Buddy Hield Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Bogut, Simmons, Hield, Nowitzki

July 31st, 2016 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

New Mavericks center Andrew Bogut was back on the court today for the first time since hurting his left knee in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, reports ESPN.com. Bogut played nine minutes for the Australian National Team in an Oympic tune-up against China. He wore a brace on his knee as he registered three rebounds and an assist. “I think his first game back from an injury is always difficult,” said Australian assistant coach Luc Longley. “We’re fairly happy with how he moved, how he looked on the court and will build from that.”

There’s more news from the Southwest Division:

Jonathon Simmons‘ contract with the Spurs is now fully guaranteed for next season, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The second-year shooting guard will make $847,636 after the guarantee deadline passed Saturday.
The Pelicans expect first-round pick Buddy Hield to have ups and downs during his rookie season, writes Ian Thomsen of NBA.com. Hield struggled with his shot in his first summer league experience, connecting on just 33% from the field and 23% from 3-point range. New Orleans is counting on Hield to replace Eric Gordon, who signed with the Rockets in free agency. “With him it’s never going to be about effort,” said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry. “It’s just going to be about the experience of learning, and if that’s all you’ve got to worry about then I think he’s going to be a very good player. It’s going to be a roller coaster season for him. He’s going to have some 30-point games, he’s also going to have some 3-for-15 games. That’s all a part of learning as a rookie. But you tell me a rookie that’s come in this league that hasn’t done that.”
After years of being paid below his market value, the Mavericks‘ Dirk Nowitzki deserves the two-year, $50MM deal he signed this summer, contends Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Nowitzki said he took less in previous years to help Dallas assemble the best possible team and noted that the Mavericks were able to trade for Tyson Chandler and sign Chandler Parsons because of it.

Pelicans Sign First-Rounder Buddy Hield

July 22nd, 2016 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans are finalizing several contract agreements this week as they get their roster and cap in order for the coming season, and the latest player to sign his deal with the team is sixth overall pick Buddy Hield. New Orleans announced today in a press release that Hield his signed his rookie contract with the club.

“We could not be more excited to add a player and person like Buddy Hield to the New Orleans Pelicans,” GM Dell Demps said in a statement. “He embodies all the traits we care about in our organization. His work ethic, energy and confidence have been on full display since he stepped foot in New Orleans. We look forward to helping him grow as a player as he will help us become a better team.”

Hield, who was the first senior to come off the board in last month’s draft, was one of the best players in the nation during his final year at Oklahoma. The 22-year-old averaged 25.0 PPG and 5.7 RPG to go along with a sizzling 45.7% mark from three-point range (4.0 3PG).

As our breakdown of salaries for 2016 first-round picks shows, Hield should be in line for a first-year salary of $3,517,200, and he’ll earn $15,887,648 if he plays out his full rookie contract. With Hield locked up, only five 2016 first-rounders have yet to either sign their rookie contracts or reach an agreement to play overseas.

Western Rumors: Wolves, Hield, Rockets, Grizzlies

June 23rd, 2016 at 5:22pm CST by Luke Adams

With the No. 5 pick in hand, the Timberwolves know they won’t have a chance to draft Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram, but it’s not clear yet which two other players will be off the board by the time they have to submit their selection. It sounds like Kris Dunn may be the team’s top target, but if the Providence point guard is unavailable, Tom Thibodeau has Oklahoma sharpshooter Buddy Hield next up on the club’s board, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link).

As we wait to see what Minnesota ends up doing with that fifth overall pick, let’s check in on a few other notes and rumors from across the Western Conference…

James Harden expects to assist the Rockets in their pursuit of free agents this summer, actively recruiting players when he can, per Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. According to Harden, Kevin Durant will be one of the players he attempts to recruit: “I’m going to try. He’s one of my really good friends. I’m going to try and talk to him. He has a big decision [to make], whatever he feels best for his career. … I obviously would love for him to play here in Houston, but ultimately he’s got to make the best decision for his career whatever that is.”
Don’t be surprised if the Grizzlies acquire another second-round pick in tonight’s draft, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. As Tillery details, Memphis GM Chris Wallace is fond of picking up extra second-rounders to nab developmental players, especially if the price is only cash.
The Spurs hold the draft rights to 14 players currently playing overseas or elsewhere, and general manager R.C. Buford expects at least one of those players – and “maybe more” – to join the NBA club this offseason. Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News has the details.
The Jazz have accelerated their playoff timeline by trading the No. 12 overall pick in a deal for veteran guard George Hill, says Brad Rock of The Deseret News. In other Jazz news, Gordon Hayward issued a statement explaining why he has withdrawn his name from Team USA for the 2016 Olympics (Twitter link via Priority Sports).

Draft Rumors: Sixers, Noel, Magic, Butler, Raps

June 23rd, 2016 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The 76ers have had “significant engagement” with the Celtics in the last 24 hours, and those trade talks are continuing, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). However, Wojnarowski reports that Philadelphia has also recently been in touch with the Timberwolves (No. 5) and Kings (No. 8). According to Michael Scotto of The Associated Press (Twitter link), the Sixers are dangling Nerlens Noel and their two picks near the end of the first round (Nos. 24 and 26) in an effort to pick up a second top-eight pick.

Here are a few more draft rumors and updates from around the NBA:

There have been reports that some teams with high picks tonight – such as the Celtics at No. 3 or the Timberwolves at No. 5 – are willing to include those selections in a package for Jimmy Butler. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News suggests (via Twitter) that the Magic are also among the teams pursuing Butler, but according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (via Twitter), the Bulls forward is under the impression that Chicago intends to keep him.
If none of the consensus top eight players on draft boards slip to No. 9 for the Raptors, GM Masai Ujiri may end up taking Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford (Twitter link), who is hearing “strong rumblings” about Toronto’s interest in the big man.
League sources tell Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic that Washington’s Marquese Chriss is believed to be the Suns‘ preferred target at No. 4, assuming he’s available. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 tweets that he expects Phoenix to take either Chriss or Dragan Bender, adding that he doesn’t believe Buddy Hield or Jamal Murray are in play.
Ford (ESPN Insider-only link) and Jonathan Givony of The Vertical have both updated their mock drafts today to reflect the latest info they’re hearing from around the league.

Draft Rumors: Lakers, Ingram, Celtics, Bembry

June 22nd, 2016 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

With Ben Simmons having reportedly received a promise from the Sixers at No. 1, the Lakers know who will be on the board for them at No. 2, and barring a last-minute blockbuster trade offer, Los Angeles intends to select Duke’s Brandon Ingram with that pick, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford and Ramona Shelburne. The decision, which comes as no surprise, comes after the Lakers spent three hours meeting with new head coach Luke Walton on Tuesday night, per the ESPN.com report. The team did its homework on other top prospects, but this year’s class has always been viewed as having a consensus top two, so it would have been a huge upset if the Lakers had landed on anyone but Ingram.

Let’s check in on a few more draft rumors, notes, and updates around the league…

ESPN’s Marc Stein wrote last night that the Celtics‘ preference at No. 3 – assuming they keep the pick – has “emerged as one of the bigger mysteries of draft week.” Bill Simmons of The Ringer agrees, tweeting that the Suns (Marquese Chriss), Timberwolves (Kris Dunn), Pelicans (Jamal Murray), and Kings (Buddy Hield) all appear to have preferred targets, but Boston could throw a wrench into the top eight by selecting one of those players. Meanwhile, Brett Dawson of The Advocate cautions (via Twitter) that it’s not yet clear whether Murray is New Orleans’ top target.
The Hawks, Sixers, and Spurs – all of whom have picks in the 20-30 range tomorrow night – have done the most extensive research on former St. Joseph’s wing DeAndre’ Bembry, a source tells Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
Rothstein adds (via Twitter) that two names he’s hearing on the Grizzlies‘ short list for the No. 17 pick are Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt) and Malachi Richardson (Syracuse).
The Pacers have narrowed down their list of realistic targets for the No. 20 overall pick to eight prospects, and prioritizing versatility, writes Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star.
ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider-only link) has revealed his final big board for the 2016 draft, which has Kris Dunn supplanting Jamal Murray at No. 3, and Marquese Chriss cracking the top five.
The NBA has announced 19 Green Room invitees for the 2016 draft, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv details. The list of prospects who will be in attendance on Thursday night includes the usual suspects, such as Simmons and Ingram, but also features a handful of names further down on draft boards, including Timothe Luwawu, Malik Beasley, and Denzel Valentine.

Ford On Sixers, Lakers, J. Brown, Celtics

June 20th, 2016 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA world may still be recovering this morning from an incredible Game 7 in Oakland on Sunday night, but that recovery will have to happen fast — we’re only three days away from the 2016 NBA draft. As we quickly transition into the 2016 offseason, let’s round up a few of the highlights from Chad Ford’s latest mock draft at ESPN.com (Insider link), which features a handful of interesting draft tidbits…

The Sixers have had “vigorous internal debates” about the No. 1 pick, with Brandon Ingram and Kris Dunn – who would both be good fits on the roster – receiving consideration. But, as Ford writes, the team keeps coming back to the fact that Ben Simmons is the best prospect in the draft in terms of “sheer talent and upside.” Ford adds that head coach Brett Brown believes he could find a way to use Simmons as a point guard of sorts.
Although there has been some talk of the Lakers eyeing Marquese Chriss and Jaylen Brown at No. 2, Ford believes those prospects would only be in play for L.A. if the club acquired another lottery pick. Either Simmons or (more likely) Ingram figures to be the pick for the Lakers.
The Celtics have come up empty so far in their trade talks involving the No. 3 selection. That doesn’t mean Boston will definitely keep the pick, but the team doesn’t have a deal it likes for the time being. If they keep the pick, the Celtics may be leaning toward Brown, who had a “terrific” workout in Boston, says Ford.
The four players strongly in the mix for the Timberwolves at No. 5 are Brown, Kris Dunn, Jamal Murray, and Dragan Bender, according to Ford.
While the Kings are “praying” that Buddy Hield falls to No. 8, Ford says Domantas Sabonis could be a dark horse candidate for that spot, since Sacramento is very high on him.
We heard last week that Malachi Richardson may have received a promise from the Grizzlies at No. 17, and Ford’s mock draft does send Richardson to Memphis. However, the ESPN.com scribe notes that the Grizzlies are also very fond of Croatian big man Ivica Zubac, who could be in play for that slot.

Draft Update: Celtics, Spurs, Hornets, Jazz, Hield

June 19th, 2016 at 9:04am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics have trimmed their list of candidates if they keep the No. 3 pick in Thursday’s draft, writes Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com. Director of player personnel Austin Ainge said during workouts Saturday that the team has a good idea of who it will select if no trades work out by draft night. “We’ve been narrowing at this point,” Ainge said. “We have them in groups more than specific [players]. Maybe for our first pick we have it narrowed to these three or four guys, the second group a little bigger – eight or 10, because you don’t know whose going to be there. You do your best at guessing and debating the groups.” Petraglia names Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield, Bosnian power forward Dragan Bender and Providence point guard Kris Dunn as the top candidates for the third selection, with Kentucky combo guard Jamal Murray and California power forward Jaylen Brown possibly getting consideration. The Celtics also own picks No. 16 and 23 in the first round.

There’s more draft-related news this morning:

The Spurs are working hard to move up in the draft, according to NBADraft.net (Twitter link) and Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (link). San Antonio currently owns the No. 29 pick.
The Hornets are also making an effort to improve their draft position, tweets Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Charlotte has the 22nd pick.
Several teams have contacted the Jazz about trading for the No. 12 pick, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News.
Providence power forward Ben Bentil has a draft promise late in the first round, according to NBADraft.net (Twitter link). The Clippers, who hold the 25th selection, are mentioned as a possibility because of their connection with Friars assistant coach God Shammgod.
Hield made his case to be taken second overall after his workout Saturday with the Lakers, writes Joey Ramirez of NBA.com. It was Hield’s second session for L.A. after a private workout earlier. “I’m just what the franchise needs,” he said. “The Lakers are losing Kobe [Bryant] and need a scorer. Why not? Why not come in and fill in the spot? I’m a confident player. That’s what I’ve been. I’ve been under pressure my whole life; just overcoming obstacles and I know L.A.’s in the market and everybody says about the Lakers how they expect to win. I’m a player coming in and expecting to win right away.”

Eastern Draft Notes: Sixers, Celtics, Pistons

June 13th, 2016 at 10:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LSU forward Ben Simmons may not work out for the Sixers or any other team prior to the draft, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Media Network reports. Philadelphia, which has the top pick, is trying to get Simmons in for a workout, Pompey continues. Simmons is expected to be the Sixers’ choice over Duke forward Brandon Ingram. “It’s not a red flag,” Sixers president of basketball operation Bryan Colangelo told Pompey. “Everybody deals with the draft process differently.” The Sixers did not work out Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid or Jahlil Okafor before selecting them in the last three drafts, Pompey notes.

In other draft developments around the Eastern Conference:

The Sixers will bring in California small forward Jaylen Brown for a workout on Tuesday afternoon, the team announced via press release. Brown could be a darkhorse candidate for the top pick in the draft. He could also be an option if Philadelphia trades down in the lottery, or if they package their two late first rounders to acquire another lottery selection. He’s ranked No. 8 on ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s Big Board and No. 5 by Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony. The Sixers will bring in six second-round hopefuls earlier in the day, including Iowa State forward Georges Niang, Iowa forward Jarrod Uthoff, UC Santa Barbara guard Michael Bryson, Iona guard A.J. English, Mississippi forward Tomasz Gielo and Dayton swingman Dyshawn Pierre.
The Celtics worked out two projected lottery picks on Monday, Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield and Washington power forward Marquese Chriss, ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman tweets. The workouts were held in California, Goodman adds. Ford slots Hield at No. 7 and Chriss at No. 6 on his Big Board, while Hield is rated No. 7 and Chriss is ranked No. 11 by Givony. The Celtics have three first-rounders, including the No. 3 pick.
The Pistons worked out six players on Monday, the most prominent being Notre Dame point guard Demetrius Jackson, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News (Twitter links). The Pistons, who hold the No. 18 pick, need a backup point gaurd and Jackson is ranked No. 26 by Ford and No. 16 by Givony. Washington point guard Andrew Andrews and a quartet of big men — Greece native Georgios Papagiannis, Clemson’s Landry Nnoko, Purdue’s A.J. Hammons and Maryland’s Diamond Stone — also participated in the workout, Beard adds.
Marquette power forward Henry Ellenson will meet with the Bucks on Tuesday, Gery Woelfel of Woelfelspressbox.com reports. The Bucks have the No. 10 pick and the 7’0” Ellenson is rated No. 11 by Ford and No. 13 by Givony.

Pacific Notes: Barnes, Brown, Labissiere, Johnson

June 11th, 2016 at 5:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors will stick to their promise to keep the team together, even if that means matching an offer in excess of $20MM per year for Harrison Barnes, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Barnes will be a restricted free agent this summer after turning down a four-year, $64MM offer from Golden State last year. He averaged 11.7 points in 66 games this season and has become an important cog in a team that is one victory away from its second straight championship. Barnes is eligible to receive an offer starting at $20MM per year and could get a max offer in the neighborhood of $23MM. A source in the Warriors organization told Deveney that owner Joe Lacob has not wavered from his promise to hold onto the team’s key players. However, Deveney tweets that if Barnes decides he wants to go somewhere else to have a larger role, the Warriors will try to accommodate him with a sign-and-trade.

There’s more news from the Pacific Division:

Iowas State combo forward Georges Niang and Manhattan power forward Jermaine Lawrence have workouts scheduled today for the Warriors, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Golden State’s only pick in this year’s draft is at No. 30.
California swingman Jaylen Brown addressed questions about his shooting after a workout with the Lakers Friday, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “I think the biggest knock on me is if I can shoot the ball,” Brown said. “And I’ve been shooting the ball pretty well in these workouts. … And to shoot it the way I do now, it’s a significant growth.” Brown has been projected as a top 10 pick, but teams are concerned that he shot just 43.1% from the field and 29.4% from 3-point range last season. Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere also worked out for the Lakers Friday and projects himself as a power forward in the NBA. “I think I’ll be a four because of my versatility, both on offense and defense,” Labissiere said. “I can shoot the basketball, score inside, run the floor really well, block shots, guard small defenders.”
The Lakers have a June 18th workout scheduled with Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield, Turner writes in the same piece. L.A. held a private session with Hield two weeks ago.
After four years at North Carolina, Brice Johnson doesn’t think his age will be an issue in the draft, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Johnson, who is about to turn 22, worked out for Phoenix this week and is a candidate for the Suns’ No. 13 pick. “Nowadays, everybody just wants to see me shoot the ball,” Johnson said. “They just want to know if I can shoot. They know I’m very athletic. I can dunk the ball very well. I think about 85 percent of my shots were dunks this year.”

Ford’s Latest: Sixers, Suns, Kings, Hield

June 10th, 2016 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

With NBA draft chatter heating up, ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider-only link) has heard a number of intriguing comments from general managers around the NBA, which he shares in his latest piece. According to Ford, at least one GM thinks the Lakers should draft Marquese Chriss at No. 2, while another believes that if Dejounte Murray had played for UNC or Duke, he’d be a top-five pick.

In addition to publishing his latest draft column today, Ford also answered followers’ questions on Twitter. Let’s round up a few of his more notable answers…

The Sixers have made both Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel available in trade talks, but they’d prefer to move Okafor rather than Noel, and would like to land a young guard or a top-six pick in such a deal (Twitter link).
Asked who he expects the Suns will draft with the fourth overall pick, Ford suggested that Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender are the top two candidates (Twitter link).
Ford believes the Kings are eyeing Buddy Hield with the No. 8 overall pick. If Hield is off the board when Sacramento’s pick arrives, the Kings may end up trading the selection (Twitter link).
According to Ford (Twitter link), a heart issue discovered last month at the combine in Chicago has affected Chinanu Onuaku‘s stock a little. Ford puts Onuaku in the 25-40 range, suggesting he could be an early second-round pick.