Cade Cunningham Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cade Cunningham Impressed With Pistons, Detroit

July 23rd, 2021 at 9:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Likely No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham praised the Pistons organization and the city of Detroit in his only scheduled pre-draft visit, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes.

Cunningham worked out with the Pistons on Tuesday.

“The organization has a lot of great people within it,” Cunningham said. “I mean, starting from the owners, Troy Weaver is a great GM, and then, you know, all the way down. They got just great people throughout. So I learned a lot on my visit. If they take me, I’ll definitely be excited to be there.”

Cunningham, who excelled in his lone college season at Oklahoma State, explained his decision to work out for one team.

“I wanted to meet with the team with the No. 1 pick and I feel like I’m the No. 1 pick,” he said. “I met with Detroit, they’re the ones that had the pick.”

However, Cunningham might visit with another team if Detroit opts to trade the top selection, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic.

“If the Rockets get the No. 1 pick, I’d meet with them if there is enough time,” he said when asked about the possibility of Houston trading up.

Houston holds the No. 2 pick and is expected to have more discussions with Detroit as the draft nears, according to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko. The Rockets had some talks with the Pistons during the draft combine last month in Chicago and are prepared to make an offer to move up a spot.

Cunningham is content with the Pistons holding onto the pick and sees himself as fitting in not only with the team but the city.

“Detroit fits me, that’s the main thing I’m going to try to do is step in and embody the swag that people from Detroit walk with, the people from Michigan in general,” he said. “They have an underdog, go-get-what-you-want feel to them and I like that about the city.”

Draft Notes: Garza, Cooper, Pacers, Mock Drafts

July 21st, 2021 at 10:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers, who are in the market for a reserve center, worked out a pair of big men today, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Iowa’s Luka Garza, the two-time national player of the year, was in Philadelphia, along with Utah State’s Neemias Queta.

Garza, who is projected to be taken anywhere from the end of the first round to the middle of the second round, has dropped weight since the college season ended in an effort to become more mobile on defense. Queta was named Player of the Year in the Mountain West Conference and was a finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year honors.

With Dwight Howard entering free agency, Pompey notes that the Sixers don’t have a reliable backup to Joel Embiid. Philadelphia holds the 28th and 50th selections in next week’s draft.

There’s more draft news to pass along:

The Knicks have been seeking information on Auburn point guard Sharife Cooper, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Cooper only played 12 games as a freshman because of an NCAA investigation into his eligibility, and some scouts believe he’ll be selected much higher than his current rating of 17th on ESPN’s big board. Begley isn’t sure if New York has worked out Cooper yet, but he notes that point guard is a strong position of need.
The Pacers hosted several projected first-round picks in a workout today, according to a story on the team’s website. Oregon’s Chris Duarte, Virginia’s Sam Hauser, Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert, LSU’s Cameron Thomas, Stanford’s Ziaire Williams and Colorado’s McKinley Wright all participated. Indiana has the No. 13 pick.
With the draft eight days away, the top of the lottery appears set. Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs and Scottie Barnes are the first five off the board in new mock drafts from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Their first difference comes at No. 6, where Vecenie has the Thunder taking Jonathan Kuminga, while Wasserman has James Bouknight going to OKC. Vecenie also released his final draft rankings, which list Cunningham, Suggs, Mobley, Green and Kuminga as the top five prospects.

Pistons To Work Out Jalen Green, Jalen Suggs

July 20th, 2021 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

After hosting Cade Cunningham for a visit, the Pistons are set to bring in two more top prospects – Jalen Green and Jalen Suggs – for private workouts in the coming days, according to Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Sources tell ESPN’s duo that Detroit would also like to bring in Evan Mobley, but the team has yet to schedule a visit for the USC big man.

The fact that the Pistons are conducting workouts with top prospects besides Cunningham shouldn’t come as a surprise. While the Oklahoma State star is widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, general manager Troy Weaver is doing his due diligence on all possibilities, including trading down from No. 1.

Even if Detroit has already decided to stay put and select Cunningham, it doesn’t hurt to bring in other top prospects — if Green, Suggs, and Mobley end up with other teams, this will be the only opportunity the Pistons have for years to meet with them and gather first-hand information on them.

According to Givony and Wojnarowski, Cunningham doesn’t intend to meet with any other teams besides the Pistons, while Green’s only other workout will be with the Rockets, who hold the No. 2 pick.

Cade Cunningham Meets With Pistons

July 19th, 2021 at 8:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Cade Cunningham, the strong frontrunner to be the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, is in Detroit and has met with the Pistons, tweets James Edwards III of The Athletic.

Word of Cunningham’s meeting with the team comes as no surprise — as soon as the Pistons won the draft lottery last month, word broke that they’d be the only team the Oklahoma State guard visited. The only way I could see that plan changing is if another team trades for the No. 1 pick a few days before the draft and wants to bring in the 19-year-old.

General manager Troy Weaver has shown a willingness to listen to offers for that first overall pick, with the Rockets among the teams showing the most interest, but the likeliest scenario is that Detroit keeps the selection and drafts Cunningham.

As a freshman in 2020/21, Cunningham averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game in 27 contests (35.4 MPG) for the Cowboys, registering a shooting line of .438/.400/.846. A solid shooter, passer, and play-maker, Cunningham has great size (6’8″) for a point guard and has the ability to guard multiple positions on defense.

If the Pistons draft Cunningham, they’ll add him to a promising core that also includes Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, and last year’s lottery pick Killian Hayes.

Draft Notes: Butler, Duarte, Knicks, Rockets

July 17th, 2021 at 6:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Baylor guard Jared Butler has received medical clearance from the NBA’s Fitness to Play panel, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic. Butler, the Most Outstanding Player in this year’s Final Four, had been considered a possible mid first-round pick when the draft process began, but he was sidelined in June due to a heart condition.

Butler hasn’t been permitted to do anything on the court for the past three weeks, but he was still allowed to meet with teams and go through off-court activities such as interviews and medical exams. He met this week with executives from the Kings, who hold the ninth and 39th picks in the draft.

“I am fully healthy and cleared to play in the NBA!” Butler wrote on Twitter. “Out of an abundance of care, the NBA is incredibly thorough in vetting the health of every player during the pre-Draft process and throughout our careers. I am forever grateful that their comprehensive and strict health analysis has unanimously confirmed my fitness to play in the NBA. Now, my focus is entirely on the Draft and working daily to prepare myself to fulfill my lifelong dream !!”

There’s more draft news to pass along:

Oregon’s Chris Duarte was happy with the results of Friday’s workout for the Warriors, per James Crepea of The Oregonian. Duarte, who is expected to be selected around the middle of the first round, has also visited the Wizards, Hornets, Thunder, Pelicans and Spurs. “It went great,” Duarte said of Friday’s session. “I really love it, enjoying this time here.”
Butler and Duarte may be possibilities for the Knicks if they hold onto the 19th and 21st picks, ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla tells Steve Serby of The New York Post. Fraschilla also mentions Kentucky center Isaiah Jackson and international prospect Usman Garuba.
The Rockets‘ interest in trading up for the No. 1 pick is legitimate, but they don’t have any really strong future draft choices to offer the Pistons, Zach Harper of the Athletic writes in his latest mock draft. Harper expects Detroit to hang on to the No. 1 selection and take Cade Cunningham, leaving Houston to decide between keeping the No. 2 choice or trading down for extra assets. Jalen Green is the expected pick, but Harper cites “people within the Rockets’ decision-making process” who are in favor of drafting Jalen Suggs.

Draft Notes: Warriors, Hornets, Green Room Invites, Preston

July 16th, 2021 at 8:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors brought in some first-round prospects for workouts on Friday, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Chris Duarte, Keon Johnson, Corey Kispert, Trey Murphy III, Ziaire Williams and Ayo Dosunmu visited the Warriors’ training facility. Johnson is the highest-rated prospect on the list, as the Tennessee guard is currently ranked No. 9 overall by ESPN.

Gonzaga’s Kispert (No. 13), Virginia’s Murphy (18), Oregon’s Duarte (23), Stanford’s Williams (24) and Illinois’ Dosunmu (34) could all be off the board by the second round. Golden State holds the seventh and 14th overall picks.

We have more draft-related news and tidbits:

The Hornets looked at a handful of prospects on Thursday, the team’s PR department tweets. That group included Jahvon Blair (Georgetown), Tahj Eaddy (USC), Balsa Koprivica (Florida State), Sterling Manley (North Carolina) and M.J. Walker (Florida State).
Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs — the highest-rated prospects — are among the 15 players already invited to Green Room for the draft, which will be held at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. Davion Mitchell, James Bouknight, Keon Johnson, Scottie Barnes, Franz Wagner, Jalen Johnson, Kispert and Moses Moody will also be there. As previously noted, Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey and Kai Jones have received invites. The remaining invites will be determined next week, Givony adds in a separate tweet.
Ohio University guard Jason Preston blogged about the Pistons as a teenager, James Edwards III of The Athletic writes in a feature piece. Edwards details Preston’s journey from a journalism student who wasn’t recruited out of high school to a likely second-round pick. He’s currently slotted at No. 42 on ESPN’s list.

Central Notes: Love, Pistons, Pacers’ Staff, Sexton

July 16th, 2021 at 6:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Love‘s decision to withdraw from the Olympics raises more questions for the Cavaliers about his future, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. Love is still bothered by the right calf strain that limited him to just 25 games this season, an alarming development for Cleveland, considering Love still has two years left on his contract. Rather than using his experience with Team USA as a springboard to a career revival, Love may be facing the prospect of seeing his career come to an abrupt end. The Cavs will soon have conversations with Love about his health issues, Fedor adds, though retirement has not been discussed or considered.

We have more from the Central Division:

While there has been plenty of speculation about whether the Pistons are sold on Cade Cunningham as the No. 1 pick, it’s in their best interests to keep their intentions secret, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. If GM Troy Weaver has any desire to trade the pick, it’s best the others come calling with increasingly better offers, rather than Weaver openly shopping it.
The Pacers officially announced in a press release that former Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce, Ronald Nored, Mike Weinar and Jenny Boucek will be assistant coaches under Rick Carlisle. Pierce is currently an assistant with Team USA. Nored spent the past three seasons as an assistant with the Hornets, while Weinar spent 13 seasons with the Mavericks, four as an assistant coach. Boucek was also on Carlisle’s staff in Dallas the past three seasons.
Although the Cavaliers have made Collin Sexton “very available” according to a recent report, they’ve put a hefty price tag on him, Fedor writes in a separate story. The Knicks have had discussions with the Cavs about Sexton but they’re just one of many teams monitoring the situation, according to Fedor. Cleveland may ultimately be better off holding onto Sexton next season and not signing him to an extension, then allow him to become a restricted free agent next summer. In that scenario, another team can set the price tag for Sexton and Cleveland can choose whether or not to match it.

Draft Notes: Top Picks, Barnes, Mitchell, Green Room

July 16th, 2021 at 11:04am CST by Arthur Hill

With the draft less than two weeks away, more clarity is emerging about the top of the lottery, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Pistons are reportedly listening to offers involving the No. 1 selection, but league sources tell O’Connor the most likely scenario is that they will keep the pick and take Cade Cunningham. Even if a trade does happen, teams around the league expect Cunningham to be taken first.

The Rockets are leaning toward Jalen Green with the second pick, sources tell O’Connor. Green’s elite athleticism and ability to create his own shot could eventually make him the best player in the draft, O’Connor adds, and rival teams are preparing for him to go to Houston.

Evan Mobley, who ranks higher than Green on many teams’ draft boards, appears to be a good fit for the Cavaliers at No. 3. They may consider a guard if Collin Sexton is traded by draft night, but Mobley makes sense with the current roster. Jalen Suggs appears headed to the Raptors with the fourth pick and would be a young replacement for Kyle Lowry if he leaves in free agency.

O’Connor cites league sources who believe the Magic like Scottie Barnes with the fifth pick, while the Thunder at No. 6 will decide between James Bouknight and Barnes if he’s still on the board. Jonathan Kuminga, who was considered a top five selection early on, isn’t getting much interest from either Orlando or Oklahoma City, O’Connor adds.

There’s more on the draft:

Many scouts and executives believe Barnes will be a top five pick, per Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Sources tell Wassmerman that the Magic are a good bet to take Barnes, but the Thunder will nab him if Orlando passes. Rival teams also believe the Raptors will consider him with the fourth pick if they’re determined to keep Lowry.
Baylor point guard Davion Mitchell held an individual workout for the Warriors on Thursday, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Moses Moody, Jalen Johnson and Kai Jones also worked out for the team, but they were in a group session that was held after Mitchell’s workout and interview. Slater examines the arguments for and against drafting Mitchell, who is a strong defender and improved greatly as a three-point shooter last season.
Kuminga is among the prospects who have received a Green Room invitation for draft night, Wasserman tweets. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that Jones (Twitter link) and Australian guard Josh Giddey (Twitter link) have also been invited to join the Green Room, which is reserved for prospects who are expected to be chosen early.

Charania’s Latest: Collins, Rockets, E. Gordon, I. Todd, More

July 13th, 2021 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

John Collins‘ playoff averages of 13.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game (in 32.0 MPG) don’t jump off the page. However, people around the NBA believe the Hawks big man bolstered his case for a maximum-salary type investment this offseason with his postseason performance, says Shams Charania of The Athletic. Collins played a key role in Atlanta winning two series as an underdog and getting to within two games of the NBA Finals.

Since Collins will be a restricted free agent, the Hawks will have the ability to either sign Collins to a new deal themselves or match any offer sheet he signs with another team. Still, the club has projected reluctance to go all the way up to max for the 23-year-old, so a rival suitor could put pressure on Atlanta’s ownership and front office by presenting an aggressive four-year offer. The Mavericks, Heat, Spurs, and Timberwolves are among the teams expected to display interest, sources tell Charania.

Here’s more from Charania:

The Rockets have been actively exploring ways to move up from No. 2 and acquire the Pistons‘ No. 1 pick, sources tell Charania. A report last week suggested Houston has been “fixated” on Cade Cunningham, the top prospect in this year’s draft class, while multiple reports have stated that Detroit likes Jalen Green and Evan Mobley, so it’s possible the two teams could be motivated to work something out.
The Rockets have also been discussing veteran guard Eric Gordon in trade scenarios, according to Charania. Gordon, who still has two guaranteed years left on his contract, would be a better fit on a win-now team than a rebuilding Houston squad.
Isaiah Todd, who played for the G League Ignite in 2020/21, is canceling draft workouts with teams late in the first round, including the Jazz, and is focusing on teams with lottery picks, says Charania. That seems awfully optimistic for a prospect ranked 47th overall on ESPN’s big board.
Villanova’s Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has been impressing teams, including the Pelicans, during the pre-draft process, per Charania. Robinson-Earl ranks 60th on ESPN’s board.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Rockets, Spurs, Terry, Grizzlies

July 9th, 2021 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

People around the NBA believe there’s a good chance the Pelicans will move the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s draft in a deal that would bring back veteran help, says Zach Harper of The Athletic.

New Orleans already has a young roster and is expected to shop veterans like Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams this offseason in order to create more cap flexibility. Moving Bledsoe and/or Adams would make the roster even younger, perhaps making the Pelicans even less inclined to add another rookie to the mix.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Within his latest mock draft, Harper also says there’s a belief the Rockets have been “fixated” on Cade Cunningham, but are likely unwilling to pay Detroit what it would take to move up to No. 1. Additionally, sources tell Harper that people around the league believe Spurs guards Dejounte Murray and Derrick White could be “gettable” in trades.
Mavericks guard Tyrell Terry was away from the team for nearly two months during his rookie season for personal reasons. Asked this week about that situation, Terry declined to offer any details, as Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News writes. “I had something to deal with personally that I needed to take care of in order for me to come back and be the best version of myself,” Terry said. “The Mavericks were very helpful and supportive in that time.”
The Grizzlies could have between $20-25MM in cap room this offseason. With that in mind, Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal considers which veteran free agents might make sense as targets for the team.