great place to live, I’m sure. They link everybody, it’s not just me.”

See more from around the NBA:

Joakim Noah, another soon-to-be free agent, hopes he’ll be back with the Bulls next season, as he told reporters, including Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link). It’s not uncommon for players to say that about their incumbent teams as they approach free agency, but he has reportedly been displeased with how the team has viewed him this year, one in which he played mostly in a backup role before suffering a shoulder injury that’s likely to have ended his season.
Heat minority share owner Ranaan Katz is among those who say that LeBron James engineered the firing of former Cavaliers coach David Blatt, adding that James tried and failed to oust Erik Spoelstra when they were together in Miami, according to international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Spoelstra is currently the NBA’s second longest-tenured coach.
Ben Simmons goes to the Sixers, Brandon Ingram to the Lakers and Dragan Bender to the Celtics in the top three picks of the latest mock draft from Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.

And-Ones: Williams, Love, McLemore

January 21st, 2016 at 10:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Shooting guard Elliot Williams, whom the Grizzlies didn’t sign to a second 10-day contract after his first expired on Sunday, has declined multiple offers from overseas teams as he awaits another NBA team to come calling, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link). Williams averaged 1.6 points on 20% shooting in nine minutes per contest across five appearances for Memphis. The Grizzlies instead signed center Ryan Hollins to a 10-day contract today, filling the roster spot Williams had been in.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Bulls are a team in disarray, which is a byproduct of parting ways with former coach Tom Thibodeau, Colin McGowan of RealGM writes. Chicago wanted a coach who was more respectful of the chain of command, and it got that in new coach Fred Hoiberg, but the team has looked sluggish on offense and disinterested in defense far too often this season as a result of the switch, McGowan contends.
Kings shooting guard Ben McLemore‘s playing time has suffered due to the offseason additions of Rajon Rondo and Marco Belinelli, and the third-year player is still trying to adjust to his new role, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. “I think I’m still trying to find my flow on this team,” McLemore told Jones. “I know what I need to do. I’m just trying to figure it out. Last year I figured it out pretty fast. Now I need to get over this hump and push from there.”
If the Cavaliers are to maximize their potential this season, power forward Kevin Love will need to fully embrace his role as the team’s third star, Kevin Cottrell Jr. of NBA.com writes. Love has struggled with his touches and role being reduced since arriving in Cleveland, something that Chris Bosh, a former teammate of LeBron James, cautioned could become an issue when the trade for Love was first announced, Cottrell notes.
LSU’s Ben Simmons tops the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider subscription required). The combo forward is followed on Ford’s list by Duke’s Brandon Ingram and Croatian big man Dragan Bender, who round out the top three.